Cash ISA Plus

Transcription

1 Cash ISA Plus

2 What are ISAs? They are special types of savings accounts where interest is paid tax-free. You normally have to pay tax on any interest, dividends or bonuses earned on savings and investments. However ISAs (which stands for Individual Savings Accounts) have been available since 1999 to allow you to get a tax-free return on your savings. from 6 April 2012 everyone aged 16 or over can now Save up to 5,640 in their Cash ISA with the Scottish Building Society. The rules and subscription limits for ISAs are set by the Government and have changed from time to time. This leaflet refers to the rules and limits that apply from 6 April You can save in cash, or longer term investments like stocks and shares, or in a combination of both, and pay no tax on the interest or profits you receive. There are two types of ISA - Cash ISAs and Stocks & Shares ISAs. You can hold both types of ISA provided you don t exceed the savings limits for each type and, if you do hold both types, these can be with one ISA provider or with separate providers. Scottish Building Society offers only Cash ISAs. The savings limits apply for the tax year, which runs from 6 April until 5 April the following year.

3 Who can invest in an ISA? Anyone who is resident in the UK for tax purposes can do so. You must be 16 or over to hold a Cash ISA - or 18 or over to hold a Stocks & Shares ISA. ISAs can t be held in joint names - but couples can each hold an ISA separately in their own name. How much can I save each year? From 6 April 2012 you can save a total of 11,280 - up to 5,640 in a Cash ISA and the rest in a Stocks & Shares ISA. Up to 5,640 of this ISA allowance can be saved in a Cash ISA with one provider. The remainder of the allowance can be invested in a Stocks and Shares ISA with either the same or another provider. Alternatively, the full 11,280 can be invested in a Stocks & Shares ISA with one provider. Please see note at bottom of this page regarding limits which apply until 5 April How do the ISA subscription limits work? It is important to remember that wherever subscription limits are mentioned these refer to the amount you have paid into your account - not the actual balance of your account, which may be affected by interest payments and withdrawals. For example: The maximum subscription limit for a Cash ISA is 5,640 (from 6 April 2012). You open your ISA with 3,000 and then pay in a number of smaller amounts, taking your balance up to 5,640. You then withdraw 1,000, which leaves a balance of 4,640. You cannot take your account balance back up to 5,640 until after 6 April, as you can only reach the subscription limit once in any one tax year. If I have more than one existing Cash ISA - or a separate TESSA - Only ISA - do I have to merge them all together under the new rules? You do not have to merge your existing ISA funds together if you don t want to - but it can be advantageous to do so. For instance, you could get a better rate if you put your Cash ISA and your TESSA-Only ISA together into our Cash ISA Plus if you hold Cash ISA funds elsewhere they could also be merged into the same account. We can arrange everything for you. Please contact your nearest office for assistance. Can I transfer existing Stocks & Shares ISA funds to my Cash ISA? No - The ISA Rules currently allow you to transfer funds saved in a Cash ISA to a Stocks & Shares ISA but not the other way round. What this does mean, however, is that - should you decide to transfer savings from your Cash ISA into a Stocks & Shares ISA - you will not be able to transfer back into a Cash ISA if you change your mind. You should think very carefully before making the decision to transfer. How much can I transfer from my Cash ISA to a Stocks & Shares ISA? You can transfer some or all of the money you have saved in previous tax years without affecting your annual limits for the year in which you transfer (as has always been the case with like for like transfers between Cash ISAs).If you wish to transfer savings made during the tax year, you must transfer everything you have saved in your Cash ISA that year up to the date of transfer. If I have transferred my current year cash subscriptions to a Stocks & Shares ISA, can I make further payments to my Cash ISA during the same tax year? You can - provided that you haven t used up all your overall ISA allowance. Any money saved up to the date of transfer will be treated as if you had invested that money directly into the Stocks & Shares ISA. This means that, when you transfer your current year Cash ISA to a Stocks & Shares ISA, it will be as if that Cash ISA had never existed. For example: You have saved 3,000 in a Cash ISA since the start of the tax year, and then decide to transfer it to a Stocks & Shares ISA. Remember first of all that you must transfer all 3,000 you cannot transfer only part of any amount saved during the same tax year, but will be able to save up to a further 8,280 after the transfer. Either you can start a new Cash ISA and save up to 5,640 there (and add up to 2,640 to your Stocks & Shares ISA as well) - or you could add the whole amount to your Stocks & Shares ISA. Note: The limits referred to in this leaflet apply for the tax year Until 5 April 2012 the overall ISA limit is 10,680, of which up to 5,340 can be invested in a Cash ISA. Annual limits are index-linked and will be increased each year in line with inflation.

