Buying gold in Oregon
Oregon has no statewide sales tax, so gold bullion, coins and jewelry are bought without state sales tax.
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 Oregon is tax, explained below.
Sales tax on gold in Oregon
No sales tax on any retail purchase.
Tax when you sell gold in Oregon
Profits on gold are generally taxed by Oregon 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 Oregon
- License: No state license or registration is set by the precious metal dealer law. Cities and counties may have their own rules; the Secretary of State keeps a list of local ordinances (Albany, Ashland, Beaverton, Bend, Central Point, Eugene, Gresham, Lake Oswego, Medford, Portland, Salem, Clackamas, Deschutes and Tillamook counties).
- Hold period: 7 days. Items must be held for 7 days after the purchase, kept apart at the place of purchase and open to police inspection. Temporary dealers (5 days or less at one site) may hold items elsewhere in Oregon but must produce them within 24 hours of a police request. Where a city or county ordinance is on the Secretary of State's list (equal or stricter records, equal or longer hold), the local rules apply instead, and some are longer.
- What the dealer records: For each purchase: seller's full name, date of birth, phone, address and signature; type and number of a government photo ID; a physical description of the seller; and a description or digital photo of each item. Keep records at least 1 year at the business and show or copy them for police on request. No thumbprint in the state law.
- What sellers need: Seller must show a valid government-issued photo ID and sign the record. The state law sets no minimum age.
- Who is exempt: Pawnbrokers making only pledge loans, manufacturers, commercial or industrial scrap metal recyclers, businesses that mainly trade over the internet, licensed vehicle dealers and dismantlers, and businesses that mainly buy new items for resale. Gold and silver coins and bullion, dental gold, ore and electronics are not 'items of precious metal'. Purchases from other businesses are not 'transactions'.
- The law: Precious metal secondhand dealers, ORS 646A.064 to 646A.068 (enacted by Oregon Laws 2012, chapter 99, HB 4108, in force 1 January 2013).
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.
What you pay over spot
Dealers sell Gold Eagles, Buffaloes, bars and rounds at a premium over the spot price shown here, which covers minting, shipping and the dealer's margin; small coins carry the biggest premiums. Jewelry adds design and labour. When you sell, dealers usually pay a little under spot for common bullion and the melt value, less a margin, for scrap.
Tax and duty information last reviewed October 2026. Rules change — confirm with your dealer or tax authority before a large purchase.