There is no single "gold tax" in India. Gold is taxed as a capital asset, and how much you pay depends on the form you hold and how long you held it. After Budget 2024, long-term gains on most gold are taxed at 12.5% without indexation – generally once you have held for more than 24 months – while shorter holdings are added to your income and taxed at your slab rate. The form matters as much as the gain.
Two people can buy the same amount of gold on the same day, sell on the same day for the same profit, and owe different tax – because one held coins and the other held a gold fund.
Gold tax at a glance (FY 2026-27)
How is physical and digital gold taxed?
Physical gold – jewellery, coins, bars – and digital gold are both capital assets. When you sell at a profit, the gain is either short-term or long-term depending on how long you held.
For FY 2026-27, a holding of more than 24 months is long-term, taxed at 12.5% without indexation. A holding of 24 months or less is short-term: the gain is added to your total income and taxed at whatever slab you fall in. Budget 2024 made two changes here – it removed the indexation benefit that used to inflate your purchase cost, and it standardised the flat 12.5% long-term rate.
How are gold funds and gold ETFs taxed?
Paper gold – gold mutual funds, gold fund-of-funds and gold ETFs – is where the detail bites, because the rules moved twice in recent years.
| Form of gold | Long-term after | Long-term rate | Shorter holding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical gold (jewellery, coins, bars) | 24 months | 12.5% (no indexation) | Slab rate |
| Digital gold | 24 months | 12.5% (no indexation) | Slab rate |
| Gold mutual funds / gold FoFs | 24 months | 12.5% (no indexation) | Slab rate |
| Gold ETFs (listed units) | 12 months | 12.5% (no indexation) | Slab rate |
| Sovereign Gold Bonds | see below | – | – |
Gold mutual funds and gold FoFs generally get long-term treatment at 12.5% without indexation once held beyond 24 months, with shorter holdings taxed at slab. Listed gold ETF units follow the listed-security line: transferred from FY 2025-26, a holding of more than 12 months is long-term at 12.5%, and a shorter holding is taxed at your slab rate.
What about Sovereign Gold Bonds?
Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) sit in their own category. They pay periodic interest, taxable at your slab rate. But capital gains on redemption at maturity have been exempt from tax – a distinct feature that does not apply to any other form of gold. Sell an SGB on the exchange before maturity, though, and normal capital-gains rules apply.
New SGB issuance has been discontinued, so this treatment concerns bonds already held. As always with a special exemption, the precise conditions matter, so verify them for your specific holding.
How and when is the tax paid?
For resident individuals, gains on selling gold are self-reported in your income tax return under capital gains – there is usually no tax deducted at source on the sale of physical or most paper gold. You work out whether the gain is short-term or long-term, apply the right treatment, and pay. One knock-on point: if a large gain pushes your total tax liability for the year above ₹10,000, advance tax may become payable in instalments rather than a single lump at filing. The mechanics depend on your overall income, so treat this as the shape of the process, not a rule for every case.
The cost people forget: GST on buying
Capital-gains tax applies when you sell at a profit. GST applies when you buy. Purchasing physical gold attracts GST on the metal, and jewellery adds GST on making charges too. This is a buying cost, not income tax, and it is entirely separate from any capital-gains tax later. Confusing the two overstates what you think the "tax on gold" really is.
Related NYVO guides
- Capital Gains Tax in India: LTCG and STCG Explained – gold sits inside the wider capital-gains rules; this is the parent guide to all of them.
- Taxation of Mutual Funds in India – the full picture on how gold funds, ETFs and other categories are taxed.
- Income Tax Slabs in India – short-term gold gains are taxed at your slab, so the slab you fall in decides the bill.
Gold is not taxed as gold. It is taxed as a capital asset, and the form you choose – coins, a fund, an ETF, a bond – quietly sets the holding period and the treatment. Match the form to the rule before you sell, not after.