4 Cash ISA Plus from the Scottish Building Society. All you need to know. Annual Interest: 2.80% Tax-free/AER Monthly Interest: 2.76% Tax-free; 2.80% AER Who can open a Cash ISA Plus? Anyone who has built up a balance of 25,000 or more can transfer their balance to the Cash ISA Plus. How much do I need to open an account? Minimum balance of 25,000 is required for the Cash ISA Plus. Can I add to my account? You can add to your account when ever you like at any branch or local office or by post. You can also pay by standing order if you wish. The only restriction is that you must not pay in more than the annual subscription limit - 5,340 for tax year 2011/2012 and 5,640 for the tax year 2012 / Can I draw my money out? You can make withdrawals at any branch or local office or by post but must ensure your balance does not fall below 25,000. If you fail to maintain this balance level, the rate will fall to the prevailing Instant Access Cash ISA Rate. See rate leaflet for details. How will I receive interest? We will pay you tax-free interest on your Cash ISA Plus balance in accordance with the rates shown on our Savings Interest Rates leaflet. Interest is calculated from the day after the Society receives your cash or cheque until the date of withdrawal and the amount of interest is calculated on the daily balance. Interest will be added to your account on 31 March each year or, if you prefer, the interest can be transferred to another Scottish Building Society account or paid to your bank. If you choose to receive your interest monthly, the interest will be paid to your bank at the end of each month - or you can choose to have it transferred to another account with the Society.

5 How will I know how much is in my Cash ISA Plus? We will give you a passbook to record your transactions. You will also receive a statement in April confirming the balance at 31 March and the interest which has been earned during the year. Will I pay tax on my Cash ISA Plus? Whatever your personal tax status, you will not have to pay income tax on the interest earned on your Cash ISA Plus under current regulations, provided that you keep to the annual subscription limits and other rules of operation laid down by HM Revenue & Customs. You do not need to mention your ISA on any tax return you have to fill in. Please note that the favourable tax treatment for ISAs is the responsibility of, and there fore subject to change by, the Government. Can I hold another ISA as well as my Cash ISA Plus? You can only contribute to one Cash ISA in any one tax year. However, you can make contributions to a separate Stocks & Shares ISA in the same tax year if you wish, provided that your total contributions do not exceed the annual limits for the tax year. You should be aware that, by holding a Cash ISA, you are limiting the amount of investment in equities that you can make through ISAs. What happens if I die? If you die, the tax-free benefits which apply to your ISA will stop from the date of your death. Your personal representatives must close your account and the balance will be paid to your estate together with interest earned up to the date of closure. Tax will have to be paid on any interest earned from the date of death. How to open an account To open an account, simply complete an ISA application form and a Cash ISA Transfer form, both of which can be obtained from any Scottish Building Society branch or from our website and take these to your nearest office. We will then arrange for the transfer from your existing provider. If you find it more convenient, please send your completed forms to: FREEPOST RLYC-AAGE-YURH Scottish Building Society, SBS House, 193 Dalry Road,Edinburgh EH11 2EF (no stamp required). Once the transfer has been completed, we will then forward your passbook to you. To comply with legislation, we will need to verify your identity and address. You can find out further information about how we do this from any Society office.

6 Your right to cancel You can cancel your ISA by contacting your branch or writing to the Society within 14 days of making your opening deposit. We will help you select a more suitable account or repay your deposit in full together with any interest earned. Account name Interest Rates Tax Status Conditions for Bonus payment Withdrawal Arrangements Access SUMMARY BOX Key product information for Cash ISA PLUS Cash ISA Plus Interest annually: 2.80% Tax-free/AER Interest monthly: 2.76% Tax-free 2.80% AER Interest is tax free provided the account continues to satisfy the ISA regulations. Not applicable as there is no bonus associated with this product You can make withdrawals at any branch or local office or by post without notice penalty or charges. Any withdrawals you make will not alter the tax free status of your account. However, if your balance falls below 25,000 interest will be paid at the prevailing rate for our Instant Access Cash ISA. See rate leaflet for more information. Via branches and agencies or by post. Scottish Building Society is an authorised ISA Manager under the ISA Regulations 1998 (as amended). ISAs are offered by the Society in accordance with and subject to the ISA Regulations and any subsequent legislation. All ISA investments will be, and must remain, in the beneficial ownership of the investor and must not be used as security for a loan. The Society will notify you if we discover, or are advised by HM Revenue & Customs, that your account has breached the ISA Regulations, in which case the account may become void and have to be closed. You may ask us to transfer all or part of the ISA balance to another ISA Manager, in accordance with the ISA Regulations. The other ISA Manager must be willing to accept the transfer. Any transfer will be subject to the ISA Regulations which, for example, do not allow partial transfer of subscriptions made in the same tax year as the transfer. We will comply with your request to transfer within 15 working days, by transferring your ISA balance (or part thereof) directly to the new ISA Manager. Tax-free means that interest is exempt from income tax. AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate and illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and compounded once each year. Branches and local offices throughout Scotland. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA Register No Member of the Building Societies Association. Complaints we cannot settle may be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service. To find out more about our Cash ISA Plus pop into any branch or agency of SBS or call: Alternatively you can visit our website at Head Office: SBS House, 193 Dalry Road, Edinburgh EH11 2EF MARCH 2012