Bed and ISA: Meaning, Rules, Pros & Cons

No, it’s not a misnomer. Bed and ISA is a real thing that can provide you with significant benefits if you invest in stocks and shares. If you would like to know more, please read on.

What does a Bed and ISA mean?

Understanding the meaning of a Bed and ISA is crucial for investors looking to optimize their tax situation. Bed & ISA is about selling any stocks and shares you might be held outside of an ISA and then buying those same investments back again – this time within an ISA.

There are five ISA options, but the ISA we are talking about with regard to the Bed and ISA concept is predominantly the stocks and shares ISA. You can also use a Lifetime ISA, which, like all ISAs, presents you with the most tax-efficient ways of saving.

Whenever considering investing, you must always be aware of the risk. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you might get back less than you invested. If you’re unsure how ISAs are taxed and whether they’re suitable for you, seek independent financial advice. Always bear in mind that ISA tax treatment status can change, so it pays to be up to date.

The benefits of Bed and ISA transactions

Stocks and shares investments held outside of ISAs are subject to capital gains and income tax if they breach the thresholds. The annual exemption amount for CGT is currently £6,000 and is set to be further reduced to £3,000 from April 2024, while the personal income allowance is £12,570.

The Bed and ISA process changes the tax treatment of any stocks and shares you transfer. Stocks held outside ISAs are subject to tax. They will be protected once they’ve been transferred into an ISA tax-efficient wrapper. You don’t even have to declare them on your tax returns.

An effective Bed and ISA example would involve an investor selling shares worth £20,000 initially bought for £10,000. The £10,000 gain could then be transferred into an ISA, utilizing the annual allowance and potentially saving on future capital gains tax.

Bed and ISA advantages

There are several Bed and ISA advantages.

Tax Benefits: One of the main advantages of Bed and ISA is its tax benefits. Investors can save a significant amount because any future capital gains and income earned from the investments held in a Bed and ISA are free from capital gains tax and income tax, respectively.

Simplification: Another advantage is portfolio simplification via ISA consolidation. The simplification helps investors keep track of their investments and reduce the administrative burden of managing multiple accounts.

Inheritance Tax: Regarding estate planning, investors can protect their investments regarding a spouse’s/civil partner’s inheritance tax obligation by transferring assets to a Bed and ISA.

Diversification and Flexibility: There are other Bed and ISA advantages, such as access to a wider range of investment opportunities through diversification and the flexibility to choose the investment you want to be transferred into an ISA.

Bed and ISA disadvantages

There are Bed and ISA disadvantages to consider. Here are some potential disadvantages that investors should be aware of:

Costs and Fees: The potential costs and fees associated with a Bed and ISA transfer are among the main disadvantages. Sometimes, there can be a small transaction fee. Other costs may be associated with the sale and repurchase of investments, such as dealing fees or bid-ask spreads.

Market Risk: Another one of the Bed and ISA disadvantages is that while you’re carrying out a Bed & ISA transaction, your stocks and shares will be off the market, and it will be prone to market risk. You could be at a loss if the stocks and shares go up in value during that time. Of course, the opposite can happen, too. Most companies offering a Bed & ISA service ensure the sale and repurchase process is handled as one transaction.

ISA Allowance: Another potential disadvantage is the ISA allowance of £20,000. This amount limit will affect investors with large investment portfolios.

Loss of Tax Benefits: Some investments held outside of a Bed and ISA have some tax benefits that may be lost when transferred to a Bed and ISA. For example, investors can reduce tax liability by offsetting capital losses against capital gains.

Tax Payments: Other potential Bed and ISA disadvantages include the fact that you may have to pay capital gains tax (CGT) on the sale of your stocks and shares, and you will have to pay stamp duty on the repurchase (0.5%).

When to consider Bed and ISA for your investments

Your individual circumstances and financial goals will influence the decision to sell shares to move investments as part of a Bed and ISA exercise.

