What States Collect Sales Tax When Buying Costco Gold

Costco selling gold bars and coins feels like a plot twist in the “bulk ketchup and 80-inch TV” storyline.
But when that shiny checkout total jumps, the real surprise is often the tax linebecause whether you
pay sales tax on Costco gold depends on where you live (and sometimes how much you’re buying).

This guide breaks down which states typically collect sales tax (or a sales-tax equivalent) on investment gold
purchased from Costco, why the rules look so weird, and how to estimate your real out-the-door pricewithout
turning your weekend into a tax-code scavenger hunt.

The fast answer (as of December 31, 2025)

In most U.S. states, investment-grade gold bullion and certain coins are either exempt from sales tax or
effectively treated more like “money” than “merchandise.” However, there are still a handful of places where
buyers commonly see tax charged on bullion purchases (including Costco gold).

States where Costco gold purchases are commonly taxed

• Hawaii (uses a General Excise Tax system rather than a traditional sales tax)
• Maine
• Vermont
• New Mexico (gross receipts tax structure often passed through like sales tax)
• Maryland (tax treatment changed in 2025; many bullion/coin purchases can now be taxed again)

Important: Some states have “it depends” exemptions (thresholds, definitions, or temporary sunset dates).
So even in a state that generally exempts bullion, a specific purchase might be taxed if it falls outside the rules.
Think of it like a dress code: most people get in, but someone always gets turned away for wearing flip-flops.

Why sales tax on gold is so inconsistent

States decide what counts as taxable “tangible personal property.” Some treat investment bullion like a collectible
(taxable), while others treat it like currency or an investment asset (often exempt). Then states add extra rules like:

• Minimum transaction thresholds (e.g., exempt only if the invoice is $1,000+ or $2,000+)
• Metal/purity definitions (gold/silver may be treated differently than platinum/palladium)
• Coin vs. bar distinctions (legal tender coins might follow different rules than bars/rounds)
• “Sold for metal value” rules (if the price is mostly “collectible markup,” it may be taxed)

Costco complicates this in a very modern way: many people buy Costco gold online, so tax is generally based on the
shipping destination (not where the warehouse sits). If you buy in-person (when available), the tax is
usually based on the store location. Either way, your state rules are the boss.

How Costco typically calculates tax on gold

Costco (like other major retailers) generally collects tax when required by the destination state and local rules.
If your state taxes bullion, you’ll usually see a tax line item at checkout. If your state exempts qualifying bullion,
you may see no taxor you might see tax on “non-bullion” parts of the order (like accessories).

What counts as “Costco gold” for tax purposes?

When people say “Costco gold,” they’re typically talking about investment-type products:
gold bars, gold coins, and sometimes other precious metals. States often treat these differently than:

• Jewelry (usually taxable)
• Display items and collectibles with heavy premiums (sometimes taxable even where bullion is exempt)
• Supplies (coin tubes, cases, cleaning kitsoften taxable)

The states most likely to collect tax on Costco gold

Hawaii

Hawaii is the “special snowflake” of U.S. transaction taxes. Instead of a standard sales tax, it has a
General Excise Tax (GET) that applies broadly to business activity. Retailers commonly pass it on
to customers, so buyers may see it show up like a sales tax at checkout.

Translation: even if another state might exempt investment bullion, Hawaii’s system makes it more likely you’ll see
tax on a gold purchase.

Maine

Maine has a statewide sales tax rate (with no local add-on jurisdictions), and bullion does not enjoy the kind of
broad, well-known exemption that exists in many other states. That means buying Costco gold shipped to Maine can
commonly trigger sales tax.

Vermont

Vermont’s sales and use tax framework treats a lot of physical goods as taxable, and precious metals can fall into that
taxable bucket. In practice, buyers often report that bullion purchases shipped into Vermont are taxed unless a specific
exemption applies.

New Mexico

New Mexico uses a gross receipts tax system. It’s not labeled “sales tax” in the classic way, but it often
behaves like one from the buyer’s perspective because it can be passed through at the register.

There have been legislative efforts to change precious-metals treatment, but as of late 2025, New Mexico still commonly
shows tax on bullion-style purchases.

Maryland

Maryland is a big “watch this space” state. For years, Maryland had a well-known exemption on certain bullion/coin purchases
over a threshold. In 2025, budget legislation changed the treatment again, and many precious-metal purchases can now be taxed
in situations where they previously weren’tespecially for typical high-ticket bullion purchases.

Bottom line: if your shipping address is in Maryland, it’s smart to assume tax is possible and confirm at checkout.

States with “it depends” rules (where Costco gold might be taxed)

Even if your state is generally friendly to bullion, you can still get taxed depending on transaction size, product type,
or temporary law changes. Here are a few of the most common “trapdoors” people fall through.

California: the “$2,000 cliff”

California is famous for a threshold-based rule: some bullion/coin transactions are exempt only if the purchase meets a
minimum dollar amount. That means a buyer can have two nearly identical ordersone taxed, one notbecause the invoice total
lands on different sides of the line.

Why this matters for Costco: a 1 oz gold product often hovers around a price level where the threshold can become relevant
depending on market swings, promos, or whether you’re buying one item vs. multiple.

Massachusetts: exemption often starts at $1,000

Massachusetts provides an exemption for certain precious-metal transactions that meet a minimum sale amount. If you buy below
that threshold (say, smaller or fractional pieces), sales tax may apply. For typical Costco gold purchases, many will meet the
thresholdbut not always, especially if you’re buying smaller items or if product availability shifts.

