Self-directed RRSP and TFSA for gold

Last reviewed: 3 November 2026. Limits shown are the CRA’s figures for 2026.

A self-directed RRSP or TFSA lets you choose what the account holds. If the plan trustee allows it, that can include gold and silver bullion.

This guide covers which plans can hold bullion, the tests a coin or bar must pass, how buying works, costs, the 2026 limits and the RRSP deadline. It is general information, not tax or investment advice.

One rule runs through all of it: the plan trustee decides what it accepts. The law sets the minimum, and a trustee can be stricter.

We earn a commission if you buy from Silver Gold Bull through links on this page.

What a self-directed RRSP or TFSA is

A self-directed RRSP or TFSA is an ordinary RRSP or TFSA in which you choose the investments, within the trustee’s rules. “Self-directed” describes who makes the choices. It is not a separate type of account.

Some trustees let a self-directed plan hold bullion. Others do not, so ask before you open one.

When the plan holds metal, three things differ from owning coins yourself:

The plan owns the metal. The Income Tax Regulations describe bullion “acquired by the plan trust”, meaning the trust that holds your RRSP or TFSA. The metal is the plan’s property, not yours personally.
A custodian holds it. The CRA says it would expect the plan trustee to exercise due diligence in using a custodial trustee for bullion. Ask who the custodian is and where the metal is kept.
Only some coins and bars are allowed. The tests are set out below.

Which registered plans can hold bullion

The list of allowed bullion is in section 4900(1) of the Income Tax Regulations. Its opening words apply the same list to all of these plans:

Plan	Where the Income Tax Act points to the list
RRSP	Section 146(1)
RRIF	Section 146.3(1)
TFSA	Section 207.01(1)
FHSA	Section 146.6(1), which uses the TFSA definition
RESP	Section 146.1(1)
RDSP	Section 146.4(1)
DPSP	Section 204

So a coin or bar faces the same tests in an RRSP as in a TFSA. What differs is the account: its limits, and the tax when money comes out.

The list names gold and silver only. Platinum and palladium bullion, including the Platinum and Palladium Maple Leaf coins, are not on it.

For a locked-in retirement account (LIRA), see our gold LIRA guide.

Can this coin or bar go in your RRSP or TFSA?

Take these questions to your plan trustee before the plan buys. A product must pass every test that applies to it.

Is it gold or silver? The rule covers gold and silver only. Platinum and palladium bullion are not on the list.
Is it pure enough? Gold must be at least 99.5% pure (995 parts per 1,000). Silver must be at least 99.9% (999 parts per 1,000). Check the stamp or the product listing.
If it is a coin, did the Royal Canadian Mint make it? It must be a gold or silver legal tender bullion coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. A bullion coin from any other mint fails this test.
If it is a coin, is its market value no more than 110% of its metal value? The coin’s market value can be no more than 110% of the market value of its gold or silver content. This keeps out coins priced for their collector value. It is a market test, so the answer can change as prices move.
If it is a bar or wafer, is the refiner on the LBMA good delivery list? Bars, ingots and wafers must be produced by a refiner on the London Bullion Market Association’s good delivery list for that metal. The rule sets no minimum size, so a 10 gram bar faces the same tests as a large one.
If it is a bar or wafer, is it stamped? It must bear the refiner’s hallmark and a stamp showing its fineness and weight.
Who is the plan buying it from? Coins must be acquired directly from the Royal Canadian Mint or from a “specified corporation”. Bars must be acquired directly from the refiner that produced them or from a specified corporation. A specified corporation is a bank, trust company, credit union, insurance corporation or registered securities dealer that is resident in Canada and supervised by the Superintendent of Financial Institutions or a similar provincial authority. Metal you already own fails this test, because the plan would be acquiring it from you.
Will your plan trustee accept it? The plan trustee decides which products it accepts and how they are held. Before the plan buys, ask it to confirm in writing that the product meets section 4900 of the Income Tax Regulations.

SourceIncome Tax Regulations, section 4900(1), paragraph (t) for coins, (u) for bars and (v) for certificates, current to 19 October 2026, and CRA Income Tax Folio S3-F10-C1, paragraphs 1.51 to 1.54. The same list applies to RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, FHSAs, RESPs and RDSPs. Checked 3 November 2026. These are questions to take to your plan trustee, not a ruling on any product.

