Required Minimum Distributions for a Gold IRA
A traditional Gold IRA follows the same required minimum distribution (RMD) rules as any other traditional IRA. Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, account holders generally must begin taking RMDs at age 73. The first distribution is due by April 1 of the year after you turn 73, and every RMD after that is due by December 31. The amount is set by a formula: the prior year’s December 31 account value divided by a life expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.
What makes a Gold IRA different is not the rule but the asset. Because the account holds physical metal, the distribution comes from the metal itself: the custodian can sell enough to cover the amount and send cash, or ship the coins and bars to the account holder as an in-kind distribution. Roth Gold IRAs carry no required distributions during the original owner’s lifetime.
When Do Gold IRA RMDs Begin?
For years, the required beginning age was 70½, then 72. The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 moved it again.
Account holders who reach age 73 now generally must start taking RMDs, per IRS guidance on required minimum distributions. Under SECURE 2.0, the starting age is scheduled to rise to 75 for people born in 1960 or later.
The first RMD has its own deadline. You can wait until April 1 of the year after the year you turn 73, a date the IRS calls the required beginning date. Every RMD after the first is due by December 31 of its year.
There is a trade-off built into that first-year grace period. Delaying the first RMD to April 1 means two taxable distributions land in the same calendar year, because the second year’s RMD is still due that December 31. Many account holders weigh that timing with a tax professional before deciding.
A Gold IRA does not change any of this. For RMD purposes, the IRS treats a self-directed IRA holding precious metals the same as any other traditional IRA, so the same schedule applies.
How Is the RMD Amount Calculated?
The IRS recalculates the RMD every year rather than setting it as a fixed percentage.
Two numbers drive that calculation: the account’s fair market value on December 31 of the prior year, and a life expectancy factor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. You divide the value by the factor.
At age 73, the current Uniform Lifetime Table factor is 26.5. An account valued at $100,000 the prior December 31 would produce an RMD of roughly $3,774 for the year ($100,000 ÷ 26.5).
The factor falls as you age, which means the required percentage of the account rises over time. A separate table applies when the sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger.
For a Gold IRA, the prior-year value reflects the market value of the metal held in the account, not its original purchase price. The custodian reports this figure, so the December 31 valuation of the coins and bars becomes the basis for the entire calculation.
| RMD element | How it works |
| Starting age | 73 (75 for those born in 1960 or later) |
| First RMD deadline | April 1 of the year after turning 73 |
| Later RMD deadlines | December 31 each year |
| Amount | Prior Dec. 31 value ÷ IRS life expectancy factor |
| Factor at age 73 | 26.5 (Uniform Lifetime Table) |
| Roth Gold IRA | No RMD during the owner’s lifetime |
In Cash or in Metal: How Do You Satisfy a Gold IRA RMD?
Here is where a Gold IRA diverges from a conventional one.
A traditional IRA holding cash or funds satisfies an RMD by simply moving money out. A Gold IRA holds coins and bars, so the distribution has to come from metal, and there are two ways to do that.
The first is a cash distribution. The custodian sells enough metal inside the account to cover the RMD, then distributes the proceeds. This keeps the transaction simple, though it means parting with a portion of the metal.
The second is an in-kind distribution. Rather than selling, the custodian ships physical coins or bars to the account holder, who then owns them outside the IRA. The metal’s fair market value on the distribution date becomes the taxable amount, reported to the IRS on Form 1099-R.
An in-kind distribution can appeal to account holders who would rather hold the physical metal than convert it. However, it carries practical wrinkles: the metal must be valued accurately on the distribution date, and taking exactly the right dollar amount in whole coins or bars is rarely precise. Many account holders coordinate the timing and the paperwork with their custodian well before the December 31 deadline.
Can You Take the RMD From a Different IRA?
Often, yes. The IRS allows RMDs from multiple traditional IRAs to be aggregated. You calculate the RMD for each IRA separately, then withdraw the combined total from any one of them, or any combination, per IRS RMD guidance.
For someone who owns both a Gold IRA and a conventional IRA, that flexibility is important. The total RMD can be satisfied entirely from the conventional IRA, leaving the physical metal in the Gold IRA untouched for the year.
