As mentioned above, the sale of precious metal coins, cartridges and ingots can serve as an additional source of income for many customers. Therefore, in the eyes of the IRS, any profit that a customer gains from the sale of their precious metal assets is considered taxable and, therefore, subject to some type of tax. This tax is known as “capital gains taxes”. Therefore, “capital gains” refers to any profit that results from the sale or exchange of shares or personal assets.
As for precious metals, capital gains occur when a particular coin or ingot increases in value and is then sold at that higher price. In conclusion, capital gains are one of the main parts of a major transaction report sought by the IRS. As with Form 1099-B, precious metals merchants must disclose the payment details of their transaction, as well as certain information about the paying customer. Please note that while customers have the option of retaining some of this information, precious metals merchants must still submit this form.
In conclusion, transacting with precious metals can be quite confusing regardless of the information required by the IRS. First, if you receive the metals as a gift, the cost basis is equal to the market value of the metals on the date the person who gifted them purchased them. While many marketable financial securities, such as stocks, mutual funds and ETFs, are subject to short-term or long-term capital gains tax rates, the sale of physical precious metals is taxed slightly differently. The International Council on Tangible Assets (ICTA) has published guidelines according to which precious metals transactions must be reported to the IRS based on negotiations it held with the IRS.
Under certain circumstances, the dealer must file a Form 1099-B with the IRS to declare profits paid to a non-corporate precious metals seller. When reporting any of the transactions mentioned above, there are specific forms that precious metals traders must complete. When you sell precious metals abroad, the laws of the country in which you are selling will apply to the sale. Sell any type of precious metal at a profit and profits will be taxed at a federal rate of 28% or less.
This means that people in the 33%, 35% and 39.6% tax brackets only have to pay 28% for their physical sales of precious metals. This difference in price between the initial price of the precious metal and its final sale price is considered capital gain. The amount of taxes due on the sale of precious metals depends on the basis of the cost of the metals themselves.