Certificates

A gold or silver certificate is also allowed if the Royal Canadian Mint or a specified corporation issued it, the metal behind it would pass the coin or bar tests (leaving aside the seller test), and the plan buys it from the issuer or a specified corporation.

How the tests apply to common products

Gold Maple Leaf and Silver Maple Leaf. The Royal Canadian Mint lists its 2026 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf and Silver Maple Leaf at 99.99% pure. That passes the purity test. The 110% value test and the seller test still have to be checked when the plan buys.
Rare and collector coins. The CRA says rare coins held for their collectible value are not qualified investments.

If the plan buys metal that fails

Our gold RRSP guide and gold TFSA guide explain the tax that applies when a plan acquires bullion that fails these tests. That is why the trustee’s written confirmation matters.

How buying works

Find a provider whose self-directed plans accept bullion. Ask which products it accepts, and for which account types.
Open the account and fund it. Contribute within your contribution room. The 2026 limits are below.
Check each product against the checklist. Ask the trustee to confirm it in writing.
Ask who sells the metal to the plan. Coins must come from the Royal Canadian Mint or a specified corporation. Bars must come from the refiner that made them or a specified corporation.
The plan buys, and the metal goes into custody. Ask how the holding will appear on your statement.

Example: Questrade and Silver Gold Bull

Silver Gold Bull, a bullion dealer, runs a program for registered accounts held at Questrade. As of November 2026, its registered savings page says it “will advise you with the initial opening and funding of your own account with Questrade”, will “facilitate the secure purchase” and will “coordinate the storage” at a vault in Canada. It says metal is delivered to the vault within 10 business days and then shows in your Questrade account. It lists RRSP, TFSA, LIRA, FHSA, RESP, LIF and RRIF accounts. Its FAQ says products must be .9999 gold or .999 silver, that only LBMA approved products can be placed in an RSP, and it names the Royal Canadian Mint, Asahi, Perth Mint and Credit Suisse. As of November 2026 the page also offers 0.25% back on eligible registered purchases of $10,000 or more, up to $1,000.

Read against the rules above:

Purity. Its .9999 standard for gold is stricter than the legal minimum of 99.5%. Its .999 standard for silver matches the legal minimum of 99.9%.
Producers. Only Royal Canadian Mint coins can pass the coin test. Products from the other names would need to be bars from a refiner on the LBMA good delivery list for that metal.
Seller. The page text we read does not say who sells the metal to your plan. Ask Questrade and Silver Gold Bull, in writing, who the seller is and how the seller test is met.

For information about the program, visit Silver Gold Bull’s registered savings program. Ask for the current terms and offer conditions in writing. We earn a commission if you buy from Silver Gold Bull through links on this page. Our Silver Gold Bull review covers its fees and storage in more detail.

Costs to ask about

Fees differ by provider and change, so this guide does not list them. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing, and ask:

What does it cost to open, run and close a self-directed plan that holds metal?
Is there a fee per order, and who charges it: the broker, the dealer or both?
What premium over the spot price does the plan pay, and do you see the price in Canadian dollars before you confirm?
What is the spread between the buying and selling price?
Who stores and insures the metal, where, and is it segregated or pooled with metal held for others?
Is storage a flat fee or a share of the metal’s value?
Is there a minimum order size or a minimum account size?
What does it cost to move the plan to another provider, and does the metal move or get sold first?
If there is a cash-back offer, what counts as an eligible purchase, and when is it paid?

GST/HST. Under the Excise Tax Act, a bar, ingot, coin or wafer of gold or platinum at least 99.5% pure, or silver at least 99.9% pure, is “precious metal”. The CRA adds that coins count only if a government issued them as currency. It says the supply of precious metal is generally exempt from GST/HST, and that metal below those purities is generally taxable. These tax rules are separate from the registered-plan rules above, which cover gold and silver bullion, not platinum.

