How to buy gold in Canada in 2026: bullion, ETFs, stocks and apps

Buying gold in Canada is no longer limited to a trip to a coin dealer. The same ounce of gold can be owned as a coin in a drawer, a unit of an exchange-traded fund in a TFSA, a share of a mining company, or a fraction of a bar held by a custodian through a brokerage app. Each route has a different mix of costs, storage and tax rules, and the price you see advertised is rarely the full cost.

This guide explains how each way of investing in gold works, what it costs and how CRA taxes it, using the Royal Canadian Mint’s and CRA’s own published information. It is education, not financial advice, and it does not recommend any product or say whether gold belongs in your portfolio.

What are the ways to buy or invest in gold in Canada?

There are four common routes. The table compares them on what you actually own and the costs and chores that come with each.

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A simple way to read the table: physical gold gives direct ownership but puts storage and resale on you; an ETF or app hands storage to a custodian in exchange for an ongoing or per-trade fee; and mining shares are a bet on businesses whose profits depend on the gold price, not a holding of gold itself.

How do you buy physical gold coins and bars in Canada?

The Royal Canadian Mint, a federal Crown corporation, makes the Gold Maple Leaf, which the Mint describes as among the world’s most popular pure gold coins. The Mint’s own product pages list these gold bullion items for 2026:

How to read this table: sizes are those listed on mint.ca for 2026 bullion. The Mint says its coins are legal tender and its bars are not. Prices are not listed here because they follow the gold market every day.

Product	Sizes listed	Purity	Legal tender
Gold Maple Leaf coin (bullion)	1/20, 1/10, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 oz	99.99%	Yes
Gold bar (2026 bullion)	10 g, 50 g, 100 g and 1 oz	99.99%	No

Source: Storage — Royal Canadian Mint (federal Crown corporation); 2026 Gold Maple Leaf Coin – 1 oz. 99.99% Pure (Bullion) — Royal Canadian Mint (sold through dealers); 2026 Gold Maple Leaf Coin — Royal Canadian Mint (history and purity); 2026 Gold Maple Leaf Coin — Royal Canadian Mint (anti-counterfeiting); Bullion Products — Royal Canadian Mint (gold coin and bar sizes listed); Bullion Products — Royal Canadian Mint (gold bar sizes); Bullion Products — Royal Canadian Mint (2026 10 g gold bar); Bullion Products — Royal Canadian Mint (2026 50 g gold bar); 2026 Gold Maple Leaf Coin — Royal Canadian Mint (size table, smallest size); 2026 Gold Maple Leaf Coin — Royal Canadian Mint (size table, 1/2 oz); 2026 Gold Maple Leaf Coin — Royal Canadian Mint (popularity, Mint's own description); Bullion Dealers — Royal Canadian Mint (Bullion DNA only through registered dealers); Bullion 101 — Royal Canadian Mint (coins are legal tender, sizes); Bullion 101 — Royal Canadian Mint (bars); Bullion 101 — Royal Canadian Mint (bars are not legal tender); Bullion 101 — Royal Canadian Mint (bullion vs numismatic coins); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (local dealers); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (compare against spot); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (coin vs bar premiums); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (fractional coins); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (purchase fee and premium); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (ETFs as an alternative); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (24/7 market and LBMA price); Buying Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (be wary of guarantees); Bullion — Royal Canadian Mint (Exchange-Traded Receipts); Exchange-Traded Receipts — Royal Canadian Mint (listed on the TSX); Exchange-Traded Receipts — Royal Canadian Mint (service fee); Storage — Royal Canadian Mint (storage is for institutions). In effect from September 30, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.

Where the Mint says its bullion is sold. According to mint.ca, bullion coins and bars are available through select dealers, and the Mint publishes a list of registered Bullion DNA dealers by province. The Mint’s buying guide describes a local precious metals dealer as one of the easiest ways to buy coins and bars, and suggests comparing quotes against the current spot price. The steps below apply to any seller, in person or online.

