Tax Treatment if Held Over 1 Year |
Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts* 15% or 20% Taxed at capital gains tax rate** |
Precious Metals: Coins, Bullion, ETFs 28% Taxed at collectibles tax rate |
* | Requires the timely filing of a QEF form for your tax return. |
** | 15% long-term capital gains tax rate for single filers earning between $40,000 to $441,450 per year; 20% long-term capital gains tax rate for married filers earning over $496,600 per year. |
How are precious metals taxed? The IRS considers precious metals to be collectibles like art, rare books and fine wine. Provided you hold it for more than 1 year, the capital gains tax on your net gain from selling a collectible is 28%. This level of tax is considerably higher than the tax rate on most net capital gains, which is an average of 15% for most taxpayers, according to the IRS.1 If you sell a collectible in less than one year, the proceeds will be taxed as ordinary income.
Special U.S. federal income tax rules apply to holders of the Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts because they are classified as Passive Foreign Investment Corporations (PFICs) by the IRS. If a U.S. non-corporate holder makes a timely QEF election each year by filing IRS form 8621 with his or her federal income tax return, it will generally mitigate the otherwise adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning precious metals via coins, bullion or ETFs. Capital gains will be taxed at either 15% or 20% depending on the holder’s specific personal situation.
“PFIC” stands for “Passive Foreign Investment Company.” A foreign corporation such as the Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts (“the Trusts”) will be treated as a PFIC for any taxable year if either of the following is true: (a) more than 75% of its gross income is from passive sources or (b) at least 50% of its assets are held for the production of passive income.
The Trusts have been PFICs since their inception and it is expected the Trusts will continue to be treated as PFICs for each of their taxable years.
Yes, the Trusts can be held in an IRA.
A U.S. taxable investor who does not make either a QEF election or a mark-to-market election for that year is subject to special rules, with respect to: (1) any gain realized on the sale, exchange, redemption or other disposition of the units and (2) certain distributions with respect to the Units. Very generally, under these special rules, any gain realized on the sale of units is treated as ordinary income and is subject to an interest charge on the deferred tax liability during the investor’s holding period.
The PFIC rules do not apply to a pension or profit sharing trust or other tax-exempt organization that did not borrow funds or otherwise use leverage in connection with its acquisition of the units.
No, the Trusts do not issue K-1s.
1 | The information provided is general in nature and is provided with the understanding that it may not be relied upon as, nor considered to be, the rendering or tax, legal, accounting or professional advice. Readers should consult with their own accountants and/or lawyers for advice on the specific circumstances before taking any action |
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The Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust is generally exposed to multiple risks that have been both identified and described in the Prospectus. Please refer to the Prospectus for a description of these risks.
Past performance is not an indication of future results. All data is in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. The information provided is general in nature and is provided with the understanding that it may not be relied upon as, nor considered to be, the rendering or tax, legal, accounting or professional advice. Readers should consult with their own accountants and/or lawyers for advice on their specific circumstances before taking any action. Sprott Asset Management LP is the investment manager to the Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust (the “Trust”). Important information about the Trust, including the investment objectives and strategies, applicable management fees, and expenses, is contained in the Prospectus. Please read the document carefully before investing. There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning units of a Trust. The Trust must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the Trust. You can find more detailed information about the Trust in these documents. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation to purchase securities of the Trust. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer or solicitation to anyone in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation. Views expressed regarding a particular company, security, industry or market sector should not be considered an indication of trading intent of any investment funds managed by Sprott Asset Management LP. These views are not to be considered as investment advice nor should they be considered a recommendation to buy or sell. This outlook is subject to change without notice.
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