Does CMC Markets Offer ISA Accounts?

CMC Markets — the CFD and spread betting platform — does not offer a stocks and shares ISA through its main trading platform. However, its sister investing brand, CMC Invest, does offer both a Stocks & Shares ISA and a Cash ISA for UK residents. If you came here looking to trade CFDs through a tax-wrapped ISA, that is not possible with CMC Markets. But if you are open to using CMC’s separate investing arm, tax-free investing is available.

What Is a Stocks and Shares ISA?

A Stocks and Shares ISA is a tax-efficient wrapper that lets UK residents invest up to £20,000 per tax year without paying capital gains tax or income tax on returns. You can hold individual shares, ETFs, investment trusts, and even bonds inside the wrapper, and all growth and income are sheltered from HMRC.

ISA accounts are strictly for investing, not leveraged CFD trading. This is the key distinction that affects CMC Markets users: the FCA does not permit leveraged CFD products inside an ISA wrapper. That means no CFD broker — not CMC Markets, not IG, not Pepperstone — can offer a CFD ISA. If you want a tax-free account for CFD or spread betting activity, a standard trading account is the only option.

CMC Markets vs CMC Invest: Understanding the Difference

CMC Markets and CMC Invest are two distinct products operated under the CMC Markets Group. Many UK investors confuse the two, so here is the important distinction:

CMC Invest is a separate FCA-authorised entity (FRN 948126) operating under the CMC Markets Group. It offers:

• Stocks & Shares ISA — invest in real shares and ETFs tax-free, up to £20,000 per tax year
• Cash ISA — earn interest tax-free (currently paying a competitive rate in line with market leaders)
• SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) — available at £10.99/month
• General Investment Account (GIA) — no ISA wrapper, standard tax rules apply

The Stocks & Shares ISA on CMC Invest is priced at £6.99 per month (approximately £83.88 per year). This puts it on the more expensive side compared to some zero-fee competitors, which is worth factoring in if you have a smaller portfolio.

Why CMC Markets Itself Cannot Offer a CFD ISA

This is a question that comes up frequently, and the answer is straightforward: UK tax law prohibits leveraged derivatives inside an ISA. HM Revenue & Customs rules specify that only “qualifying investments” — broadly, shares, ETFs, bonds, and cash — can be held inside an ISA. CFDs, spread bets, and forex contracts do not qualify.

So when someone asks “does CMC Markets offer an ISA account?”, the honest answer depends on what you want to do:

• If you want to invest in real shares tax-free → use CMC Invest’s ISA
• If you want to trade CFDs or spread bets → no ISA is available anywhere for this purpose
• If you want to compare full-service ISA brokers → see our guide to the top stock brokers offering ISA accounts in the UK

CMC Invest Stocks & Shares ISA: Key Features

For UK investors who want to use the CMC ecosystem for their ISA, here is what CMC Invest’s Stocks & Shares ISA offers:

What you can invest in:

• UK and US shares
• ETFs from major providers
• Mutual funds (on paid plans)
• Fractional shares

Research tools: CMC Invest integrates TipRanks and Morningstar data, giving access to analyst ratings, 12-month price targets, ESG filters, and valuation metrics. This is a meaningful differentiator over more basic ISA platforms.

Flexible ISA rules: CMC Invest’s ISA is a flexible ISA, meaning you can withdraw uninvested cash and re-deposit it within the same tax year without that withdrawal counting against your annual £20,000 allowance. This is more generous than non-flexible ISAs offered by some competitors.

ISA transfers: You can transfer an existing Stocks & Shares ISA, Cash ISA, or Innovative Finance ISA into CMC Invest. Full transfers of your current year’s ISA allowance are accepted; partial transfers of the current year’s allowance are not.

Is CMC Invest’s ISA Worth It?

For investors who are already using CMC Markets for their CFD trading and want to consolidate their financial products under one brand umbrella, CMC Invest’s ISA is a reasonable choice. The research tools (TipRanks, Morningstar), flexible ISA structure, and ESG filtering add genuine value.

However, the £6.99/month fee is a drawback if your portfolio is small. On a £5,000 portfolio, the annual platform fee of ~£83.88 equates to roughly 1.68% in platform costs alone — which is high by industry standards. On a £50,000 portfolio, the same fee drops to 0.17%, which is much more competitive.

