Selling gold you inherited in France means choosing between the flat tax on precious metals and the capital-gains regime — and the latter is only open to you if the estate paperwork proves the gold's value and date. Beyond tax, your real payout depends on the dealer's buyback rate, which is not public, so compare offers before you sell.
Selling inherited gold in France triggers one of two tax regimes, and you choose the one that costs less. The default is the flat tax on precious metals (taxe forfaitaire sur les métaux précieux), levied on the full sale price regardless of any gain. The alternative is the capital-gains regime (régime de la plus-value), which taxes only the profit and applies a taper relief that reaches full exemption after 22 years of ownership.
The catch for an inheritance: the capital-gains route requires proof of the acquisition price and date. If you inherited the gold, your baseline is usually the value declared in the déclaration de succession, and the holding period runs from the death, not from when you personally received the items.
Without paperwork, the flat tax on the full price is often your only option. To use the capital-gains regime you need a document establishing the value and date the gold entered the estate. The key piece is the estate declaration filed with the tax office; the valuation recorded there becomes your cost basis.
Keep these before you sell. A buyer cannot create this proof for you, and the choice of tax regime is made at the point of sale.
Tax is fixed by law and identical everywhere; the dealer's margin is not, and that is where you gain or lose most. The spot price of gold is public and the same for every buyer on any given day. What each dealer keeps is the buyback rate: the percentage of spot actually paid to you. This margin is not something dealers are obliged to publish, so it varies widely.
Your payout is also driven by the metal itself, not sentiment. Fineness sets the pure-gold content: 24k is 999, 22k is 916, 18k is 750, 14k is 585, 9k is 375. Weight, hallmark and condition confirm what you hold. Inherited coins may carry a numismatic premium above their metal value if they are collectable. Melt jewellery is paid on gold content alone. Compare gold buyers in your city to see who pays the highest rate.
Every legitimate gold sale in France is traceable and identity-checked, which protects an heir. Payment must be made by bank transfer or cheque; cash is prohibited for precious-metal transactions. You must present valid ID, and the buyer records the sale in a mandatory police register (livre de police).
These rules work in your favour when the gold came from an estate: the paper trail shows a lawful, declared source and links the payout to the correct tax treatment. Selling jointly-inherited gold usually needs the agreement of all heirs, so settle ownership before you sell.
By default, the flat tax on precious metals, calculated on the full sale price. You may instead elect the capital-gains regime, which taxes only the profit and tapers to full exemption after 22 years of ownership, but only if you can prove the acquisition value and date.
Usually the value declared in the estate's succession declaration, and the holding period runs from the date of death. Without that document, you generally cannot use the capital-gains regime and fall back to the flat tax.
No. French law requires precious-metal payments to be traceable, so you are paid by bank transfer or cheque. You must also show ID, and the buyer logs the sale in a mandatory police register.
For jointly-inherited gold, yes. Ownership is shared until the estate is settled, so all heirs normally need to consent to the sale and to how the proceeds are divided.