Buying gold in Nova Scotia
Investment-grade gold (gold of at least 99.5% purity, in bars, wafers or coins) is exempt from GST/HST everywhere in Canada. In Nova Scotia, jewellery and other taxable gold items carry 14% HST.
Gold has one national spot price in Canadian dollars: the prices on this page are the same as on the gold price in Canada page. What differs in Nova Scotia is tax, explained below.
Sales tax on gold in Nova Scotia
HST follows the federal rule, so investment-grade bullion is exempt from HST. Nova Scotia cut its HST from 15% to 14% on 1 April 2025.
Taxable everywhere: 22K coins such as Krugerrands and American Gold Eagles, collector coins sold above their metal value and all karat gold below 24K, and gold jewellery. In Nova Scotia these carry 14% HST, charged on the full price including the making charge or premium.
The federal rule
Under the federal Excise Tax Act, gold and platinum of at least 99.5% purity and silver of at least 99.9% purity, in bars, ingots, wafers or coins, are "precious metals" and are exempt from GST/HST. Coins below that purity (for example 22K Krugerrands and American Gold Eagles, or 90% silver coins), collector coins sold above metal value, sterling silver and all jewellery are taxable.
Tax when you sell gold in Nova Scotia
When you sell, the CRA usually treats a profit on bullion held as an investment as a capital gain: half of the gain is added to your income and taxed at your federal and provincial rates (the 2024 proposal to raise the inclusion rate to two-thirds was cancelled in March 2025). Frequent trading can make profits fully taxable business income. The provincial part of your income tax is Nova Scotia's, at your provincial marginal rate. Sales tax does not apply when you sell bullion to a dealer.
Gold in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has a long gold-mining history along its Atlantic coast.
Buying and selling
Dealers in precious metals and stones must verify your identity for purchases of $10,000 or more and report cash transactions of $10,000 or more to FINTRAC. Dealers sell Maple Leafs and bars at a premium over the spot price shown here and buy back a little under it. The main bullion dealers and jewellers in the province are in Halifax.
Selling gold or jewellery to a dealer in Nova Scotia
- Licence: No provincial licence for gold, silver or jewellery buyers was found. Licensing is municipal: Halifax Regional Municipality By-law J-101 requires a licence to operate as a junk dealer, second-hand dealer or pawnbroker (fee $400 a year or part year; licences expire 31 December and must be displayed). Applicants are barred if they (or, depending on the business form, an officer, director or partner) were convicted of possessing stolen goods in the previous 5 years. The by-law does not name precious metal or jewellery buyers; they are covered only if they fall within 'second-hand dealer' or another listed category.
- Hold period: By-law J-101 sets no holding period. Halifax Ordinance 43 bars pawnbrokers from letting pledged goods be redeemed or removed for 72 hours after the daily police report is delivered; whether it is still in force was not confirmed.
- What the dealer records: Halifax J-101: written record of the seller's name and address, the date, a description of each item and the licence plate of any delivery vehicle; keep 3 years; give to police immediately on request; file with the Chief of Police every seven days on Schedule A (which also asks for age, height, weight and nationality).
- What sellers need: Halifax J-101: no ID check is required by the text, only the seller's name and address. Dealers must tell police at once if goods are offered in circumstances suggesting they were obtained illegally.
- Who is exempt: Halifax J-101: a licensed junk dealer or pawnbroker does not need a separate second-hand dealer's licence to sell second-hand goods.
- The law: No provincial act found. Example local law: Halifax Regional Municipality By-law J-101, Respecting the Licensing of Junk Dealers, Second Hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers. The older City of Halifax Ordinance 43 (Regulation of Pawnbrokers, 1952, amended to 1994) is still listed on the municipality's site; it refers to separate 'old gold' licences.
Federal rules (FINTRAC): Dealers in precious metals and stones (DPMS) become reporting entities under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act when they buy or sell precious metals, precious stones or jewellery worth CAD 10,000 or more in a single transaction. They must run a compliance programme (compliance officer, written policies, risk assessment, training, two-yearly effectiveness review) and verify client identity for large cash, large virtual currency and suspicious transactions.
Quality marks: Quality marking of gold, silver, platinum and palladium articles is voluntary, but any mark used must be truthful and meet the standards and tolerances in the Precious Metals Marking Act and Regulations.
Tax and duty information last reviewed October 2026. Rules change — confirm with your dealer or tax authority before a large purchase.