Taxes on Precious Metals
Precious metals are considered collectibles by the IRS and any profits from their sale are taxed at up to 28%, depending on both its cost basis and length of ownership.
Gold investments held within an IRA may help investors to avoid taxes altogether, with only gains being subject to taxes when sold for cash.
Capital Gains Tax
Gold has become increasingly popular as an investment over recent years due to inflationary and geopolitical concerns. Investors should note, however, that gold and other precious metals like it are treated by the IRS as collectibles similar to art or antiques; those selling precious metals for profit must report their transactions to them – including dealers buying, storing, and selling gold bars or coins at profit – which must then calculate any taxable gain by subtracting their selling price from their cost basis.
Gold bullion investments such as coins and bars are subject to tax at the same rates as any other collectibles, with profits reported through Part I of Schedule D with an expected maximum tax rate of 28% for single filers.
Gold mining stocks or gold-backed ETF investors may benefit from lower taxes. Such investments are taxed as long-term capital gains (LTCG), with any short-term capital gains being excluded from this classification. Tax loss harvesting offers one strategy to offset gains; however, compliance with IRS rules must first be ensured for this strategy to work successfully.
Sales Tax
The Internal Revenue Service classifies gold and other precious metals as collectibles similar to art or antiques, so when selling these assets you are required to file with them. Any taxable gains on such investments are calculated by subtracting your selling price from your cost basis.
Conversely, most other financial investments incur tax rates ranging from 15%-20% for long-term capital gains. To reduce taxes further and maximize return, you can take advantage of a 1031 exchange and invest the proceeds from selling precious metals into another asset with equal or greater value.
As more states pass laws exempting precious metals from sales taxes, more are recognizing this fact and exempting gold and silver sales taxes entirely or partially from sales taxes. At present, 41 U.S. states have passed such legislation with members from Money Metals Exchange and Sound Money Defense League successfully passing it to protect small-time savers against these taxes.
1031 Exchange
Section 1031 of the tax code allows property owners to defer capital gains taxes on real estate sales proceeds if the proceeds are used to purchase “like-kind” property within 180 days after selling an old one; an intermediary called a qualified exchange accommodation company (QEA) company must facilitate this exchange process.
QEA companies must be separate businesses that do not hold title to the replacement property they exchange money with. Furthermore, the QEA company must catalog all money exchanged and submit to the IRS a written identification of both relinquished and replacement properties within 45 days after sale.
Prior to 2018, exchanges of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether were eligible for tax-deferred treatment under Section 1031. However, in General Counsel Memorandum 202124008 issued by the IRS has since clarified that such exchanges are no longer eligible for this tax-deferred status and could incur back taxes, interest charges and penalties should they be challenged by them.
Charitable Donation
Charitably-minded gold investors can reduce or avoid capital gains tax by donating Krugerrands and shares of ETFs investing in precious metals to charity, though the IRS remains unclear as to whether this same strategy works with collectibles such as art or automobiles.
To qualify as a charitable donation, an asset must be donated directly or for use by an eligible nonprofit without receiving anything in return, such as tax breaks. Donors must itemize deductions on Schedule A and their donation must exceed any limits set forth by the IRS.
Donations of stocks and securities held for at least a year can be deducted up to 30% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), including contributions made to donor-advised funds. Donors who surpass this deduction threshold may carry over any excess amounts into future tax years – seeking advice from financial advisors or tax specialists is key when optimizing charitable contributions.
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