1. Choose the product. Coins such as the Gold Maple Leaf are easier to sell in small amounts. Bars suit larger amounts and usually carry lower premiums per ounce.
2. Check the spot price in Canadian dollars on the day you buy, so you can separate the metal’s value from the dealer’s markup.
3. Get several quotes for the same product, and ask for both the dealer’s selling price and its buyback price.
4. Check authenticity. The Mint says its Bullion DNA technology can authenticate Gold Maple Leaf coins dated 2014 and later through registered dealers.
5. Keep the invoice. It records your purchase price, which is the starting point for your cost base when you sell.

Bullion versus collector coins. The Mint separates bullion coins, made of pure metal for investment, from numismatic coins designed for collectors. A collector coin’s price includes design and mintage, often well above its gold content, so it behaves differently from bullion when you sell.

The Mint also warns buyers to be wary of providers who make guarantees or overly optimistic promises, and says no one should feel pressured into buying investment products.

What premium over spot do you pay for physical gold?

The spot price is the market price for large quantities of gold. Individuals buy above it and sell below it. The Mint’s buying guide says providers typically charge a purchase premium to cover production and transportation, that buyers can also expect a purchase fee (usually a percentage of the amount invested), and that coins tend to carry higher premiums than bars, with fractional coins higher again.

Worked example (hypothetical). Suppose gold’s spot price were $4,000 an ounce and a dealer charged a 4% premium on a 1 oz coin. The premium would be $160, for a total of $4,160. If the dealer later bought the coin back at 1% under spot and the spot price had not moved, you would receive $3,960. The round trip would cost $200, or about 4.8% of the purchase, before storage or insurance.

That is why short-term trading in physical gold is expensive: the gold price has to rise by more than the combined premium and buyback spread before you break even.

Where do you store physical gold, and does insurance cover it?

Storage is the part of physical gold most buyers underestimate. The main options are:

• At home, in a safe. There is no ongoing fee, but theft and loss risk sit with you. Home insurance policies may limit coverage for bullion and cash, so read your policy or ask your insurer before relying on it.
• A bank safety deposit box. There is an annual rental fee and access is limited to branch hours. Ask the bank what, if anything, covers the contents, and whether separate coverage is needed.
• A dealer’s vault program. Some dealers store bullion for a fee and include insurance. Check whether your metal is allocated (specific bars in your name) or unallocated (a claim on a pool), and what happens if the dealer fails.

The Royal Canadian Mint’s own vaults are not an option for individuals: the Mint says its storage services are available only through institutional or business-to-business relationships.

How do gold ETFs work, and what do they cost?

A gold ETF lets you invest in gold through a brokerage account, using the same order ticket as a stock. The Mint’s buying guide notes that ETFs may suit investors who want to avoid storing, transporting and insuring physical metal. There are two very different kinds:

Before buying any ETF, read its ETF Facts document on the issuer’s website. It states what the fund holds, its management expense ratio (MER), whether it is currency-hedged and its risk rating. Fund details change, so check the date on the document.

Costs to buy. Some brokerages charge nothing to trade ETFs: Wealthsimple’s commission on listed Canadian and US securities is $0, and Questrade lists $0 to buy and sell Canadian and U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs. TD Direct Investing’s standard commission on Canadian and US stocks is $9.99 per trade. A gold ETF listed on a US exchange also means converting Canadian dollars, which costs 1.5% at Wealthsimple from a Canadian-dollar account; the guide to buying US stocks and ETFs from Canada covers ways to reduce that.

Worked example (hypothetical). $4,000 in a gold ETF with a 0.20% MER costs about $8 a year in fund fees. Held for ten years at the same value, that is about $80. The investment fee calculator shows how an MER compounds on a growing balance. The steps to place the order are in the guide on how to buy ETFs in Canada.

The Mint itself also offers Canadian Gold Reserves exchange-traded receipts (ETRs), which it describes as a direct investment in physical gold. According to mint.ca, they are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the service fee for gold ETRs is 0.35% a year. As with any listed product, read the information statement for the full fees and redemption terms.

How do you invest in gold mining stocks?

Gold mining shares are bought exactly like any other stock, in a TFSA, RRSP, FHSA or non-registered account; the full process is in how to buy stocks in Canada. What sets them apart is the kind of risk you take on:

• Operating risk. A miner’s profit is the gold price minus its costs, so rising fuel, labour or financing costs can cut profits even when gold rises.
• Company risk. A failed mining project, a permit problem or poor management can hurt one company badly. Mining ETFs spread that across many companies.
• Leverage to gold. Because costs are largely fixed, miners’ profits can swing more than the gold price in both directions.
• Dividends. Some large producers pay dividends; physical gold and bullion ETFs do not.

