Australia exempts investment gold, silver and platinum when buying, leaves palladium out, and halves the gain on metal kept for more than twelve months.
When buying
Gold, silver and platinum in the form of investment precious metal are exempt from the goods and services tax (GST) as long as they meet the minimum required purity, 99.5% for gold, 99.9% for silver and 99% for platinum, and come as bars, coins, tablets or wafers tradable on the international metals market, with the mark of a recognized manufacturer.
Palladium falls outside this legal definition of precious metal and pays the general GST. Collector coins valued for their rarity and not for their metal content also fall outside the exemption.
When selling
The gain a private individual resident in Australia makes from selling physical gold or silver is subject to income tax. If the metal has been owned for more than twelve months, a 50% reduction applies to the gain before it is added to taxable income. A sale with less than twelve months of ownership is taxed on the full profit.
Reporting and limits
Anyone moving cash or bearer negotiable instruments worth A$10,000 or more across the Australian border must declare it. The obligation is administered by AUSTRAC and applies to travelers as well as to shipments by mail or courier.
When importing
Investment gold, silver and platinum that meet the purity thresholds above enter Australia with no duty and no GST. Collector coins and jewelry containing precious metal, as they are not considered investment items, pay GST when their value exceeds A$1,000, and jewelry also pays duty. Palladium, as it is not included in the legal definition of precious metal, pays GST on import regardless of its purity.
Other zones
- United States ·
/en/inversion/fiscalidad/estados-unidos - European Union ·
/en/inversion/fiscalidad/union-europea - United Kingdom ·
/en/inversion/fiscalidad/reino-unido - Switzerland ·
/en/inversion/fiscalidad/suiza - Canada ·
/en/inversion/fiscalidad/canada - Asia ·
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Consulted on September 27, 2026.
- Australian Taxation Office, GSTR 2003/10, 2026.
- Australian Taxation Office, CGT 50% reduction, 2026.
- Australian Border Force, importing precious metals, coins, jewelry and currency, 2026.
This is general information, not a tax service. Consult a tax professional in your country. Figures reviewed on September 27, 2026.