2026 limits and the RRSP deadline

RRSP

The RRSP dollar limit is $33,810 for 2026 and $35,390 for 2027. How your own deduction limit is worked out is in our gold RRSP guide.
Deadline for the 2026 tax year: Monday 1 March 2027. That date comes from the Income Tax Act’s rule of 60 days after the end of the year. The CRA had not yet published it when we checked on 3 November 2026, so confirm it on canada.ca in early 2027. For the 2025 tax year, the CRA’s deadline was 2 March 2026, because 1 March 2026 fell on a Sunday.
The 60-day rule counts the contributions (the Act says premiums) you pay into the plan. Buying and vaulting metal can take longer, so ask your provider what must happen by the deadline.

TFSA

The TFSA dollar limit is $7,000 for 2026.
If you are resident in Canada, your room starts to build when you turn 18.
Someone who was 18 or older and resident in Canada in every year from 2009 to 2026, and never contributed, has $109,000 of room in 2026.

FHSA

The same bullion list applies to a first home savings account (FHSA). The CRA’s limits are $8,000 a year and $40,000 over your lifetime.

Selling and withdrawals: the basics

The plan sells, not you. The metal belongs to the plan, so a sale happens inside the plan and the cash stays there. Ask who buys the metal back, how the price is set and how long settlement takes.
Taking money out follows the usual account rules. RRSP and TFSA withdrawals follow different rules. Our gold RRSP guide and gold TFSA guide cover each one.
Taking out the metal itself. Ask whether the trustee will deliver metal out of the plan or only sell it for cash, and what each costs.

Frequently asked questions

What is a self-directed RRSP?

An ordinary RRSP in which you choose the investments, within the trustee’s rules. If the trustee accepts bullion, it can hold gold and silver that pass the tests in section 4900 of the Income Tax Regulations.

Can you buy gold in an RRSP?

Yes, if the RRSP is self-directed, the trustee accepts bullion and the metal passes every test in the checklist above. In short: gold at least 99.5% pure or silver at least 99.9%, Royal Canadian Mint coins worth no more than 110% of their metal value, stamped bars from a refiner on the LBMA good delivery list, and an allowed seller.

Can you hold gold in a TFSA?

Yes, under the same tests as an RRSP. The TFSA has to be self-directed, and the company that holds it has to accept bullion.

How do you buy gold in a TFSA?

Open a self-directed TFSA with a provider that accepts bullion and contribute within your room. Pick a product that passes the checklist above and get the provider’s confirmation in writing. The plan then buys from an allowed seller, and a custodian holds the metal.

Are 10 gram gold bars eligible for registered accounts in Canada?

The rules set no minimum weight, so a 10 gram bar faces the same tests as any bar: at least 99.5% gold, made by a refiner on the LBMA good delivery list for gold, stamped with the refiner’s hallmark, fineness and weight, and bought by the plan from that refiner or a specified corporation. The trustee may set its own minimums, so ask.

Can you buy gold in a Questrade RRSP or TFSA?

Silver Gold Bull’s registered program, as of November 2026, works through Questrade accounts. See the example above, check each product against the tests and ask who sells it to the plan.

When is the RRSP deadline?

For the 2026 tax year, the Income Tax Act’s 60-day rule gives Monday 1 March 2027. The CRA had not yet published the date when we checked on 3 November 2026.

Sources

All checked on 3 November 2026.

Income Tax Regulations, section 4900, paragraphs (t), (u) and (v) of subsection 4900(1), current to 19 October 2026
Income Tax Regulations, section 4901, definitions of plan trust and governing plan
Income Tax Act, sections 146 (including the 60-day rule), 146.1, 146.3, 146.4, 146.6, 204 and 207.01
CRA Income Tax Folio S3-F10-C1, Qualified investments, paragraphs 1.12 and 1.51 to 1.54
CRA, RRSP, TFSA and other limits, page dated 28 October 2026
CRA, Calculate your TFSA contribution room and Before you contribute to a TFSA
CRA, Participating in your FHSAs
CRA, How contributions affect your RRSP deduction limit, for the 2025 tax-year deadline
Excise Tax Act, section 123, definition of precious metal, and CRA GST/HST Memorandum 17-1, July 2026, paragraphs 30 to 32
Royal Canadian Mint product pages for the 2026 Gold Maple Leaf 1 oz and Silver Maple Leaf 1 oz
Silver Gold Bull, registered savings page (silvergoldbull.ca/services/rsp), text as of 2 November 2026

Self-directed RRSP and TFSA for gold and silver in Canada