The best shares to convert to a Bed and ISA are those that have dropped in value, especially when you believe they will recover and increase in value in the future. Why? Because if you convert your shares to a Bed & ISA at a lower cost, you could reduce any CGT due on the sale side.

Bed and ISA Rules and tax implications

The Bed and ISA rules are straightforward but must be carefully followed to ensure compliance with tax regulations.

• ISA allowance – The first rule is that you must not exceed your annual ISA allowance of £20,000 per tax year. You can carry out a Bed and ISA transfer up to this value, putting it all into an investment or Lifetime ISA (LISA), or split the value between the two, bearing in mind that the most you can put into a LISA is £4,000 per annum. Each time you contribute to a stocks and shares or lifetime ISA via the Bed & ISA process, your ISA allowance will be reduced accordingly.
• Tax freedoms—Under the Bed and ISA tax rules, you will not have to pay any income or capital gains tax on shares held in an ISA, and any share dividend payments will also be tax-free.
• Capital Gains Tax – Another rule to remember is that if your shares are sold and they have gained more than £12,300 in value, any amount above this cap will be subject to CGT.
• UK listed – You cannot use the Bed and ISA system to re-buy international shares unless they are UK listed and traded in pounds sterling.

How to choose the right assets for Bed and ISA

We’ve already discussed transferring shares that drop in price, but there is something else to consider—share dividend income.

From the 6^th of April 2023, the dividend allowance, above which you will have to pay tax on, will be reduced from the current £2,000 to £1,000. A further reduction to £500 will occur on the 6^th of April 2024. But like income tax and CGT, dividend tax doesn’t apply to shares held in an ISA.

Bed & ISA is not restricted to shares. Other assets you can sell and re-buy in this way include bonds, investment trusts and trackers. However, you can’t use Bed and ISA funds like unit trusts and OIECs.

Bed and ISA versus other investment strategies

Now that we’ve explained the meaning of a Bed and ISA and how they can benefit you, let’s take a quick look at another option – Bed and SIPP.

Bed and SIPP has the advantage of a higher annual allowance. At present, that allowance is £60,000.

Your investment can also grow free from CGT. The downside, however, is that any withdrawals that take you over your income tax threshold allowance will be taxed, whereas any ISA withdrawal is tax-free. Also, you can’t access funds from a SIPP until you’re 55. With an ISA, you can make tax-free withdrawals at any time.

Best practices for successful Bed and ISA execution

If you have an unused ISA allowance in this current tax year, given the lowering of the dividend allowance coming up in the next two tax years, now could be the right time to take advantage of it.

If you have more than £20,000 worth of shares you want to convert to a Bed and ISA, once you’ve maximised your annual ISA allowance, you’ll then have to wait until the next tax year’s allowance becomes available.

Not all ISA providers offer a Bed and ISA. If this applies to your ISA, you might want to take a peek at the “How to transfer your ISA” blog on the Moneyfarm website.

You should only work with an FCA-approved, top investment advisor and investment management company to follow best practices and ensure the Bed & ISA rules are strictly adhered to.

Moneyfarm does not offer Bed and ISA portfolios or services. We offer other ISA portfolios such as Stocks and Shares ISA and Junior ISA.

FAQ

Is Bed and ISA worth it?

A Bed and ISA may not be worth it for everyone. Several reasons, such as an individual’s circumstance, investment goals, the amount of taxable gains, portfolio size, and the investor’s tax situation, may make a Bed and ISA not suitable for an investor. For many, the benefits of consolidating investments within an ISA and saving on future taxes outweigh the initial costs and complexities.

Can Bed and ISA be reversed?

Unfortunately, once the Bed and ISA process has been completed and all the assets held in a regular trading account have been transferred to an ISA account, it becomes impossible to reverse the process.

What is the purpose of Bed and ISA?

The main purpose of a Bed and ISA transfer is to maximize tax efficiency as funds are moved from a taxable account to a tax-free ISA account that offers tax-free growth on investments and tax-free withdrawals.