Nicholas Lyons, the chair of Standard Life, has proposed that the tax-free wrapper for stocks and shares ISAs should be restricted to investments in UK assets. Speaking at an event, Mr Lyons argued that limiting the tax incentive to London-listed firms and private companies in the UK could help revitalise Britain’s capital markets and boost economic growth.
Mr Lyons questioned the benefit of lowering the cost of capital for American companies through ISA tax incentives. He suggested a return to the original Personal Equity Plan (PEP) structure, which required investment in UK assets.
Currently, British savers can invest up to £20,000 annually in a stocks and shares ISA, free from income tax or national insurance, in any companies or funds they choose. Mr Lyons, who was also Lord Mayor of London in 2023, believes a domestic bias for ISAs could help the UK’s capital markets and asset managers, which have experienced years of outflows.
His proposal goes further than former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's 2024 plan for a British ISA, which would have offered an additional £5,000 wrapper for UK equities and was later scrapped. Mr Lyons also urged ministers to introduce an inheritance tax exemption for savers who buy UK government bonds, known as gilts, to increase retail investor demand and reduce the influence of foreign hedge funds on their price.
A spokesperson for HM Treasury commented that they aim for more people to benefit from higher long-term returns and to unlock capital for growing British businesses. They highlighted maintaining the £20,000 Stocks and Shares ISA limit, reducing the Cash ISA limit from April 2027, and supporting initiatives to promote investing.