Buying gold in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. charges sales tax on gold bullion and coins as well as on jewelry: 6% District rate.
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 Washington, D.C. is tax, explained below.
Sales tax on gold in Washington, D.C.
There is no bullion or coin exemption, so purchases are taxed at the 6% general rate. A planned rise to 6.5%/7% was postponed, and the rate stays 6% through Sept 30, 2027. Jewelry is taxed at the 6% District rate.
Tax when you sell gold in Washington, D.C.
Profits on gold are generally taxed by Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C.
- License: Secondhand dealers need a DC business license for 'Secondhand Dealers' (Class A, B or C) from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), applied for through BOSS: $99 for 2 years or $198 for 4 years. Applicants need a certificate of occupancy, tax registration, a police criminal history report and a signed Statement of Approval from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Pawn Unit. Pawnbrokers need a separate DLCP pawnbroker license (same fees) plus a pawnbroker bond. DLCP has no separate precious metals dealer license.
- Hold period: No hold period was confirmed from an official source.
- What the dealer records: DLCP lists a pawn record ledger and pawn tickets as pawnbroker requirements (contents not given). A 2012 WTOP report says secondhand dealers keep consecutively numbered daily logs, fingerprint sellers and report to police regularly; in 2012 regulators proposed exempting sellers of books, records, clothing and similar goods, while jewelry dealers stayed under the secondhand rules.
- What sellers need: Per the 2012 WTOP report, sellers to secondhand dealers are fingerprinted. Not confirmed from current DC rules.
- Who is exempt: Per the 2012 WTOP report, regulators proposed exempting dealers in listed goods such as books, vinyl records, DVDs, paintings, used clothing and refurbished goods; jewelry and electronics dealers remained covered. Whether and how this was adopted was not confirmed.
- Jewelers: Per the 2012 WTOP report, dealers in used jewelry stayed subject to the secondhand dealer rules.
- The law: DLCP Public Safety Services business licenses for secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers. The old D.C. Code 47-2837 (secondhand dealers) is marked repealed by D.C. Law 24-333, but the Code notes conflict on whether the repeal has taken effect. The detailed DC regulations (DCMR) were not confirmed.
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.