-

Key tax rates, limits and allowances: Your at-a-glance guide

04 April 2023

2 minute read

Here’s our run-down of all the key tax rates, limits and allowances you need to know for the 2023-24 tax year. When it comes to using ISA and pension allowances, remember you don't have to make your investment choices straight away - as long as you have the cash in place this tax year, that’s enough to secure the tax benefits of this year’s allowances.

Who's it for? All investors

The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you could get back less than you invest. If you’re not sure about investing, seek independent advice. Tax rules can change in future. Their effects on you will depend on your individual circumstances.

Tax rates, allowances and bands often change when one tax year finishes and a new one begins.

Knowing what they are can help you work out how much tax you’ll pay each year and ensure that you make the most of all exemptions and reliefs available to you.

Rates and allowances for the current tax year, which runs from 6 April 2023 to 5 April 2024, and for reference the 2022-23 tax year too, are shown here.

Remember, tax rules can change in future and their effects on you will depend on your individual circumstances.

Personal Allowances

The tax-free Personal Allowance is the amount of income you can earn before you have to start paying tax. All individuals are now entitled to the same personal allowance, regardless of their age.

Allowance

2022-23

2023-24

Personal allowance

£12,570

£12,570

The personal allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of an individual's adjusted net income above £100,000 potentially removing the allowance in full.

The allowances shown below are available to certain individuals in addition to the personal allowance above.

Allowance

2022-23

2023-24

Blind person’s allowance

£2,600

£2,600

Transferable personal allowance

£1,260

£1,260

A spouse or civil partner who isn’t liable to income tax above the basic rate may transfer £1,260 in the 2023-24 tax year of their unused personal allowance to their spouse or civil partner, as long as the recipient isn’t liable to income tax above the basic rate.

Married couple’s allowance where one spouse or civil partner was born before 6 April 1935:

Allowance

2022-23

2023-24

Maximum amount of married couple’s allowance

£9,415

£10,375

Minimum amount of married couple’s allowance

£3,640

£4,010

This allowance is subject to a £34,600 income limit in the 2023-24 tax year (£31,400 in 2022-23). The individual’s married couple’s allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 above this limit. Tax relief for married couple’s allowance is given at a rate of 10%.

Personal Savings Allowance

The Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) was introduced on 6 April 2016 which according to government statistics means around 95% of savers no longer pay any tax on the interest they earn on their savings.

Basic rate taxpayers will not have to pay tax on the first £1,000 of their savings income.

Higher rate taxpayers will not have to pay tax on the first £500 of their savings income.

There is no personal savings allowance for additional rate taxpayers.

Income Tax rates

2022-23

2023-24

Tax rate

Taxable income above your Personal Allowance

Taxable income above your Personal Allowance

Nil rate Personal Allowance

Up to £12,570

Up to £12,570

Basic rate 20%

£12,571 to £50,270

£12,571 to £50,270

Higher rate 40%

£50,271 to £150,000

£50,271 to £125,140

Additional rate 45%

Over £150,000

Over £125,140

Scottish rates and bands

Bands

Band name

2022-2023 rate

2023-24 rate

£12,571*-£14,732

Starter Rate

19%

19%

£14,733-£25,688

Scottish Basic Rate

20%

20%

£25,689-£43,662

Intermediate Rate

21%

21%

£43,663-£150,000**

Higher Rate

41%

42%

Above £150,001

Top Rate

46%

47%

* Assumes individuals are in receipt of the standard Personal Allowance.

** Those earning more than £100,000 will see their Personal Allowance reduced by £1 for every £2 earned over £100,000. [source: www.gov.scot]

Savings income and dividend tax rates

All taxpayers have an annual tax-free dividend allowance of £1,000, so only dividend income above this allowance is taxed.

The dividend allowance is in addition to your personal allowance. In 2023-24 the personal allowance is £12,570. This means that if you receive £14,000 in dividend income next tax year, the first £12,570 could be covered by the personal allowance and the remaining £1,430 by the dividend allowance, so no tax would be payable (assuming you receive no other income).

