IC-DISC for Precious Metals Exporters
Your Precious Metals Exports Are Leaving Tax Savings on the Table
If your company exports gold, silver, platinum, palladium, or other precious metals, the IC-DISC program could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in taxes. It's a legitimate tax incentive that's been in the Internal Revenue Code since 1971, and most precious metals exporters have never heard of it.
Precious Metals Exporter Savings Example
Based on ~2.3% of qualified exports, net of fees. Actual savings vary.
Why Precious Metals Exporters Are Ideal IC-DISC Candidates
Precious metals exporters (refiners, traders, and fabricators) have some of the highest per-transaction values of any export industry. That means outsized IC-DISC benefits.
Extremely High Per-Unit Value
Precious metals carry some of the highest per-unit values of any export. Gold, platinum, and palladium exports translate directly into outsized IC-DISC savings. The benefit scales with revenue.
U.S. Refined = U.S. Content
Precious metals refined, processed, or fabricated in the United States qualify as U.S. content. The refining process itself satisfies the 50% U.S. content requirement for IC-DISC eligibility.
Global Demand
Global demand for precious metals remains strong across industrial, investment, and jewelry markets. Consistent international demand means reliable export revenue and predictable IC-DISC savings.
Privately Held Refiners & Dealers
Many precious metals refiners, dealers, and fabricators are privately held. That's exactly the ownership structure where the IC-DISC delivers the greatest tax savings.
What Precious Metals Exports Qualify?
Qualified exports are products containing more than 50% U.S. content, sold to an ultimate destination outside the United States. For precious metals exporters, this typically includes:
- Gold:bars, grain, refined gold, and gold products
- Silver:refined silver, silver alloys, and semi-finished products
- Platinum & palladium:refined PGMs for industrial and investment use
- Semi-finished products:fabricated precious metal components and materials
- Indirect exports:metals sold to domestic dealers or fabricators who then export
Note: Even if you sell to a domestic dealer, fabricator, or trading company that then exports the product, those sales may qualify as indirect exports for IC-DISC purposes. This is an area where many precious metals companies are leaving money on the table.
Quick Qualification Check
Export (directly or indirectly) $3M+ annually?
Metals refined or fabricated in the U.S.?
Company is privately held?
If you checked all three, you're a strong candidate.
How We Work with Precious Metals Exporters
Precious metals exporters operate in a unique environment: extremely high per-transaction values, tight margins on trading activity, and a refining process that needs careful documentation for U.S. content qualification. We've worked with refiners, dealers, and fabricators since 2006 and understand these nuances.
We coordinate with your existing CPA and don't disrupt your accounting relationships. Your CPA handles everything else while we focus on extracting maximum IC-DISC value from your precious metals exports.
Refining & Content Qualification
We verify how your refining or fabrication process meets the U.S. content threshold and identify all qualifying export transactions — including sales through domestic dealers.
High-Value Commission Structuring
We design the IC-DISC commission structure around the high per-unit values and margin profiles specific to gold, silver, platinum, and PGM exports.
Margin-Sensitive Optimization
Precious metals margins can vary significantly by product and market conditions. We re-optimize annually using TxT analysis to capture the best method for each transaction.
“The per-transaction values in precious metals mean even modest export volumes generate significant IC-DISC savings. It's one of the industries where the math is most compelling.”
David Spray
Founder, Export Advisors