What Happens If You Inhere Gold?
Determining whether you should keep, sell or pass along an inheritance coin collection depends entirely upon your own unique circumstances. Either way, working with a trusted precious metal dealer to assess its cash value is vitally important.
Consult a trust attorney about creating one, as this may help your heirs avoid paying taxes in the future.
Keep it
Keeping gold coins that you inherited will exempt you from capital gains taxes; however, their cash value must first be appraised by a precious metals expert.
Acquisition of a coin collection can bring immense satisfaction. But before diving in too quickly, it’s essential to carefully consider all your options and decide what best meets your needs.
Storing your precious metals at home may not be as secure as depositing or bank storage options, as burglars could easily target a home safe. Therefore, it’s imperative that any storage at home be discreet and safe from thieves.
Reducing probate costs while saving on storage fees by placing the gold and other precious metals you inherit into a trust is another viable solution for storing them securely and wisely. You’ll avoid time-consuming probate proceedings while passing on wealth tax-efficiently to loved ones and saving storage costs at the same time!
Sell it
No matter if you plan to keep or pass along an inheritance of gold coins to your children, it’s essential that you understand inheritance tax rules. There may be different guidelines depending on your decision and amount inherited.
If you decide to sell any inherited coins, they’ll be subject to capital gains taxes. According to the IRS, physical gold and precious metals are classified as collectibles and will be taxed at up to 28%.
Whenever selling gold coins, be sure to get an experienced buyer. Before shipping it online or to an unknown buyer, consider visiting a coin retailer or pawn shop instead – this way you will receive instant payment and the transaction is much safer. Also be wary of offers that seem too good to be true as these could be scams; use a gold pricing calculator before sending your gold out for sale!
Pass it on
When it comes to passing on gold as inheritance, certain guidelines must be observed. Physical gold bullion does not usually incur inheritance taxes; thus making it a more cost-efficient means of passing wealth than other forms of property.
Gold inheritance counts toward your limit for tax-free inheritance, which typically stands at $11.7 million federally; however, inheritance laws in each state may differ significantly.
An Estate Plan that details who should inherit your assets will ensure your gold is passed on to those you want, without incurring unnecessary stress and expenses associated with probate proceedings, which could potentially lead to disputes over who should inherit what. A properly executed plan also helps prevent identity theft or fraud and should include documentation detailing exactly how much gold or other precious metals you own in order to determine their cash value.
Taxes
Tax considerations when inheriting gold can be complex. The IRS typically assesses such assets according to their cash profit value at a rate determined by the beneficiary’s individual income tax bracket.
As inheritance of physical gold coins or precious metals in the form of bullion is usually tax-free, when they are later sold they could incur short-term capital gains tax (STCG).
Gold and other precious metals can also be invested in through Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). This form of account offers tax-deferred investment until its beneficiary reaches 59.5 and then they must withdraw at least an annual minimum amount from it.
To reduce or avoid taxes altogether, create a trust before your death to transfer assets like your gold to loved ones in a tax-efficient way. Your estate attorney or precious metals expert should be able to assist with this process.
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