Bullion sales tax guide · 2026
Sales tax on gold and silver, state by state
Investment gold and silver are tax-free in 30 states. 5 more exempt them once a purchase reaches a dollar amount ($2,000 in California; $1,000 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York), 5 exempt only some metals or coins, and 5 plus the District of Columbia tax them like other goods. 5 states have no sales tax at all.
Map of bullion sales tax by state
Key facts
| Tax-free | 30 · Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Tax-free above a dollar amount | 5 · California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York |
| Partly tax-free | 5 · Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and Nevada |
| Taxable | 6 · District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington |
| No state sales tax | 5 · Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon |
| Order thresholds | $2,000 in California; $1,000 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York. Below the amount, the whole purchase is taxed. |
| Latest change | August 28, 2026: Alaska — HB 1 (Ch. 6 SLA 2026) took effect: cities and boroughs, including home-rule ones, may no longer tax the gold or silver value of specie (coins, or bullion stamped with weight and purity). The premium over metal value can still be taxed. |
| Selling | No state charges sales tax when you sell bullion to a dealer. Gains are taxed by the IRS as collectibles, at up to 28%. |
Every state at a glance
Download as CSV| Legal basis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AK Alaska | No state sales tax (some local)Since August 2026, cities and boroughs can't tax the gold or silver content of coins and stamped bullion. | 1.82% | AS 29.45.650(m), 29.45.700(i), 44.12.400(d) |
| AL Alabama | Tax-free | 9.46% | Ala. Code § 40-23-4(a)(52) |
| AR Arkansas | Tax-free | 9.46% | Ark. Code Ann. § 26-52-454 |
| AZ Arizona | Tax-free | 8.52% | A.R.S. § 42-5061(A)(21) |
| CA California | Tax-free on orders $2,000 or morePlatinum and palladium bars are taxed at any amount. | 8.99% | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 6355 |
| CO Colorado | Tax-free | 7.89% | C.R.S. § 39-26-706(4) |
| CT Connecticut | Tax-free on orders $1,000 or morePlatinum and palladium are taxed until the threshold ends on July 1, 2027. | 6.35% | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-412(45) |
| DC District of Columbia | Taxable | 6% | D.C. Code § 47-2005 |
| DE Delaware | No sales tax | None | Delaware Division of Revenue |
| FL Florida | Partly tax-freeBars and U.S. coins are tax-free; foreign coins are taxed unless they total over $500. | 6.98% | Fla. Stat. § 212.08(7)(ww) |
| GA Georgia | Tax-freePalladium bullion is taxed. | 7.49% | O.C.G.A. § 48-8-3(66), (67) |
| HI Hawaii | Taxable | 4.5% | HRS § 237-13 |
| IA Iowa | Tax-free | 6.94% | Iowa Code § 423.3(91) |
| ID Idaho | Tax-free | 6.03% | Idaho Code § 63-3622V |
| IL Illinois | Tax-freePalladium bars are taxed, and bars and rounds must be at least 98% pure. | 8.96% | 35 ILCS 120/2-5(18) |
| IN Indiana | Partly tax-freeKrugerrands and other foreign coins below IRA purity are taxed. | 7% | IC 6-2.5-5-47 |
