• The IRS treats gold and other precious metals as collectibles for tax purposes. The same is true of exchange-traded funds backed by physical gold.
  • Collectibles have a 28% top federal tax rate for long-term capital gains. Stocks have a maximum rate of 20%.
  • Many investors in popular gold funds — like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), iShares Gold Trust (IAU), and abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) — may be surprised to learn they face a higher tax rate.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/01/gold-etf-investors-may-be-surprised-by-their-tax-bill-on-profits.html