A mining share is a stake in a business, not a claim on gold. Someone who wants to own the metal itself uses bullion, a physically backed ETF or a custodial product.

How does buying gold on Wealthsimple work?

Wealthsimple sells physically backed gold that can be held in all Wealthsimple self-directed (Trade) accounts, registered (such as a TFSA or RRSP) and non-registered. The key terms it publishes:

Worked example (hypothetical). Wealthsimple’s own help-centre example takes the fee out of the amount spent: $1 on a $100 purchase, leaving $99 to buy gold. On that basis, spending $4,000 on gold costs about $40 in fees; selling the gold later at the same price costs about $40 again, for a round trip of about $80, or 2%. Storage is $0, but redeeming for a 1 oz coin adds a 2.25% fee, and Wealthsimple doesn't buy back physical gold once it has been withdrawn, so a redeemed coin is sold through a dealer like any other.

Redemption also has a tax effect: Wealthsimple describes it as a withdrawal and a taxable event (report any capital gain or loss). The Wealthsimple gold guide covers the product in detail. If holding gold next to your other investments in one app fits your plans, opening a Wealthsimple self-directed account is one option to compare against a dealer or an ETF; the Wealthsimple vs Questrade comparison sets two app brokerages side by side.

What does each way of buying gold cost?

Putting the hypothetical examples above side by side, on the same $4,000:

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Actual dealer premiums, ETF MERs and trading spreads vary, so replace the assumed figures with real quotes before comparing. The cheapest route for a one-time purchase held for decades can differ from the cheapest for frequent trading, because a per-trade fee and an annual MER add up differently over time.

How is gold taxed in Canada?

Tax on gold has two separate parts: sales tax when you buy, and income tax when you sell at a gain.

GST/HST on gold purchases

CRA treats investment-grade bullion as a “precious metal”, and any supply of a precious metal is a financial service that is generally exempt from GST/HST. Lower purity metal, other forms and jewellery are generally taxable:

How to read this table: from CRA's GST/HST definitions and GST/HST Memorandum 17-1. A coin qualifies only if a government authority issued it and it can be used as currency; bars, ingots and wafers must generally be recognized for trading on Canadian financial markets.

What is sold	Minimum purity	GST/HST treatment
Gold bar, ingot, wafer or government-issued coin	99.5%	Generally exempt (a financial service); bars must be recognized for trading and coins must be usable as currency
Platinum bar, ingot, wafer or government-issued coin	99.5%	Generally exempt (a financial service)
Silver bar, ingot, wafer or government-issued coin	99.9%	Generally exempt (a financial service)
Gold, platinum or silver bars and coins below those purity levels	—	Generally taxable
Metal at the purity level but in another form (for example, granules)	—	Generally taxable
Jewellery (carat gold, sterling silver, platinum jewellery)	—	Generally taxable

Source: Definitions for GST/HST — Canada.ca (precious metal); GST/HST Memorandum 17-1, Definition of "Financial Instrument" — Canada.ca (precious metals are exempt); GST/HST Memorandum 17-1 — which coins qualify; GST/HST Memorandum 17-1 — bars, ingots and wafers must be recognized for trading; GST/HST Memorandum 17-1 — lower purity is taxable; GST/HST Memorandum 17-1 — other forms (for example granular) are taxable; GST/HST Memorandum 17-1 — jewellery is not a precious metal; GST/HST Memorandum 17-1 — first sale by the refiner is zero-rated, later sales exempt; Archived Interpretation Bulletin IT-346R, Commodity Futures and Certain Commodities (November 20, 1978) — scope; Archived IT-346R — speculators may report on capital account, consistently; Archived IT-346R — income treatment also allowed, consistently; Archived IT-346R — business use of the commodity means income treatment; Archived IT-346R — archived status; Capital Gains – 2025 (Guide T4037) — capital property; Capital Gains – 2025 (Guide T4037) — securities are capital property; Definitions for capital gains — Canada.ca (listed personal property includes coins); Capital Gains – 2025 (Guide T4037) — personal-use property $1,000 rule; Capital Gains – 2025 (Guide T4037) — LPP uses the personal-use property calculation; Capital Gains – 2025 (Guide T4037) — LPP losses only offset LPP gains; Capital Gains – 2025 (Guide T4037) — LPP loss carryback and carryforward. In effect from September 30, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.

