Buying silver in Northern Ireland
Silver has one price in pounds across the UK. Silver carries 20% VAT everywhere in the UK. What differs in Northern Ireland is how metal and second-hand dealers are licensed, and Northern Ireland counts gold as cash at the border.
Silver has one national spot price in pounds sterling: the prices on this page are the same as on the silver price in the UK page. What differs in Northern Ireland is how dealers are regulated and other local rules, explained below.
Selling silver or jewellery to a dealer in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has no specific licensing or registration law for scrap metal dealers; they are mainly regulated through waste and pollution permits. A Scrap Metal Dealers Bill introduced in the Assembly in October 2015 (which would have excluded gold and silver, like the GB Act) was researched by the Assembly in November 2015. No separate licensing of gold buyers was found.
A business that accepts cash payments of €10,000 or more (or the equivalent) for goods, in one payment or linked payments, must register with HMRC for money-laundering supervision first. There is no general cap on cash payments in the UK.
Cash rules and travelling with silver (different from Great Britain)
Different from Great Britain: declare €10,000 or more when travelling between Northern Ireland and a non-EU country, and when arriving from Great Britain. Gold coins, gold bullion and nuggets, money orders and prepaid cards count as cash in Northern Ireland.
Hallmarking and the assay offices
There is no assay office in Northern Ireland; makers use London, Birmingham, Sheffield or Edinburgh.
Under the Hallmarking Act 1973 it is an offence to describe an item as gold, silver, platinum or palladium when selling it unless it is hallmarked. Exempt are coins and items under 1 g of gold or palladium, 7.78 g of silver or 0.5 g of platinum. A hallmark has a sponsor's mark, an assay office mark and a fineness mark; the date letter is optional. Shops must display the British Hallmarking Council's dealer's notice.
VAT and tax on silver in the UK
There is no VAT exemption for silver: silver bars, coins and jewellery are standard-rated at 20%, so investment silver costs noticeably more in the UK than in countries that exempt it.
Sovereigns minted from 1837 and Britannia gold coins count as UK sterling currency, so gains on them are free of Capital Gains Tax. Other bullion, such as gold bars and Krugerrands, is taxable in the normal way. Jewellery and other personal possessions are only taxed if sold for £6,000 or more, with marginal relief between £6,000 and £15,000. The annual exempt amount is £3,000, and CGT rates for individuals are 18% and 24%.
More: tax on selling silver in the UK.
Tax and duty information last reviewed October 2026. Rules change — confirm with your dealer or tax authority before a large purchase.