The flat-rate tax on precious metals is the default regime when a private individual resells investment silver in France. It is based on the sale price, deducted by the intermediary, and does not require you to justify the purchase price.
The flat-rate tax on precious metals hits the total amount received at the sale, regardless of any actual gain. Its mechanism is simple: no matter what price you paid for the metal, the tax is calculated on the sale price. This is what distinguishes it from the capital-gains regime, which taxes only the difference between purchase and sale.
This regime applies by default, in particular when the seller has no named purchase invoice. It has the advantage of simplicity: no proof of purchase price is required. The applicable rate may change; do not rely on a fixed figure and check the rate in force (official texts / service-public.fr / a tax adviser).
A practical advantage of the flat-rate tax is that it is deducted and remitted by the professional intermediary who carries out the buyback. On this account, the individual therefore has no personal filing to do: the net amount paid to you already accounts for the tax.
The professional, in parallel, verifies your identity, records the transaction in their register and pays by bank transfer or cheque above the limits applicable to cash. This tax concerns silver with a metal value (bars, listed coins, solid silver). Silver-plated metal has no metal value and the question is then moot. To choose a buyer, see our ranking of silver buyback professionals.
The flat-rate tax is not always the most favourable regime. If you hold a named purchase invoice, you may, by option, request the capital-gains regime on movable property, which taxes only the actual gain and provides an allowance for the holding period leading to an exemption beyond a certain number of years.
The trade-off depends on your actual gain and the holding period. Depending on the scale and duration in force, to be checked, the capital-gains option may be advantageous for a long holding or a small gain. An accountant will quantify both scenarios. To understand the option, read our guide on the tax on selling silver.
No. The flat-rate tax on precious metals is based on the sale price, regardless of your purchase price. That is precisely why it requires no proof of purchase. The capital-gains regime, by option, does account for the actual gain.
In principle no for the flat-rate tax: it is deducted and remitted by the professional intermediary at the buyback. The net amount paid already accounts for it. Still, check the exact terms in force with an adviser or the official texts.