Buying gold in Denver, CO
Colorado does not charge sales tax on qualifying gold bullion and coins. Jewelry is taxed at the 2.9% state rate plus any local tax. The combined state and local sales tax rate in Denver is about 9.15%.
Gold has one national spot price in US dollars: the prices on this page are the same as on the gold price in the United States page. What differs in Denver is tax, explained below and on the Colorado page.
Sales tax on gold in Denver
Not on investment bullion. Coins and precious metal bullion are exempt from state sales tax and from local taxes the state collects, including RTD and SCFD. Self-collecting home-rule cities may still tax them. Jewelry, art, and non-coin collectibles such as paper money and tokens are taxable. The combined state and local rate is about 9.15% here.
Full state rules: gold price and tax in Colorado.
Tax when you sell gold in Colorado
Profits on gold are generally taxed by Colorado like other investment gains, under its income tax rules. At the federal level, the IRS treats bullion and most gold coins as collectibles: long-term gains (assets held more than a year) are taxed at your ordinary rate, capped at 28%, and short-term gains as ordinary income.
Selling gold or gold jewelry to a dealer in Colorado
- License: State law sets record-keeping and reporting duties for secondhand dealers but licensing is local: cities and counties issue secondhand dealer licenses (for example Aurora City Code Division 5, Section 86-515).
- Hold period: C.R.S. 18-13-114 sets no hold period. Holds are local: Aurora requires 30 days for precious or semiprecious metals or stones and 15 days for most other goods; stamped and assayed gold and silver bullion and gold coins are exempt from Aurora's hold but must be recorded.
- What the dealer records: State: record each purchase or trade of $30 or more per item with the seller's name, address, date of birth, ID number, signature, date, time, place and a detailed item description; deliver to local law enforcement within three days; keep a copy at least one year. Forms are designed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Aurora adds a right index fingerprint, electronic reporting within one day and three-year retention.
- What sellers need: Seller must give an accepted ID (Colorado driver's license or ID card, out-of-state photo license, military ID, passport or similar) and sign the record. Giving false information is a class 2 misdemeanor.
- Who is exempt: The state definition of secondhand dealer excludes occasional sellers, licensed retailers of new goods and licensed antique dealers at permanent storefronts, sellers at exhibitions and shows, charities, and artisans selling their own crafts (but not jewelry or gold or silver items). 'Secondhand property' expressly includes jewelry and coins.
- The law: C.R.S. 18-13-114, Secondhand dealers (state). Local ordinances add licensing and holds, for example Aurora City Code Section 86-516.
Dealers report a customer's sale to the IRS on Form 1099-B only for certain forms and quantities, such as 1-kilo gold bars, 1,000 ounces of silver bars or 25 or more Krugerrands or Maple Leafs; American Eagles and smaller lots are generally not reported. Any business that receives more than $10,000 in cash in one transaction or related transactions files IRS Form 8300. Bring a photo ID when you sell.
Tax and duty information last reviewed October 2026. Rules change — confirm with your dealer or tax authority before a large purchase.