But the rule has limits worth knowing. RMDs from 401(k) plans cannot be aggregated the same way and generally must be taken from each plan separately, and an IRA RMD cannot be used to satisfy a 401(k) RMD. Whether aggregation makes sense in a given year is a decision for the account holder, ideally with a tax professional.
Do Roth Gold IRAs Have RMDs?
Not for the original owner. Roth IRAs, including self-directed Roth IRAs that hold precious metals, are not subject to RMDs during the account owner’s lifetime, per IRS Publication 590-B. The money can stay in the account for as long as the owner lives.
Inherited accounts are treated differently. Under the SECURE Act, most non-spouse beneficiaries must generally empty an inherited IRA within 10 years, and the rules for inherited Roth and traditional accounts differ in important ways. Beneficiaries typically review those requirements with a tax advisor, because the details depend on the relationship to the original owner and the year of death.
What Happens If You Miss an RMD?
The penalty used to be severe. SECURE 2.0 softened it, but it is still worth avoiding. Failing to take the full RMD by the deadline triggers an excise tax on the amount not withdrawn. That tax is now 25% of the shortfall, down from the prior 50%, and it drops to 10% if the shortfall is corrected within two years, per the IRS required minimum distribution FAQs.
Correcting a missed RMD means withdrawing the shortfall and filing Form 5329. The IRS can abate the excise tax for a reasonable error if the account holder takes corrective steps and attaches an explanation, though relief is never automatic.
For a Gold IRA, the practical lesson is timing. Because satisfying the RMD may involve selling or shipping physical metal, the process can take longer than moving cash, so starting well before December 31 leaves room for the transaction to settle.
Bottom Line
A Gold IRA carries the same RMD framework as any traditional IRA: distributions begin at 73, the first is due by the following April 1, and the amount resets each year based on the prior December 31 value and an IRS life expectancy factor. Roth Gold IRAs have no lifetime RMD. What sets a Gold IRA apart is the mechanics of the withdrawal, because the distribution comes from physical metal that can be either sold for cash or shipped in kind. The aggregation rule can give account holders room to leave the metal in place, and starting the process early leaves time for the transaction to settle before the deadline. RMD rules intersect with individual tax situations, so account holders make their own decisions here, often with a qualified tax professional.
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Frequently Asked Questions
At what age do Gold IRA RMDs start?
Age 73, under the SECURE 2.0 Act. The first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the year after you turn 73, and every RMD after that is due by December 31. The required age is scheduled to rise to 75 for those born in 1960 or later. A Gold IRA follows the same schedule as any traditional IRA.
How is a Gold IRA RMD calculated?
Divide the account’s fair market value on December 31 of the prior year by the IRS life expectancy factor for your age. At 73, that factor is 26.5, so a $100,000 account would have an RMD of about $3,774. The custodian’s year-end valuation of your metal is what drives the number.
Can I take my Gold IRA RMD as physical metal instead of cash?
Yes. An in-kind distribution ships the physical coins or bars to you rather than selling them. The metal’s fair market value on the distribution date is the taxable amount, reported on Form 1099-R. Alternatively, the custodian can sell metal inside the account and distribute cash.
Does a Roth Gold IRA require minimum distributions?
No. Roth IRAs, including Roth Gold IRAs, have no required minimum distributions during the original owner’s lifetime. Inherited accounts follow separate rules, generally including a 10-year distribution window for most non-spouse beneficiaries.
Can I satisfy my Gold IRA’s RMD from another IRA?
Often, yes. The IRS allows RMDs from multiple traditional IRAs to be added together and taken from any one of them. That can let you leave the metal in a Gold IRA untouched by drawing the total from a conventional IRA. The same aggregation is not allowed for 401(k) plans.
What is the penalty for missing a Gold IRA RMD?
An excise tax of 25% of the amount not withdrawn, reduced to 10% if corrected within the IRS correction window. Filing Form 5329 and documenting a reasonable error can support a request to have the tax abated, though the IRS does not grant relief automatically.
Lear Capital works with Equity Trust as custodian for self-directed precious metals IRAs and stores client metal at Delaware Depository.
DISCLAIMER: Lear Capital is not a financial planner/advisor or retirement specialist and does not provide investment, legal or tax advice. Consult a certified financial planner regarding individual investments/retirement goals. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. See what opening or rolling over an account involves.
