Trading 212 is one of the UK’s largest retail investment platforms, with millions of users holding Invest accounts, Stocks and Shares ISAs, and CFD (contracts for difference) accounts. When a Trading 212 account holder dies, their cash balances and investment holdings become assets of the estate and must be formally claimed through the probate process.
The platform is entirely online – there is no phone number for estates to call. This guide explains how to make contact, what documents you will need, and what happens to each account type, including the ISA rules that many bereaved families are unaware of.
Quick reference:
- Contact: support@trading212.com – subject line: Bereavement notification
- Help centre: helpcentre.trading212.com – what happens if I die
- Phone: None – Trading 212 is online only
- Regulator: FCA-authorised (Trading 212 UK Ltd, FRN 609146)
- FSCS protection: Up to £85,000 for investment claims
How to contact Trading 212 as an estate representative
Trading 212 does not have a dedicated bereavement phone line. All contact is by email or through the help centre support form.
Email: support@trading212.com
Subject line: Bereavement notification
Online support form: helpcentre.trading212.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
In your initial message, include:
- The deceased’s full name and date of birth
- The email address associated with their Trading 212 account
- The date of death
- Your own name, contact details, and your relationship to the deceased (executor, administrator, or next of kin)
- Any Trading 212 account reference numbers if you have them – though Trading 212 can locate the account from the email address
You do not need all your paperwork assembled before making first contact. Notify Trading 212 as soon as reasonably possible. Once notified, the account will be frozen: no withdrawals or new investment activity will be permitted. Existing positions continue to be subject to market movements while administration is under way.
Trading 212 has confirmed that once the death certificate is reviewed and approved, it will close all open positions, deactivate the account, and transfer the free funds to the estate administrator or successor. During the review period, Trading 212 may request additional documents beyond the death certificate.
What documents you will need
The documents required follow standard UK investment account practice.
| Document | When required |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Always – required for all accounts |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Before funds are released from investment accounts |
| Your photo ID (passport or driving licence) | Required for your own identity verification |
| Bereavement claim form | Provided by Trading 212 – complete and return |
| Will (certified copy if not original) | Useful context, but not formally required for investments under probate |
| Marriage or civil partnership certificate | Required if claiming the ISA Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) allowance as a surviving spouse |
A note on probate: Trading 212 requires grant of probate or letters of administration before releasing investment assets. Unlike some banks and building societies, there is no published small estate threshold below which probate can be waived for investments. Notify Trading 212 early – you can make contact and submit the death certificate before probate is granted, which helps avoid delay once the grant arrives.
What happens to each account type
Trading 212 offers three types of account to UK retail customers. Each is treated differently in an estate.
Invest account
The Invest account is a taxable dealing account. Holdings – shares, ETFs, and fractional shares – form part of the estate and pass through the normal probate process. Once Trading 212 receives all required documents, it will close the positions and transfer the cash proceeds to the estate.
Pies: Many Trading 212 Invest users hold a “Pie” – an automated portfolio that splits cash across multiple holdings in set proportions, with AutoInvest making regular contributions. At death, automated contributions stop when the account is frozen. When Trading 212 processes the estate, the Pie’s underlying positions are liquidated and the proceeds form part of the estate alongside any other holdings. There is no option to transfer Pie positions in specie to a beneficiary – Trading 212’s process involves liquidation.
Stocks and Shares ISA
The ISA forms part of the deceased’s estate. Unlike a pension, it does not pass outside the estate to a named beneficiary. The value of the ISA on the date of death is included in the estate for inheritance tax purposes.
There are, however, two important rules that apply specifically to ISAs – see the section below on ISA rules on death.
CFD account
CFD (contracts for difference) accounts are margin accounts used for leveraged trading. CFD positions are not ownership of underlying assets – they are contracts that expire or are closed. CFD positions carry ongoing overnight funding charges, and open positions can move against the estate after death.
Important: If the deceased held open CFD positions at the time of death, notify Trading 212 immediately. Trading 212 will close all positions as part of the estate process. However, open leveraged positions can deteriorate in value between death and account freeze. There is no obligation on a deceased estate to meet margin calls – debts arising from CFD positions that exceed the account’s cash balance are generally treated as unsecured claims against the estate. If the CFD account had a negative balance at death, that negative balance is a liability of the estate.
Executors and administrators should be aware that a CFD account is distinct from the Invest account and ISA. Trading 212 holds them separately. Confirm with Trading 212 whether the deceased held a CFD account alongside their Invest or ISA account.
ISA rules on death
The tax treatment of an ISA changes when the holder dies. There are two rules executors and surviving spouses need to understand.
The continuing account
Under HMRC rules introduced in 2018, a deceased person’s ISA does not immediately lose its tax-free status. It becomes a “continuing account of the deceased investor.” The ISA retains its tax-free wrapper – meaning income and gains within it remain tax-free – until the earliest of:
- completion of the estate administration
- the third anniversary of the death
- the date the ISA is closed
This gives executors up to three years to administer the estate without the ISA balance being exposed to income tax on its earnings. The practical effect is that the executor does not need to rush to liquidate ISA investments. Source: HMRC ISA regulations, gov.uk
The Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) for surviving spouses
If the deceased was married or in a civil partnership at the time of death, the surviving partner is entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS). This is an extra ISA allowance equal to the value of the deceased’s ISA – on top of the normal annual ISA allowance (£20,000 for 2025/26).
