Holdings in precious metals such as gold, silver or platinum are considered capital assets and therefore capital gains may apply. When it comes to taxes, the IRS classifies precious metals as collectibles and therefore may be taxed at the maximum rate of capital gains raising of 28 percent. These pieces include, among others, gold coins with fractional denominations; American Eagle gold or silver coins; any piece of foreign currency that has not been explicitly mentioned in the IRS's list of reportable items, as well as U.S. currencies that were created after the list was created in the 1980s.
It is important to be aware of Gold IRA scams when investing in gold or other precious metals.
