A General Investment Account (or GIA) is a simple and easy way to hold investments outside of any tax wrappers such as pensions or ISAs. They do not offer tax relief, but have few limitations.

Tax benefits

They are different from any ISA or Pension in that there aren’t any tax benefits for investing in a General Investment Account. You do pay income tax and capital gains tax in accordance with your personal tax circumstances.

However, a General Investment Account is very useful if:
• your annual ISA allowance is used up
• You don’t want to lock any of your money away in a Pension until you reach the age of 55

* Your capital is at risk. Investments can fluctuate in value and you may not get back the amount you invest.
Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Tax rules can change at any time. *