If cost is your primary concern and you have a smaller portfolio, you may find better value elsewhere. Our top stock brokers guide includes ISA-eligible platforms with different fee structures to help you compare.

Best ISA-Eligible Alternatives for UK Investors

Since CMC Markets (the CFD platform) does not offer an ISA, many UK investors prefer to keep their leveraged trading and their long-term investing with separate brokers. Here are some of the key alternatives worth considering.

eToro

eToro is one of the few brokers that straddles both active trading and long-term investing. In eligible regions, eToro allows genuine stock ownership — not just CFD exposure — making it ISA-compatible through its UK investing product. eToro’s social trading community and copy investing features make it particularly appealing to UK investors who want an engaging, platform-led experience alongside their ISA. If you want to own real stocks tax-free while also having the option to trade CFDs in a separate account, eToro is a strong contender.

IG

IG is one of the most established brokers in the UK, founded in 1974 and listed on the London Stock Exchange. IG offers a Stocks and Shares ISA through its share dealing platform, giving access to thousands of global shares, ETFs, and investment trusts. What sets IG apart is the ability to combine a long-term ISA portfolio with the broker’s full CFD and spread betting capabilities — all under one login. For experienced investors who want breadth of access, IG remains one of the most versatile choices available. It is worth reading our IG review to understand the full fee structure before committing.

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers is a strong option for more sophisticated UK investors who want access to a wide range of global markets. IBKR offers a Stocks and Shares ISA wrapper with commission structures that favour higher-frequency or higher-volume investors. The platform is more complex than eToro or IG’s consumer interfaces, but the breadth of instruments — from US and UK equities to bonds, options, and global ETFs — is almost unmatched. Our Interactive Brokers review covers the full account features and pricing in detail.

What About CFD Traders Who Also Want an ISA?

One of the most common situations for UK retail investors is maintaining two separate accounts: a CFD trading account for active, leveraged positions, and an ISA for long-term, tax-efficient investing. This is a perfectly sensible approach, and many experienced traders do exactly this.

If you are primarily a CFD trader using CMC Markets for active trading, you might consider pairing it with a separate ISA-eligible platform for your long-term equity holdings. For active CFD traders, platforms like Pepperstone offer institutional-grade execution for CFD trading, while a separate ISA account with IG or eToro handles the long-term portfolio. Our guide to the best CFD brokers can help you find the right trading platform for the active portion of your strategy.

Similarly, if you are a day trader who wants the best execution tools alongside a structured long-term ISA, our best day trading brokers guide covers the top platforms for intraday activity — and all eight of the brokers reviewed there can be used alongside a separate ISA account at a different provider.

Key Questions Answered

Does CMC Markets offer a Stocks and Shares ISA? Not directly through its main CFD platform. CMC Invest, a separate FCA-regulated entity within the CMC Group, offers a Stocks and Shares ISA at £6.99/month.

Can I hold CFDs inside an ISA? No. UK tax law prohibits leveraged derivative products inside an ISA. No UK broker can legally offer a CFD ISA.

Can I transfer my existing ISA to CMC Invest? Yes. CMC Invest accepts full transfers of existing Stocks & Shares ISAs, Cash ISAs, and Innovative Finance ISAs from other providers.

What is CMC Invest’s Cash ISA rate? CMC Invest’s Cash ISA offers a flexible variable rate, with no fixed lock-in period. The current rate can be checked directly on CMC Invest’s website.

Is CMC Invest FCA regulated? Yes. CMC Markets Investments Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 948126.

Is the CMC Invest ISA a flexible ISA? Yes. Both the Stocks & Shares ISA and the Cash ISA are flexible ISAs, meaning you can withdraw and re-deposit within the same tax year without affecting your annual £20,000 allowance.

Summary

CMC Markets — the trading platform best known for CFDs, spread betting, and forex — does not offer an ISA account, and no CFD broker legally can. However, CMC Invest, the investing arm of the CMC Markets Group, does offer both a Stocks & Shares ISA and a Cash ISA for UK residents, along with a SIPP and General Investment Account.

For most UK investors asking this question, the practical choice comes down to whether CMC Invest’s pricing (£6.99/month for the ISA) is competitive for their portfolio size, and whether the investment range and research tools meet their needs. For those who want more flexibility in ISA provider comparison, our top stock brokers guide lists the best ISA-eligible platforms available to UK investors in 2026.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research before opening any investment account.