So a 99.99% pure Gold Maple Leaf bought from a dealer is generally exempt, while a gold necklace is generally taxable. If an invoice for investment bullion shows GST/HST, ask the dealer why.

Income tax when you sell gold

Inside a TFSA, gains are generally tax-free; inside an RRSP, tax is deferred until you withdraw. In a non-registered account or for gold held personally:

• Capital gains treatment. CRA describes capital property as property you usually buy for investment purposes, and half of a capital gain is taxable under the Income Tax Act. The gain is the proceeds (what the buyer actually pays you, so a dealer’s lower buyback price is already reflected) minus your adjusted cost base (the price paid, including any premium and purchase fee) and any outlays to sell, such as a commission.
• CRA’s position on commodities. CRA’s archived Interpretation Bulletin IT-346R, which CRA no longer updates, says a “speculator” in commodities may report gains and losses as capital or as income, provided the choice is followed consistently from year to year. People who trade a commodity as part of their business, or with insider information, are on income account (fully taxable).
• Coins and listed personal property. CRA’s definition of listed personal property (LPP) includes coins. LPP losses can only offset LPP gains, carried back 3 years or forward 7, and the $1,000 minimum rule for personal-use property applies. CRA’s pages do not say whether an investment bullion coin falls under these rules or is ordinary capital property, so check Guide T4037 or ask a tax professional for your case.
• Wealthsimple redemptions are treated as a withdrawal and a taxable disposition, as noted above.

Keep every invoice, the date and the price paid. The capital gains tax calculator estimates the tax on a gain in your province.

How do you invest in precious metals and commodities beyond gold?

Silver and platinum are bought the same ways as gold: bullion, ETFs and mining shares. CRA’s GST/HST precious metal definition covers silver refined to at least 99.9% and platinum to at least 99.5% in bar, ingot, coin or wafer form. Silver is much bulkier for the same dollar value, which makes storage harder.

Other commodities, such as oil, natural gas or agricultural products, are hard to hold physically, so individuals usually invest through:

• Commodity ETFs that hold futures contracts. Their return can differ from the spot price because the fund must keep replacing expiring contracts.
• Shares of producers, such as energy or agriculture companies, which bring the same business risks as mining shares.
• Futures contracts directly. Wealthsimple offers futures on major stock indices such as the S&P 500 and commodities such as gold and oil, at US$1 per contract, plus exchange and regulatory fees, in individual margin accounts only (not TFSAs, RRSPs or other registered accounts, and not joint or corporate margin accounts). Futures use leverage, so losses can exceed the money deposited.

Most commodities pay no income, so the return depends entirely on price changes and, for Canadians, on the exchange rate, because most commodities are priced in US dollars.

What mistakes do first-time gold buyers make?

• Comparing only the sticker price. The premium to buy and the spread to sell both matter; a low selling price with a poor buyback price can cost more overall.
• Buying collector coins as an investment. Their price includes collectible value that may not hold up on resale.
• Forgetting storage and insurance. A safety deposit box or insured storage is an ongoing cost, and home policies may not cover bullion fully.
• Assuming a mining stock tracks gold. Miners can fall while gold rises.
• Ignoring currency. Gold is priced in US dollars, so its Canadian-dollar price also moves with the exchange rate, and US-listed ETFs add conversion costs.
• Not keeping records. Without the invoice, working out the capital gain when you sell is harder.
• Responding to pressure. The Royal Canadian Mint itself warns against sellers who guarantee returns or push for a quick decision.

Related tools and next steps

• Read the full terms in the Wealthsimple gold guide or compare app brokerages in Wealthsimple vs Questrade.
• See how fund fees add up with the investment fee calculator.
• Estimate tax on a sale with the capital gains tax calculator.
• Check TFSA room and rules in the TFSA guide, or start with Canadian investing for beginners.