> When reselling investment silver in France, a private individual falls by default under the flat-rate tax on precious metals, based on the sale price. By o *Source : https://meilleur-rachat-argent.fr/en/guides/silver-sale-tax-france-2026/* --- ● Guide # Tax on selling silver in France in 2026: flat-rate tax or capital gains Published on **11/07/2026** · By **Sébastien Joumel** In brief When reselling investment silver in France, a private individual falls by default under the **flat-rate tax on precious metals**, based on the sale price. By option, and with a named purchase invoice, they may request the **capital-gains regime for movable property**. This article describes the mechanisms without fixing the rates: check the scale in force and consult a professional. ## Two possible regimes When a private individual resells investment silver (bars, listed coins) in France, the law provides for two distinct regimes. The first is the flat-rate tax on precious metals: it applies by default, is calculated on the sale price and is deducted directly by the professional intermediary, without you having to justify your purchase price. The second is the capital-gains regime for movable property, available by option. It taxes the actual gain (the difference between sale price and purchase price) and provides an allowance for the holding period leading, beyond a certain number of years, to an exemption. This regime, however, requires a named and dated purchase invoice. Rates and durations change: check the scale in force (official texts / service-public.fr / a tax adviser). ## How to choose in practice The choice depends mainly on your supporting documents. Without a named purchase invoice, the option for capital gains is generally not possible: the flat-rate regime then applies automatically. With an invoice, a comparison becomes relevant, especially if the metal has been held for a long time or if the gain is small. In practice, the decision rests on mechanisms: the flat-rate tax ignores your actual gain and hits the total amount received; the capital-gains regime taxes only the gain, reduced by the allowance linked to the holding period. Depending on the scale and duration in force, to be checked, one may be more favourable than the other. An accountant can quantify both scenarios before the sale. To understand the value base, see our [ranking of silver buyback professionals](https://meilleur-rachat-argent.fr/en/silver-buyback/). ## What the intermediary records The professional who buys back your silver plays a central role: they verify your identity, record the transaction in their mandatory register and, depending on the chosen regime, deduct the flat-rate tax or prepare the elements needed for the capital-gains option. Payment is made by bank transfer or cheque above the legal cash limits. This taxation concerns investment silver and solid silver with a metal value; silver-plated metal (merely plated) has no metal value, so the tax question is then moot on the metal side. To explore a specific regime, read our guide [on the flat-rate tax applied to silver](https://meilleur-rachat-argent.fr/en/guides/precious-metals-tax-silver/). ## Frequently asked questions Which regime applies if I have no purchase invoice? Without a named and dated purchase invoice, the option for the capital-gains regime is generally not possible. The flat-rate tax on precious metals, based on the sale price, then applies by default. Check the rules in force with a professional. Is the tax deducted by the seller or the buyer? For the flat-rate tax, the professional intermediary deducts it and remits it at the time of the buyback. The individual therefore has no filing to do on this account. The capital-gains regime, by option, requires supporting documents and specific formalities to be checked. ## Read also [ Guide What documents do you need to sell silver in France? ](https://meilleur-rachat-argent.fr/en/guides/documents-to-sell-silver/)[ Guide Capital gains on precious metals in France: regime and allowance ](https://meilleur-rachat-argent.fr/en/guides/precious-metals-capital-gains/)[ Guide Precious-metals tax in France: what applies to silver ](https://meilleur-rachat-argent.fr/en/guides/precious-metals-tax-silver/) ## Sell at the best price near you Compare the silver buyers in your city. [See the rankings](https://meilleur-rachat-argent.fr/en/silver-buyback/)