Can I move my General Account investments into an ISA?

  • Updated

Yes- at InvestEngine, you can move money from your General Investment Account (GIA) into your ISA quickly and easily.

This allows you to make the most of your annual ISA allowance and benefit from tax-free investing.

Before you move money, you’ll need to sell your investments

ISA transfers can only be made using cash, not invested ETFs.

If your General Account is still invested, you’ll need to:

  • Sell your holdings first (whether these are individual stocks, ETFs or other types of investments)
  • Wait for the sale to complete (typically this is 2 business days)
  • Then move the cash into your ISA with InvestEngine

Selling may trigger a capital gain, which could be taxable depending on your situation. If you’re not sure about your tax liabilities, it’s a good idea to check with a tax advisor or financial advisor.

You can read more guidance on this here: Capital Gains Tax when you sell shares

How to move funds from your General Account into your ISA

Once your investments have been sold and settled, you can transfer the cash internally- there’s no need to withdraw it to your bank account.

Here’s how:

  1. Log in to your InvestEngine account
  2. Go to your GIA portfolio
  3. Click Options > Move money out
  4. Choose your ISA portfolio
  5. Enter the amount and confirm the transfer

The funds will move directly between accounts and count towards your ISA allowance for the current tax year.

What happens after the transfer?

Depending on the type of ISA portfolio you’ve selected:

  • DIY Portfolio:
    • If AutoInvest is enabled, the funds will be invested automatically
    • If not, you’ll need to log into your portfolio and click Invest to place the order
  • Managed or LifePlan Portfolio:
    • If the transfer is completed before 2pm, your funds are usually invested the same business day
    • If it’s after 2pm, investment will take place the next business day

Read more about what AutoInvest is here, or if you want to find out how adding money to your portfolios works, click here.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT) reminder

When you sell ETFs in your General Account:

  • The CGT allowance for 2025/26 is £3,000
  • If your gains exceed this, you may owe tax and need to report it to HMRC
  • You can read more at here.

InvestEngine doesn’t offer personal tax advice. If you’re unsure, speak to a qualified tax adviser.


 

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