Gold IRA Taxes and RMDs: What Retirees Need to Know

A gold IRA is a self-directed IRA that holds physical metal instead of stocks or funds. For tax purposes it is simply an IRA. The metal does not change the basic rules. (New to the idea? Start with what is a gold IRA.)

• Traditional gold IRA. Contributions may be tax-deductible, depending on your income and whether you have a workplace plan. Gains grow tax-deferred. Withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income.
• Roth gold IRA. Contributions are made with after-tax money. Qualified withdrawals are tax-free. See Roth vs traditional gold IRA.

While the gold stays inside the IRA, buying and selling metal does not create a yearly tax bill. Tax comes into play when money or metal leaves the account. Withdrawals before age 59½ are generally subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty on top of income tax, unless an exception applies.

Under IRS Notice 2025-67, the 2026 IRA contribution limit is $7,500, plus a $1,100 catch-up if you are 50 or older, for a total of $8,600. That limit covers all of your traditional and Roth IRAs combined - a gold IRA does not get its own separate limit.

Most people do not fund a gold IRA through yearly contributions, though. Because minimums at many dealers run from about $10,000 to $50,000, the money usually comes from a rollover or transfer of an existing account.

The safest route is a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer (or a direct rollover from a 401(k)), where the money goes straight from your old custodian to the new one. It is not taxed, and there is no limit on how often you can do it.

An indirect, 60-day rollover is riskier. The money is paid to you, and you must deposit it into the new IRA within 60 days or it becomes a taxable distribution. IRA-to-IRA indirect rollovers are limited to one per 12 months. And when a 401(k) pays the money to you directly, it must withhold 20% for taxes - which you have to make up from other savings to roll over the full amount.

Step-by-step guides: 401(k) to gold IRA rollover and TSP to gold IRA rollover.

Required minimum distributions apply to traditional gold IRAs just like other traditional IRAs. Under SECURE 2.0, RMDs start at age 73, and the starting age rises to 75 in 2033. Each year's amount is based on your account balance at the end of the prior year and an IRS life-expectancy table.

The catch with gold is that your custodian needs a year-end value for the metal, and your RMD is a dollar amount. Since the metal pays no interest or dividends, there may be no cash in the account to pay it. You need a plan for that before age 73.

Roth IRAs have no RMDs for the original owner, which is one reason some people prefer to hold metal in a Roth.

Yes. You generally have two options:

• Cash. The custodian sells enough metal (through the dealer's buyback) to cover the RMD and pays you the cash. You pay income tax on the amount. Watch the buyback spread - selling small amounts each year adds up.
• In kind. The custodian ships you coins or bars worth at least your RMD. The distribution is taxed as income at the metal's fair market value on the day it is distributed. You then own the metal personally, outside the IRA. You will still owe the tax in cash, so set money aside.

Many retirees with more than one traditional IRA take their RMD from a non-gold IRA instead, which is generally allowed because IRA RMDs can be totaled and taken from any of your IRAs. This avoids selling metal. Rules differ for 401(k)s, so check with your custodian or tax adviser.

• Storing IRA gold at home. IRA metal must be held by a qualified trustee or custodian in an approved depository. In McNulty v. Commissioner (2021), the Tax Court treated metal kept at home through an "IRA LLC" as a taxable distribution. More in can you store IRA gold at home?
• Buying ineligible coins. Under IRC 408(m), collectibles bought in an IRA count as distributions. Only certain US-minted coins and bullion that meets purity standards qualify. Krugerrands and most proof or numismatic coins do not. See IRA-eligible metals.
• Missing the 60-day window on an indirect rollover, or doing more than one IRA-to-IRA indirect rollover in 12 months.
• Forgetting the RMD or not having cash available to cover it.

Yearly gold IRA fees typically run about $175-$300, usually as a flat amount rather than a percentage. Use our gold IRA fee calculator to see what they could add up to over your retirement, and read gold IRA fees explained for details. Because tax rules depend on your full situation, it is worth reviewing any rollover or distribution with a tax professional first.

Compare custodians and dealers in our gold IRA company rankings.

This article is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Fees, minimums and promotions change often and vary by custodian and account size - confirm current terms in writing with the company and your custodian before you invest.