The APS means the surviving spouse can invest an additional amount into their own ISA, sheltering that sum from future income tax and capital gains tax, without it counting against their normal annual limit.
Key rules:
- The couple must have been living together at the date of death (not separated)
- The APS allowance equals the value of the deceased’s ISA at the date of death, or when it ceased to be a continuing account – whichever is higher
- Time limits: Cash subscriptions must be made within three years of death (or 180 days after estate administration completes, if later). In-specie transfers must be made within 180 days of the surviving spouse gaining beneficial ownership of the assets
- The APS can be subscribed with Trading 212 (the original ISA provider) or transferred to a different ISA provider – but only in a single transfer
Trading 212 has a specific process for APS transfers. Contact support@trading212.com or see the APS guidance in their help centre for the specific documentation required.
Note for advisers: UK ISA regulations do not allow investment accounts to carry a named beneficiary in the way that pensions do. The ISA forms part of the estate and must pass through probate. The APS is a separate statutory entitlement, not a beneficiary designation.
The capital gains tax position
No capital gains tax (CGT) is charged on growth that occurred during the deceased’s lifetime. At the date of death, assets are “rebased” – the cost base for CGT purposes resets to the probate value (the open market value at the date of death). Any growth up to that point is wiped clean for CGT purposes.
This matters for executors in two practical ways:
-
Valuing investments for probate: The probate value of Trading 212 holdings is their market price on the date of death. For listed shares and ETFs, this is typically the closing mid-market price on that date. These values must be declared in the inheritance tax account (IHT400) and form the basis of the grant of probate.
-
Gains during administration: Once assets are in the estate’s hands, any gains above the probate value – from the date of death to the date of disposal – are subject to CGT. The estate has its own annual CGT exempt amount (£3,000 for 2026/27) for the period of administration, covering up to three tax years.
If a beneficiary inherits Trading 212 holdings in specie (which is not currently Trading 212’s stated process – they liquidate), they would take the probate value as their base cost. Since Trading 212 closes positions and transfers cash, executors will typically receive cash proceeds rather than share transfers, so the CGT calculation falls within the estate rather than to the beneficiary.
Source: Tax on income and gains after death – Low Incomes Tax Reform Group; MoneyHelper – calculating and paying tax after someone dies
Cash balances and FSCS protection
Any uninvested cash held in the Trading 212 account forms part of the estate and is released to the administrator along with the proceeds from closed investment positions.
FSCS protection: Trading 212 UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 609146). UK retail clients are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for up to £85,000 per person for investment business claims, in the event that Trading 212 were to fail. This is the same protection level as other FCA-authorised investment platforms.
FSCS protection does not apply to losses caused by market movements – only to the failure of the firm itself. If an estate is administering a Trading 212 account and the firm were to fail during that period, the estate would be able to claim up to £85,000 through FSCS.
Source: FCA Register – Trading 212 UK Ltd
How long it takes
Trading 212 typically processes bereavement notifications within 3–6 weeks of receiving all required documents. The key stages are:
- Notification – email or support form submission; account frozen
- Document review – Trading 212 reviews death certificate and may request additional documents
- Probate – Trading 212 requires grant of probate or letters of administration before releasing funds
- Position closure and transfer – open positions are closed and cash transferred to the estate
The probate process itself – applying for a grant of probate – is the main variable in the overall timeline. Straightforward applications typically take eight to twelve weeks. Complex estates, disputes, or missing paperwork can extend this significantly. Trading 212 cannot release funds until probate is granted.
Things to watch out for
No phone line: Trading 212 has no bereavement phone number. If you are used to calling a bank’s bereavement team, the process here is different. All contact is by email or through the help centre support form. Keep copies of all correspondence.
CFD positions can deteriorate: Open leveraged CFD positions continue to move with the market until the account is frozen. Notify Trading 212 immediately if CFD positions were held – do not wait until you have all your documents assembled.
AutoInvest contributions: If the deceased had a recurring AutoInvest or Pie contribution set up from a linked bank account, the payment mandate should be cancelled at the bank. Although the Trading 212 account freeze should prevent new positions being opened, cancelling the payment source avoids any dispute about transactions made after death.
No beneficiary nominations: Trading 212 investment accounts do not support beneficiary nominations in the way that pensions do. There is no mechanism to bypass probate by naming a beneficiary. The APS allowance for spouses is separate – it is a statutory right, not a beneficiary designation.
ISA APS deadlines: The APS time limits are statutory and cannot be extended. If the surviving spouse intends to use the APS, contact Trading 212 before the three-year deadline from date of death. Do not wait until estate administration is complete before raising this.
Multiple accounts: Check whether the deceased held separate Invest, ISA, and CFD accounts – these are distinct accounts within Trading 212 and may require separate handling in the estate process.
Related guides
If the deceased held accounts with other investment platforms, the following guides cover the same process:
- How to notify Hargreaves Lansdown when someone dies
- How to notify AJ Bell when someone dies
- How to notify Vanguard when someone dies
- How to notify Interactive Investor when someone dies
- How to notify Fidelity when someone dies
See also the full what to do after a death guide for a complete checklist of organisations to notify.