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Personal Savings Allowance

Most UK taxpayers receive a ‘Personal Savings Allowance’(PSA) that lets you earn interest on your savings, up to a certain limit, without being taxed.

How much is the Personal Savings Allowance?

Tax bracket Personal Savings Allowance
20% tax bracket Up to £1,000
40% tax bracket Up to £500
Additional rate taxpayers No allowance

How much is the Personal Savings Allowance?

Tax bracket 20% tax bracket 20% tax bracket
Personal Savings Allowance Up to £1,000 Up to £1,000
Tax bracket 40% tax bracket 40% tax bracket
Personal Savings Allowance Up to £500 Up to £500
Tax bracket Additional rate taxpayers Additional rate taxpayers
Personal Savings Allowance No allowance No allowance

Your Personal Savings Allowance will depend on what tax bracket you fall into.

What is savings income?

Savings income is the amount of money you earn from your savings. This includes:

  • interest from banks and building societies
  • interest from other account providers, such as credit unions
  • interest distributions (but not dividend distributions) from authorised unit trusts, open-ended investment companies and investment trusts
  • income from government, or company bonds
  • some types of purchased life annuity payments
  • gains from certain life insurance contracts

Is ISA interest included in the Personal Savings Allowance?

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and some National Savings and Investments (NS&I) products are excluded from the Personal Savings Allowance. This is because the interest they earn is already tax-free.

What if your savings income exceeds the Personal Savings Allowance?

If your savings interest exceeds your Personal Savings Allowance, HMRC will collect any tax you owe on your savings accounts. This is usually done through a change to your tax code (based on information provided by banks and building societies), or through your annual tax return if you complete one.

What if you’ve paid too much tax on your savings interest?

If you’ve paid too much tax, you may be able to claim this back. You’ll need to fill in form R40 (or form R43 if living outside the UK) and send it to HMRC. These forms are available online at GOV.UK. You can claim back overpaid tax on your savings from up to 4 years prior. 

What if your accounts relate to an organisation, or an estate?

Only individuals get a Personal Savings Allowance. If your accounts relate to a business, charity, club or association, they'll earn interest without tax deducted.

If you’re a trustee or are administering an estate, HSBC won’t deduct the tax from the credit interest paid. Any tax due will have to be paid through the trust/estate tax return.

What next?

Opening a savings account can help boost your savings. Use our savings comparison tool to understand the different accounts we offer.

If you need more guidance on your Personal Savings Allowance, visit HMRC, or speak to a tax adviser.

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