Tax on selling gold and jewellery
Is selling gold taxable in Ireland?
Selling gold in Ireland can be subject to Capital Gains Tax at 33 percent, but only on a gain: the amount you receive over what the item cost you, or was worth when you inherited it. The first 1,270 euro of gains in a year is exempt, and personal belongings sold for 2,540 euro or less are exempt entirely. Someone selling an old chain or a broken ring for its scrap value almost never owes tax. This is general information, not tax advice.
The three rules that matter
- Tax is on the gain, not the price. Gain means sale proceeds less the cost of acquiring the item (purchase price, or market value at the date you inherited or were given it), less selling costs. Jewellery bought at retail and sold for melt value is nearly always sold at a loss. No gain, no tax. Revenue: how to calculate CGT.
- The first 1,270 euro of gains each year is exempt. This personal exemption applies to your total gains in the tax year across all assets, not per item. Revenue: what is exempt from CGT.
- Small disposals of personal belongings are exempt. Tangible moveable property (Revenue's examples include furniture; jewellery, coins and watches are the same class) is exempt where the amount involved does not exceed 2,540 euro, with marginal relief just above that figure. Revenue's summary page words this by reference to the gain; the legislation (section 602, Taxes Consolidation Act 1997) applies it to the sale proceeds. A single item sold for up to 2,540 euro is exempt either way.
Two worked examples
A 9ct chain bought for 400 euro, sold for 180 euro of scrap value. Proceeds are below cost, so the result is a loss, not a gain. No CGT. Losses on personal belongings sold for under 2,540 euro cannot be used against other gains, so there is nothing to file either.
Ten sovereigns bought years ago for 2,500 euro, sold today for 6,500 euro. The gain is 4,000 euro. Deduct the 1,270 euro exemption (assuming no other gains that year): the taxable gain is 2,730 euro, and CGT at 33 percent is about 901 euro. The chattels exemption does not apply because the proceeds exceed 2,540 euro. The CGT is paid and filed by the individual; the buyer deducts nothing. Revenue: when and how to pay and file (gains between January and November are paid by 15 December of the same year, December gains by 31 January).
Inherited gold and jewellery
Two separate taxes can touch inherited items, and people often mix them up.
- Capital Acquisitions Tax (inheritance tax) is assessed on the person who inherits, at 33 percent on the value received above a lifetime tax-free threshold that depends on the relationship: 400,000 euro from a parent (Group A), 40,000 euro from a sibling, grandparent or aunt or uncle (Group B), 20,000 euro from anyone else (Group C), for benefits on or after 2 October 2024. Jewellery counts towards the total at its market value at the valuation date. Revenue: CAT group thresholds.
- Capital Gains Tax arises only when you later sell. Your cost is the market value at the date of death, so selling soon afterwards for roughly that value gives no gain. If gold has risen since, the gain is the difference, with the exemptions above. Revenue notes that there is generally no CGT on an asset transferred on death itself.
This is why a probate valuation at open market value matters: it fixes the base cost for any later sale. Our guide to selling inherited jewellery covers the process, and our valuation service produces the written figure.
Coins, bullion and VAT
Investment gold that meets the EU definition (bars of accepted purity, and legal-tender coins at least 900 fine minted after 1800 that normally sell close to their metal value) is exempt from VAT when you buy it in Ireland. VAT does not arise when a private individual sells. CGT applies to gains on coins and bars exactly as above; the 2,540 euro chattels rule can cover a single small sale, and larger sales are assessed on the gain. Our page on selling gold coins covers how they are priced.
Selling regularly
Everything above assumes you are a private individual disposing of your own possessions. If you buy and sell gold repeatedly with a view to profit, Revenue may treat it as a trade and the profits as income rather than capital gains. That is a different regime and a question for an accountant.
What we do, and do not do, as the buyer
We pay the full published price by bank transfer with nothing deducted for tax; assessing and paying any CGT is the seller's responsibility. We record photo ID and keep transaction records for every purchase because the law on dealing in precious metals requires it. The itemised offer you accept lists each item with its grade, weight and price, so keep it: it is the document you would need if a gain ever had to be calculated.
General information only, based on Revenue guidance as published on the date this page was last updated (1 October 2026). Not legal or tax advice. Start from Revenue's CGT overview and what you pay CGT on, and take professional advice for your own situation.
Questions people ask
Do I pay tax when I sell my old gold jewellery in Ireland?
Usually not. Tax is charged on a gain, the difference between what you sell for and what the item cost (or was worth when you inherited it), not on the sale price. Most scrap jewellery sells for less than it cost, the first 1,270 euro of gains each year is exempt, and personal belongings sold for 2,540 euro or less are exempt altogether.
What is the rate of Capital Gains Tax in Ireland?
33 percent on the taxable gain, after deducting allowable costs and the 1,270 euro personal exemption. It is charged on the gain only, never on the whole amount received.
Does the buyer deduct tax or report my sale?
No tax is deducted from what we pay you, and any CGT liability is yours to assess and file. We do record ID and keep transaction records because the law on buying precious metals requires it, which is a separate matter from tax.
I inherited the gold. What is my cost for CGT?
Its market value at the date of death. If you sell for around that value, there is no gain and no CGT. Inheritance itself may be subject to Capital Acquisitions Tax against your lifetime group threshold; the two taxes are separate.
Is this tax advice?
No. It is general information based on Revenue's published guidance as at the date shown, written by a gold buyer, not a tax adviser. Check the Revenue links on this page and speak to an accountant or solicitor about your own situation.
Ready to sell?
Check the net price per gram for your grade first, then request a free insured postal pack. Every item is tested on camera, the offer is itemised, and anything you decline comes back free.