Buying gold in St. Louis, MO
Missouri does not charge sales tax on qualifying gold bullion and coins. Jewelry is taxed at the 4.225% state rate plus any local tax. The combined state and local sales tax rate in St. Louis is about 9.679%. Some shopping and development districts in St. Louis add up to about 1% more.
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 St. Louis is tax, explained below and on the Missouri page.
Sales tax on gold in St. Louis
Not on investment bullion. Bullion of at least 90% purity and investment coins (value above face) are exempt (RSMo 144.815). Jewelry, accessories and coins sold at face value are taxable. The combined state and local rate is about 9.679% here.
Full state rules: gold price and tax in Missouri.
Tax when you sell gold in Missouri
HB 594 (2025) excludes 100% of individual capital gains from Missouri income tax from tax year 2025. HB 754 adds a gold/silver specie gain subtraction for corporations, trusts and pass-throughs from tax year 2026. 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.
Gold and silver as money in Missouri
HB 754 (2025), the Constitutional Money Act, recognizes gold and silver specie as legal tender, including payment through precious-metal deposit accounts and debit cards.
Selling gold or gold jewelry to a dealer in Missouri
- License: No state license for gold, silver or platinum buyers was found; state law sets transaction rules only. Cities license dealers locally, for example St. Charles (Chapter 630, with a $5,000 bond for itinerant dealers) and St. Peters (Chapter 605, Article XIV, with general, itinerant vendor or peddler licenses).
- Hold period: 5 days. State law: keep purchased items unaltered for five working days (as shown in the existing-law text of 2018 SB 1028, a bill that proposed raising it to 120 working days and was only introduced). Local holds can be longer: St. Peters 15 days from purchase; St. Charles 10 days for itinerant dealers.
- What the dealer records: State law: record and photograph every transaction, including a copy of the seller's driver's license or photo ID, item description, and date and time; keep one year and make available to police; tell police if an item seems illegally obtained. St. Peters also requires the seller's signature and daily upload to LeadsOnline by the end of the next business day.
- What sellers need: State law: purchases from minors need written authorization from a parent or guardian. Seller shows a driver's license or photo ID.
- Who is exempt: RSMo 407.292 exempts pawnbrokers and scrap metal dealers. Buyers may not accept pre-melted gold, silver or platinum unless it is part of a jewelry design. St. Charles excludes purchases from manufacturers or wholesalers.
- Jewelers: State law requires buyers to use scales approved by the Department of Agriculture's weights and measures program and to post prices.
- The law: RSMo 407.292 (buyers of gold, silver or platinum). Pawnbrokers (RSMo 367.011) and scrap metal dealers (RSMo 407.300-407.305) are exempt from it. Local ordinances add licensing.
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.
Tax and duty information last reviewed October 2026. Rules change — confirm with your dealer or tax authority before a large purchase.