| KS Kansas | Tax-freePlatinum and palladium coins are taxed. | 8.69% | K.S.A. 79-3606(mmmm) |
| KY Kentucky | Tax-free | 6% | KRS 139.480(37) |
| LA Louisiana | Tax-freePalladium is taxed. | 10.11% | La. R.S. 47:301(16)(b) |
| MA Massachusetts | Tax-free on orders $1,000 or morePlatinum and palladium are taxed. | 6.25% | M.G.L. c. 64H, § 6(ll) |
| MD Maryland | Tax-free on orders over $1,000 | 6% | Md. Code, Tax-General § 11-214.1 |
| ME Maine | Taxable | 5.5% | 36 M.R.S. § 1811 |
| MI Michigan | Tax-freePalladium bars are taxed. | 6% | MCL 205.54s |
| MN Minnesota | Partly tax-freeOnly marked bars and rounds of 99.9% are exempt; all coins are taxed. | 8.14% | Minn. Stat. § 297A.67, subd. 34 |
| MO Missouri | Tax-free | 8.44% | RSMo § 144.815 |
| MS Mississippi | Tax-free | 7.06% | Miss. Code Ann. § 27-65-111 |
| MT Montana | No sales tax | None | Montana Department of Revenue |
| NC North Carolina | Tax-free | 7% | N.C. Gen. Stat. 105-164.13(69) |
| ND North Dakota | Tax-free | 7.09% | N.D.C.C. 57-39.2-04(31) |
| NE Nebraska | Tax-free | 6.98% | Neb. Rev. Stat. 77-2704.66 |
| NH New Hampshire | No sales tax | None | N.H. Department of Revenue Administration |
| NJ New Jersey | Partly tax-freeBars are exempt; a coin is exempt only if that coin is worth $1,000 or more. | 6.6% | N.J.S.A. 54:32B-8.32(b) |
| NM New Mexico | Taxable | 7.67% | N.M. Taxation and Revenue Dept., FYI-105 |
| NV Nevada | Partly tax-freeNo exemption in the statute; a 2011 regulation taxes bullion sold at a premium. | 8.24% | NAC 372.170 |
| NY New York | Tax-free on orders over $1,000Coins must also pass a price test against their metal value. | 8.54% | N.Y. Tax Law 1115(a)(27) |
| OH Ohio | Tax-free | 7.29% | Ohio Rev. Code § 5739.02(B)(57) |
| OK Oklahoma | Tax-free | 9.06% | 68 O.S. § 1357(42) |
| OR Oregon | No sales tax | None | Oregon Department of Revenue |
| PA Pennsylvania | Tax-free | 6.34% | 72 P.S. § 7204(65) |
| RI Rhode Island | Tax-free | 7% | R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-18-30(24), (43) |
| SC South Carolina | Tax-freePalladium bars and rounds are taxed. | 7.49% | S.C. Code Ann. § 12-36-2120(70) |
| SD South Dakota | Tax-free | 6.11% | SDCL § 10-45-110 |
| TN Tennessee | Tax-free | 9.61% | 2022 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 1092 |
| TX Texas | Tax-freePalladium bars are taxed; platinum and palladium coins aren't named in the law. | 8.2% | Tex. Tax Code § 151.336 |
| UT Utah | Tax-freePalladium bars are taxed. | 7.42% | Utah Code § 59-12-104(50), (51) |
| VA Virginia | Tax-freeNo minimum purchase since 2022. Palladium bars are taxed. The exemption runs through July 1, 2028. | 5.77% | Va. Code § 58.1-609.1(19) |
| VT Vermont | Taxable | 6.39% | 32 V.S.A. § 9741 |
| WA Washington | Taxable | 9.51% | ESSB 5794, 2025 Wash. Laws ch. 423, § 105 |
| WI Wisconsin | Tax-free | 5.72% | 2023 Wis. Act 149 |
| WV West Virginia | Tax-free | 6.59% | W. Va. Code § 11-15-9r |
| WY Wyoming | Tax-freePlatinum and palladium bars are taxed. | 5.56% | W.S. 9-4-1302, 9-4-1304 |
Jewelry rate: the state rate plus the average local rate (Tax Foundation, January 2026); your city's rate may differ. Tax follows the delivery address.
