SEP, SIMPLE, and Inherited Gold IRAs: How the Rules Change

A SEP IRA, a SIMPLE IRA, and an inherited IRA can each hold IRS-eligible gold bullion through a self-directed custodian, under the same IRC 408(m) rules that apply to a traditional IRA. What changes is who can put money in, how much, and when the money has to come out. A SEP is funded only by an employer. A SIMPLE pairs employee deferrals with an employer contribution but taxes early exits more heavily. An inherited IRA takes no new money and, for most non-spouse beneficiaries of deaths in 2020 and later, must be emptied by the end of the 10th year after the year of death. Those differences decide whether gold in one of these accounts is a long-term holding or a short one.

Key takeaways

• The metal rules do not change. The IRS applies its investment restrictions equally to all types of IRAs, so the same eligibility list, custodian-possession requirement, and ban on home storage apply in all three.
• Contribution capacity differs sharply. A SEP IRA accepts employer contributions up to the lesser of 25% of compensation or $72,000 for 2026 (IRS SEP contribution limits page, updated June 28, 2026), against a $7,500 limit for traditional and Roth IRAs (IRS newsroom release on 2026 limits).
• The SIMPLE IRA 2-year rule gates early exits. A withdrawal in the first 2 years of participation carries a 25% additional tax instead of 10%, and a tax-free move to a non-SIMPLE IRA is allowed only after 2 years.
• An inherited IRA runs on a deadline. Most non-spouse beneficiaries of deaths in 2020 and later must empty the account by the end of the 10th year, so any gold inside has to be sold or distributed on that clock.

What stays the same

The investment rules do not change with the account type. The IRS applies its investment restrictions equally to all types of IRAs, so the collectibles rules and the eligible-metal list are the same in a SEP, a SIMPLE, and an inherited account as in a traditional IRA. The full list is on the IRA-eligible gold page. The physical arrangement is the same too. Under IRC 408(m)(3), the metal must be held in the possession of the trustee or custodian, which rules out home storage in all three account types (see home storage gold IRA). The cost layers are the same as in any self-directed gold IRA: the custodian’s account and storage fees, and the dealer’s markup over spot when buying or the discount to spot when selling. What differs is the money going in and the deadlines forcing money out.

SEP IRA

A SEP IRA is funded entirely by the employer. Any employer can set one up, including a self-employed person with no employees. The 2026 limit is the lesser of 25% of the employee’s compensation or $72,000 (IRS SEP contribution limits page, updated June 28, 2026). That is several times the $7,500 limit for traditional and Roth IRAs in 2026 (IRS newsroom release on 2026 limits), so a SEP can fund a larger bullion position than the other two account types. SEP contributions are held in traditional IRAs, and the IRS applies the same investment restrictions to all IRA types, so nothing about the SEP wrapper changes which metals qualify or how the metal must be stored.

SIMPLE IRA

A SIMPLE IRA is funded from both sides. The employee can defer up to $17,000 in 2026 (IRS release IR-2025-111, November 13, 2025), plus a $4,000 catch-up at age 50 and over or a $5,250 catch-up at ages 60, 61, 62, and 63. The employer contributes either a dollar-for-dollar match up to 3% of compensation (reducible to as low as 1% in 2 of 5 years) or a 2% nonelective contribution. The wrapper is not the obstacle. The timing rule is. A withdrawal during the first 2 years of participation carries a 25% additional tax instead of the 10% that normally applies, and a tax-free move to a non-SIMPLE IRA is allowed only after those 2 years are up. During those 2 years, the IRS allows a tax-free transfer only to another SIMPLE IRA. That can be a self-directed SIMPLE IRA whose custodian admits eligible metal. A move into a non-SIMPLE gold IRA in the same period carries the 25% additional tax. Once the 2 years have passed, a transfer to a self-directed gold IRA follows the same rollover and transfer mechanics as any traditional IRA.

Inherited IRA

An inherited IRA is a distribution account, not a savings account. For deaths in 2020 and later, most non-spouse beneficiaries must empty the account by the end of the 10th year after the year of death. Eligible designated beneficiaries have other options: a surviving spouse, a minor child of the owner, a disabled or chronically ill person, and anyone not more than 10 years younger than the owner. A surviving spouse can also treat the IRA as their own. The 10-year clock is not always a single deadline. Under final regulations published at 89 FR 58886 on July 19, 2024, annual RMDs apply in years 1 through 9 when the owner had already started taking them. That rule covers distribution years beginning January 1, 2025, and the account still must be emptied in year 10. Moving money is restricted too. A non-spouse beneficiary cannot roll money into or out of an inherited IRA. The only permitted move is a trustee-to-trustee transfer (Publication 590-B). One practical question the IRS pages reviewed for this guide do not answer: whether a beneficiary may take an in-kind distribution of the metal. That is set by the custodian, so ask early in the 10-year period, not in the final year. The RMD and in-kind distribution page covers the mechanics.

Metal in an account with a deadline

Gold inside an inherited IRA on the 10-year clock is not a permanent holding. The account must be emptied by the end of the 10th year, so the metal has to be sold or distributed in kind before then. When the owner had already started RMDs, the annual amounts for years 1 through 9 come out first. Three items shape that plan. The sale price is the dealer’s bid, not the spot price quoted on charts, and the gap between the two is a cost the seller bears on whatever timeline the deadline forces. The custodian charges its own fees to liquidate metal and close the account, so get the fee schedule in writing before the deadline year. And coins cannot be split. A required dollar amount rarely matches a whole coin, so how the rounding is handled is a question for the custodian. The deadline does not change what the metal is worth. It changes when someone has to accept a bid, pay a fee, and round to whole coins.

How the three accounts compare

The table compresses the sections above. The 2026 figures come from the IRS sources cited in each section.

Account	Who contributes	2026 limit	Special rule
SEP IRA	Any employer can establish one; only the employer contributes	Lesser of 25% of compensation or $72,000	Same collectibles and bullion rules as any other IRA
SIMPLE IRA	Employee deferrals plus an employer match or nonelective contribution	$17,000 deferral; $4,000 catch-up at 50 and over; $5,250 at ages 60–63	First 2 years: tax-free transfers only to another SIMPLE IRA; 25% additional tax on other withdrawals
Inherited IRA	No one; non-spouse beneficiaries cannot roll money in (trustee-to-trustee transfers only)	Not applicable (the account must be emptied, not funded)	Empty by the end of year 10 for deaths in 2020 and later; annual RMDs in years 1–9 if the owner had started RMDs

Related research

These pages cover the shared mechanics in more detail.

• Self-directed gold IRA: how the account structure works
• Gold IRA tax rules: distributions, taxes, and reporting
• Gold IRA RMDs and in-kind distributions
• IRA-eligible gold: the full list of qualifying coins and bars
• Home storage gold IRA: why the metal must sit with the custodian
• Gold IRA rollover guide: moving money between custodians
• Gold IRA glossary: definitions for the terms used above