What is the Junior ISA limit for 2026/27?

£9,000 across a child's Junior ISAs for the tax year.

Does a Junior ISA use my own ISA allowance?

No. The adult ISA limit of £20,000 for 2026/27 is separate.

Can a child have a Junior ISA and a Child Trust Fund?

No. You can ask the Child Trust Fund provider to transfer it into a Junior ISA.

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Childcare

Junior ISA basics: what to know before you save for your baby

4 min read. Last verified 4 October 2026. 2026/27 rules.

The short answer

A Junior ISA is a tax-free savings account for a child under 18 living in the UK. The 2026/27 limit is £9,000. A parent or guardian opens and manages it, but the money belongs to the child, who can take control at 16 and withdraw at 18. It is separate from your own £20,000 ISA allowance.

Key facts

The Junior ISA savings limit for the 2026/27 tax year is £9,000.
The child must be under 18 and living in the UK, with limited exceptions for Crown servants' dependants.
There are cash and stocks and shares versions, and a child can hold one or both.
Parents or guardians with parental responsibility can open and manage it, but the money belongs to the child.
The child can take control at 16 but cannot withdraw until 18.
A child cannot have a Junior ISA and a Child Trust Fund at the same time; the provider can transfer a trust fund into a Junior ISA.
The maximum an adult can save across ISAs in 2026/27 is £20,000.

In the first year, Junior ISA questions tend to come from relatives asking how they can help, or from parents who want to start saving early. The rules are simple, but a few of them are one-way decisions.

The basics

Cash Junior ISA: interest is tax-free.
Stocks and shares Junior ISA: your money is invested and growth and dividends are tax-free.
A child can have one or both types, within the £9,000 yearly limit.
Your own ISA allowance of £20,000 is separate and unaffected.

The part people underestimate: it is the child's money

You can open and manage the account, but the money belongs to the child. They can take control at 16 and withdraw at 18. You cannot take the money back to cover nursery fees or a house deposit. If you might need the cash, it belongs in your own savings or ISA first.

Put it in order

Cover the near-term costs first: leave pay gap, nursery bills and an emergency fund. The [maternity leave budget guide](maternity-leave-budget-return-to-work-childcare) helps with timing.
Check your own tax position, including the [Child Benefit charge](high-income-child-benefit-charge-60k-80k-what-to-do) and the £100,000 line, since pension contributions can help there and a Junior ISA does not.
Then decide how much to commit to money your child will control, and whether cash or stocks and shares fits a long horizon.
If your child has a Child Trust Fund, ask that provider about transferring it into a Junior ISA.

General information, not personal financial or tax advice. Limits checked on GOV.UK on 4 October 2026. Check the official sources and compare providers for your circumstances.

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Common questions

What is the Junior ISA limit for 2026/27?: £9,000 across a child's Junior ISAs for the tax year.
Can I take money out of my child's Junior ISA?: No. The money belongs to the child, who can take control at 16 and withdraw at 18.
Does a Junior ISA use my own ISA allowance?: No. The adult ISA limit of £20,000 for 2026/27 is separate.
Can a child have a Junior ISA and a Child Trust Fund?: No. You can ask the Child Trust Fund provider to transfer it into a Junior ISA.

Related playbooks

Sources

Figures verified against gov.uk and gov.scot on 30 June 2026. Constants version 2026/27.3. 2026/27 tax year. This is a modelling tool for general insight, not financial or tax advice.