New Jersey: exemption changed in 2025

New Jersey updated its rules in 2025 and now exempts qualifying investment bullion and certain investment coins under
specific definitions. In other words: New Jersey moved in the “less tax on investment bullion” direction, but the details
still matter (especially for coins vs. bars).

Virginia: exemption with a sunset date

Some states handle bullion exemptions like a limited-time streaming trial: it exists, but it can expire unless extended.
Virginia has had time-limited treatment for bullion exemptions, so buyers should pay attention to effective dates.

States with no statewide sales tax

If you ship Costco gold to a state with no statewide sales tax, you often won’t see sales tax collected at checkout:

• Delaware
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• Oregon
• Alaska (no statewide sales tax, but many local jurisdictions have sales taxes)

Alaska deserves a special note: “no state sales tax” doesn’t always mean “no sales tax at all” because local rules can matter.
If your gold shipment is headed to Alaska, the tax outcome can depend on the specific locality.

How to estimate your out-the-door cost (with simple examples)

The easiest way to avoid sticker shock is to estimate a worst-case total before you click “Place Order.”
Here’s a simple method:

1. Start with the item price (gold bar/coin price).
2. Add shipping/handling if any (often $0, but check).
3. Apply your state + local rate if your state taxes bullion (or if you’re unsure).
4. Compare that estimate to the checkout total before you finalize.

Example: Maine (5.5% general sales tax rate)

If a gold bar costs $2,000 and the purchase is taxable:

• $2,000 × 0.055 = $110 estimated tax
• Estimated total: $2,110

Example: Hawaii (GET style tax, commonly passed through)

If a $2,000 purchase is effectively charged around 4% (plus potential surcharge), you could see something like:

• $2,000 × 0.04 = $80 (plus possible county surcharge effects)
• Estimated total: $2,080+

These are simplified examples. The point isn’t to become a tax accountantit’s to avoid the emotional experience of watching
your “investment purchase” gain a surprise tax premium in real time.

What to do if Costco charges tax and you think it shouldn’t

Mistakes happenespecially with products that have complicated state-by-state definitions. If you believe your Costco gold
purchase should have been exempt:

• Save your invoice (you’ll want the product description, price, and ship-to address).
• Confirm your state’s bullion exemption rules (look for thresholds, purity definitions, and “sold for metal value” language).
• Contact Costco customer service and ask about tax on that item category shipped to your state.
• Don’t assume the product is the problemsometimes the threshold or classification is the issue.

Also, remember that states can treat coins and bars differently, and “collectible” or “numismatic” language can flip the tax result.

Real-world experiences buying Costco gold (extra ~)

Since you asked for experience-based content, let’s talk about the patterns buyers commonly report when they jump into
Costco gold for the first time. These aren’t “one true story from your narrator’s personal life” (because, sadly, I can’t
physically stand in a Costco line holding a hot dog and a gold bar). But they are the kind of repeated scenarios that
pop up again and again with real shoppers.

1) “I thought gold was tax-free everywhere… until checkout.”

A lot of buyers come in with a simple assumption: “Gold is money-ish, so sales tax shouldn’t apply.” That’s often true in many
statesbut not all. Shoppers in places like Maine, Vermont, Hawaii, New Mexico, or Maryland can see tax appear like an uninvited
party guest who shows up early and eats all the shrimp.

The practical lesson: before you get attached to the listed price, treat it as a starting point. The ship-to state can
change the final cost enough to matter, especially on a high-ticket purchase.

2) The California threshold “almost got me” moment

One of the most common “wait, what?” experiences comes from threshold states. In California, for example, buyers discover that
a tiny difference in invoice total can change whether tax applies. People describe doing math like:
“If I add one more item… does that push me over the line?”

It feels ridiculous because it is a little ridiculous. But it’s also the reality of threshold-based exemptions. Some buyers
respond by bundling purchases to clear the minimum. Others decide it’s not worth optimizing and just accept the tax if it applies.
Either way, the experience teaches you that “gold taxes” aren’t just about the metalthey’re about the rules wrapped around the metal.

3) Maryland buyers noticing the 2025 rule shift

Maryland is a great example of why you shouldn’t rely on old forum posts or “my cousin bought coins in 2022 and didn’t pay tax”
stories. Buyers often report that they had a mental model based on the older threshold exemption, then got surprised after the 2025
change when tax started showing up again on purchases that would have been exempt before.

The lesson here is time-based: tax rules can change quickly, and bullion is not immune. If you’re reading anything about “what
Maryland does,” check the effective dates before trusting it.

4) Hawaii buyers learning GET is its own universe

Hawaii shoppers often describe the GET as “sales tax that isn’t called sales tax.” The invoice experience can still look like
tax is being charged on the purchase, even though the legal structure is different. Buyers new to Hawaii’s tax system sometimes
think an error occurreduntil they learn that GET is broad and commonly passed through.

5) The “fine print” experience: accessories and add-ons

Even in states that exempt bullion, shoppers get caught by taxable add-ons: display boxes, storage supplies, or other non-bullion
items. People expect a clean, tax-free invoice and then spot a small tax line because one item in the cart doesn’t qualify.
It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a reminder that the exemption is for investment metal, not necessarily everything
that touches it.

The takeaway: if you want the most predictable tax result, keep the order “pure”bullion/qualifying coins onlyand treat anything
else as a separate (possibly taxable) purchase.

Final takeaway

If you’re buying Costco gold, the “will I pay sales tax?” question usually comes down to your shipping state’s bullion rules.
Most states lean toward exemptions for investment-grade gold, but a small set of states commonly charge tax, and several more have
thresholds or definitions that can flip the outcome. Do a quick check before checkout, and you’ll avoid the classic
“why did my gold suddenly cost more?” moment.