VAT on bullion
Investment-grade gold is VAT-exempt in the EU, UK, Switzerland, UAE, Singapore, and Australia. Silver is generally VAT-taxable (19–25% in EU, 20% UK, 8.1% CH, 0% on Singapore IPM, 0% UAE). Buyers are responsible for any import VAT at destination — Ounceo ships with accurate customs declarations.
Gold and silver are taxed very differently. Most major bullion jurisdictions exempt investment-grade gold to avoid penalizing savings, but few exempt silver — partly because silver has more industrial use and partly historical.
When buying internationally, the import VAT is collected by the destination's customs authority on delivery. FedEx may invoice the recipient for the VAT plus a brokerage fee. This is independent of any tax we apply at sale.
Country-by-country breakdown: see /buy-gold-bitcoin/[country] guides.
Related terms
Investment-grade gold is the legal category of gold bullion that qualifies for VAT exemption in the EU: bars and coins of ≥99.5% purity (gold) or ≥99.9% (specific silver products), in standard weights, minted after 1800. The category is defined by EU Directive 2006/112/EC, Article 346.
Declared value is the amount you tell the courier your shipment is worth. FedEx Declared Value Coverage insures the package up to the declared value, with a cap around $50,000 per package on most lanes. Ounceo declares the full retail value on every shipment and pays the corresponding insurance line item.
FedEx International Priority is the FedEx service tier used for all Ounceo shipments. It delivers within 1–3 business days to most countries, supports declared-value insurance, requires signature on delivery, and uses HS codes 7108.12 (gold bullion), 7106.91 (silver bullion), 7118.90 (legal-tender coins) on customs forms.