What changed recently
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Alaska: HB 1 (Ch. 6 SLA 2026) took effect: cities and boroughs, including home-rule ones, may no longer tax the gold or silver value of specie (coins, or bullion stamped with weight and purity). The premium over metal value can still be taxed. Source
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Florida: DOR opened rule development to update Rule 12A-1.0371 for the 2026 coin exemption (rule text not yet amended). Source
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Florida: Gold (99.5%+) and silver (99.9%+) coins, rounds, bars and ingots recognized as legal tender under s. 215.986 became exempt from sales and use tax. Source
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Maryland: Chapters 729/730 of 2026 (HB 500/SB 309) repealed the Baltimore Convention Center condition and restored the statewide pre-2025 rule: exempt if the sale price is greater than $1,000. Amendments struck the bill's original removal of the $1,000 threshold and its 'PRIMARILY' definition change. Source
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Virginia: The 2026 budget (HB 30, Item 3-5.22) keeps the exemption in effect through July 1, 2028. Source
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New York: S7875 (Gounardes), which would have limited the exemption to central banks, governments and similar public buyers, was committed to Rules and died when the session ended. The companion A8511 and A10670 (which would have removed the $1,000 floor) never left Ways and Means. Source
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New York: The FY2027 budget (Ch. 59 of 2026) was signed without the Senate one-house proposal to repeal the bullion exemption. A Hodgson Russ list of the enacted sales tax changes has no bullion item. The official statute page, at its latest revision (2026-06-19), still shows 1115(a)(27) unchanged. Source
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Wisconsin: 2025 Wis. Act 124 removed the exemption-certificate requirement, so qualifying bullion is exempt without paperwork. The date assumes the default day-after-publication rule (published 2026-03-28); APMEX reports the same date and Avalara reports 2026-03-27. Source
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Vermont: H.711 (investment precious-metals exemption) was introduced and referred to House Ways and Means. It was not enacted, so no change took effect. Source
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Washington: HB 2115 and SB 5894 were introduced to restore the exemption. Neither got past committee, and the 2026 session ended without enacting them. Source
How sales tax on bullion works
The delivery address decides
Sales tax follows where the order is delivered or picked up, not where the dealer is. A New York dealer shipping to Texas applies Texas rules; picking up at a New York counter is a New York sale. A seller only collects a state's tax where it is registered there.
Thresholds: why order size matters
In California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York, bullion is tax-free only when one purchase reaches the amount in the law ($2,000 in California; $1,000 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York). Below it, the whole purchase is taxed, so combining two small orders into one can remove the tax.
Coins, bars and rounds
Most exemptions cover bars and rounds priced by their metal content and legal-tender coins such as American Eagles, Maple Leafs and Krugerrands. Rare or graded coins priced far above their metal value, medals and novelty pieces are often treated differently; New York, for example, tests a coin's price against its metal value.
Jewelry and collectibles
Bullion exemptions don't extend to jewelry, art or accessories. Every state with a sales tax taxes gold and silver jewelry like other goods; the table above shows the usual combined rate.
Selling gold and silver
Selling to a dealer isn't a retail purchase, so there is no sales tax. A profit is a capital gain: the IRS treats bullion as a collectible, taxed at up to 28% when held more than a year, and most states tax the gain as income. Each state page covers its income-tax treatment. Selling bullion in New York
How we keep this guide accurate
Each state page cites the statute, regulation or revenue-department guidance behind its rule, with a link to the official text and the date we last checked it (most recently October 19, 2026). Rates come from the Tax Foundation's 2026 tables. Changes such as Washington's 2026 repeal, Florida's 2025 and 2026 laws and Maryland's 2026 law are dated on each page.
The same state rules drive the tax and minimum-order checks in our checkout, so what you read here is what our checkout applies. Isaac Kahan, who has run the company since 2008 on New York's 47th Street, reviews the guide. Spotted something out of date? Email support@bulliontradingllc.com.
Common questions
Which states don't tax gold and silver?
Investment gold and silver are fully exempt in 30 states, and 5 states have no sales tax at all. The table above lists every state.
Which states charge sales tax on gold and silver bullion?
Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia tax investment bullion like other goods; check the table for the current list.
Is there sales tax on gold coins?
In most states, legal-tender bullion coins such as American Eagles, Maple Leafs and Krugerrands are exempt along with bars. A few states exempt only some metals or require a minimum purchase, and rare or graded coins are often taxed.
Do I pay sales tax when I buy gold online?
Sales tax follows the delivery address. If the state taxes bullion and the dealer is registered there, the dealer adds it at checkout; the state pages explain each rule.
Your state taxes bullion
The dealer adds the tax at checkout (if registered there)
Your state exempts bullion
No sales tax is added
Do I pay tax when I sell gold?
There is no sales tax when you sell bullion to a dealer. A gain is taxed by the IRS as a collectible, at up to 28% when held more than a year, and usually by your state as income.
Selling to a dealer
No sales tax
A gain on the sale
Taxed by the IRS as a collectible, up to 28% when held more than a year