GST/HST on gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion in Canada

Most investment bullion in Canada is sold without GST or HST. But not all of it. The answer depends on the metal, its purity and its form. This guide explains the rule in plain terms.

This is general information, not tax advice. Ask a tax professional about your own situation.

The short answer

• Gold, silver and platinum bars, ingots, coins and wafers that meet set purity levels are "precious metals" under the Excise Tax Act [1].
• A supply of a precious metal is a financial service. It is generally exempt from GST/HST [2].
• Items that miss the purity level, or are in another form, are generally taxable [2].

What counts as a "precious metal"

The Excise Tax Act defines a precious metal as "a bar, ingot, coin or wafer that is composed of gold, silver or platinum and that is refined to a purity level of at least 99.5% in the case of gold and platinum, and 99.9% in the case of silver" [1].

So three tests must all be met.

| Test | Gold | Silver | Platinum |
| ------------ | -------------------------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Minimum purity | 99.5% | 99.9% | 99.5% |
| Form | Bar, ingot, coin or wafer | Bar, ingot, coin or wafer | Bar, ingot, coin or wafer |

Coins have one more test. The CRA says only coins at the required purity that were issued by a government authority and may be used as currency qualify [2]. A Gold Maple Leaf is one example: it is 99.99% gold and carries a $50 face value [5].

What is taxable

The CRA gives these examples of items that do not meet the definition and are generally taxable [2]:

• Gold or platinum below 99.5% purity, and silver below 99.9% purity.
• Metal at the right purity but in another form, such as granular form.
• Jewellery and chattels made of carat gold, sterling silver or platinum.

Palladium

Palladium is not named in the Excise Tax Act definition. The definition covers gold, silver and platinum only [1].

Border Gold charges GST/HST on palladium bullion. Each palladium product page says so.

What rate applies when an item is taxable

If an item is taxable, the rate depends on where it is supplied. As of April 1, 2025, the CRA lists [3]:

• 5% GST in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan and the territories.
• 13% HST in Ontario.
• 14% HST in Nova Scotia.
• 15% HST in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

Border Gold charges a taxable item at the rate for the province your order is delivered to. Orders picked up at our Surrey store, and storage orders, are charged 5% GST, the BC rate.

BC Provincial Sales Tax (PST)

Border Gold does not charge BC PST on anything it sells. BC exempts gold, silver and platinum bullion and coins bought at or near their metal value [4].

Examples

These examples apply the rules above. They are not a statement of how BGC prices or taxes any product.

• 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf, 99.99% gold. A government-issued legal tender coin above 99.5%. It meets the definition [1][2][5].
• 1 kg silver bar, 99.99% silver. A bar above 99.9%. It meets the definition [1].
• Sterling silver (92.5%) round or bar. Below 99.9%. Taxable [2].
• 14-carat gold chain. Jewellery. Taxable [2].

What you will see at checkout

Prices on our site never include tax. Product pages say when an item carries GST/HST. At checkout, any GST/HST is shown on its own line below the subtotal. When you pay by card or PayPal, GST/HST is worked out on the card price.

Sources

1. Justice Laws Website, Excise Tax Act, section 123(1) definitions ("precious metal", "financial instrument", "money"): https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-15/section-123.html
2. Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST Memorandum 17-1, Definition of Financial Instrument (precious metal paragraphs): https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/17-1/definition-financial-instrument.html
3. Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST rates by province: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/charge-collect-which-rate/calculator.html
4. Province of British Columbia, PST exemptions and documentation requirements: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/pst/exemptions/exemptions-documentation
5. Royal Canadian Mint, 2026 Gold Maple Leaf, 1 oz 99.99% pure gold coin: https://www.mint.ca/en-us/shopping/archives/2026/2025-gml-1-oz-9999-pure-gold-coin-bullion