Tax rate for dividends above £1,000

2022-23

2023-24

Basic Rate and non taxpayers

8.75%

8.75%

Higher rate taxpayers

33.75%

33.75%

Additional rate taxpayers

39.35%

39.35%

Tax-free savings account allowances

Account

2022-23

2023-24

Individual savings account (ISA) allowance

£20,000

£20,000

Junior ISA subscription limit

£9,000

£9,000

Child trust fund

£9,000

£9,000

You can use your full £20,000 allowance in an investment ISA, or split however you want across a cash ISA, investment ISA, lifetime ISA (max £4,000), and an innovative finance ISA.

Find out more about our Investment ISA

Pensions

Allowance

2022-23

2023-24

Annual Allowance

Most people are able to pay £40,000 or the total value of your annual earnings, whichever is lower into pensions. Check that you’re not affected by the exceptions below.

Most people are able to pay £60,000 or the total value of your annual earnings, whichever is lower into pensions. Check that you’re not affected by the exceptions below.

The annual allowance restricts the amount of pension contributions you can make each year while still receiving tax relief. Provided you meet certain conditions, you can carry forward any unused allowance from the previous three tax years, as long as it doesn’t exceed your earnings in the current tax year.

Exceptions:

  1. If your adjusted earnings are greater than £260,000, you lose £1 of tax relief for every £2 you earn over £260,000, up to a maximum reduction of £36,000. This means if you earn £312,000 or more, your annual allowance will drop to £4,000. Adjusted income includes both personal and employer pension contributions. This tapered reduction doesn’t apply to anyone with ‘threshold income’ of no more than £200,000. Threshold income excludes pension contributions. Your annual allowance will therefore only be reduced if both your ‘threshold income’ is above £200,000 and your ‘adjusted income’ is over £260,000.

    So, for example, if you earn more than £200,000 and you contribute the full allowance of £60,000, you might be affected, as your adjusted income will be over £260,000, and your threshold income is over £200,000.

  2. From the point that you draw pension benefits that are eligible to be taxed, you lose your annual allowance and it’s replaced by the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA) of £10,000. You’re also no longer able to carry forward any unused annual allowance from previous tax years.

As of 6 April 2024 there will no longer be a maximum amount of pension savings that you can build up over your lifetime. The limit, known as the Lifetime Allowance (LTA), is currently £1,073,100. Any excess was previously taxed at a maximum of 55% but as of April 2024 this will no longer be the case. Until then, whilst the LTA remains in place, the LTA tax charge will be removed, meaning no one will pay an LTA tax charge from 6 April 2023.

The changes mean that you can save into your pensions without the concern of a lifetime allowance tax charge should you breach the limit.

National Insurance Contributions – lower earnings limit (below which they aren't paid)

2022-23

2023-24

£123 per week

£123 per week

Inheritance tax

Allowance

2022-23

2023-24

Personal allowance

Up to £325,000 + £175,000 residence allowance

Up to £325,000 + £175,000 residence allowance

Couple’s allowance

Up to £650,000 + £350,000 residence allowance

Up to £650,000 + £350,000 residence allowance

Inheritance tax is payable at a rate of 40% above these thresholds. In the 2023-24 tax year, everyone is entitled to an additional £175,000 tax-free allowance which can be used against the value of their home. This allowance may only be used when you leave your home to your children or grandchildren. This allowance will be reduced for estates with a net value exceeding £2m, by £1 for every £2 that the estate exceeds this amount.

Capital gains tax allowance

Allowance

2022-23

2023-24

Individuals

£12,300

£6,000

If you invest outside an ISA, any profits made above the annual CGT allowance are subject to tax at 10% or 20% depending on your tax band. Since April 2016, there is an additional 8% surcharge to be paid on residential property and carried interest (the share of profits or gains that is paid to asset managers).

CGT on residential property generally does not apply to your main home, only to additional properties (such as a flat you let out).

You may also be interested in

The value of investments can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invest. Tax rules can change and their effects on you will depend on your individual circumstances.

Investment ISA

Easy, tax-efficient, low-cost investing

Grow your money in a tax-efficient ISA. Invest up to £20,000 per year with a simple low annual charge and dedicated customer support.

Get started in minutes and secure your annual allowance with a debit card, a monthly Direct Debit or by moving money from your Barclays account. There’s no charge to hold cash if you need some time to decide where to invest. 

You can also transfer an existing ISA1to benefit from our award-winning ISA service.2

Your first steps

Once you’re confident your finances are in order, you need to start planning your investments. Get started by setting financial goals. Are you investing for growth? Or income? We'll help you answer these questions and more in this section.