Legal Notice - Gold Refuge

Legal Notice and General Conditions

The use of the Website grants you the status of User and implies full acceptance of all the clauses and conditions of use included in the following pages:

If you do not agree with each and every one of these clauses and conditions, please refrain from using the Website.

Access to the Website does not imply, in any way, the beginning of a commercial relationship with the Owner.

Through the Website, the Owner provides access to and use of various content that the Owner and/or its collaborators have published via the Internet.

To this end, you are obligated and committed to NOT use any of the Website's content for illegal purposes or effects, prohibited in this Legal Notice or by applicable legislation, detrimental to the rights and interests of third parties, or that may in any way damage, disable, overload, deteriorate, or prevent the normal use of the content, computer equipment, or documents, files, and all kinds of content stored on any computer equipment owned or contracted by the Owner, other users, or any Internet user.

Security Measures

The personal data you provide to the Owner may be stored in automated or non-automated databases, whose ownership exclusively belongs to the Owner, who assumes all technical, organizational, and security measures to guarantee the confidentiality, integrity, and quality of the information contained therein in accordance with current data protection regulations.

However, you should be aware that the security measures of computer systems on the Internet are not entirely reliable and that, therefore, the Owner cannot guarantee the absence of viruses or other elements that may cause alterations in the User’s computer systems (software and hardware) or their electronic documents and files, even though the Owner uses all necessary means and takes appropriate security measures to avoid the presence of these harmful elements.

Processing of Personal Data

You can consult all the information regarding the processing of personal data collected by the Owner on the Privacy Policy page.

Content

The Owner has obtained the information, multimedia content, and materials included on the Website from sources considered reliable. However, while the Owner has taken all reasonable measures to ensure that the information contained is correct, the Owner does not guarantee that it is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. The Owner expressly declines any liability for error or omission in the information contained in the Website pages.

The transmission or sending through the Website of any illegal or illicit content, computer viruses, or messages that, in general, affect or violate the rights of the Owner or third parties is strictly prohibited.

The contents of the Website are for informational purposes only and should not be used or considered as an offer for sale, a request for an offer to purchase, or a recommendation to perform any other operation unless explicitly stated.

The Owner reserves the right to modify, suspend, cancel, or restrict the Website’s content, links, or information obtained through the Website, without prior notice.

The Owner is not liable for any damages that may arise from the use of the information on the Website or from the content of the Owner’s social media accounts.

Cookie Policy

You can consult all information regarding the collection and processing of cookies on the Cookie Policy page.

Links to Other Websites

The Owner may provide you access to third-party websites via links for the sole purpose of informing you about the existence of other information sources on the Internet where you can expand the information offered on the Website.

These links to other websites do not imply any suggestion or recommendation for you to visit the destination pages, which are outside the control of the Owner. Therefore, the Owner is not responsible for the content of the linked websites or the result obtained by following the links. Likewise, the Owner is not responsible for any links located on the linked websites that provide you access.

The establishment of a link does not imply in any way the existence of a relationship between the Owner and the owner of the site where the link is established, nor the acceptance or approval by the Owner of its content or services.

If you access an external website from a link found on the Website, you must read the privacy policy of that other website, which may differ from this Website's policy.

Intellectual and Industrial Property

Access to this Website is subject to the following conditions: reproduction, permanent storage, and the dissemination of the content or any other use for public or commercial purposes are expressly prohibited without the prior express written consent of the Owner.

Limitation of Liability

The information and services included or available through the Website may contain inaccuracies or typographical errors. Periodically, the Owner incorporates improvements and/or changes to the information and/or Services, which may be introduced at any time.

The Owner does not declare or guarantee that the services or content are uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the service or the server that makes it available is free of viruses or other harmful components, despite the Owner's efforts to avoid such incidents.

The Owner declines any responsibility in the event of interruptions or malfunctioning of the Services or content offered on the Internet, whatever the cause. Likewise, the Owner is not liable for network failures, loss of business as a result of such failures, temporary suspensions of electrical power, or any other type of indirect damage that may be caused to you for reasons beyond the Owner's control.

Before making decisions and/or actions based on the information included on the Website, the Owner recommends verifying and cross-checking the information received with other sources.

Identification and Ownership

In compliance with Article 10 of Law 34/2002, of July 11, on Information Society Services and Electronic Commerce, the Owner discloses the following identifying information:

Owner: IDEAL PRODUCTS EXPRESS, S.L.
Tax Identification Number (NIF): NIF B-55261952
Address: CALLE BORRASSÁ, 20 17469-VILAMALLA, Girona – Spain
Email: info@goldrefuge.com
Website: https://goldrefuge.com

Right of Exclusion

The Owner reserves the right to deny or withdraw access to the Website and the services offered without prior notice, at its own request or that of a third party, to users who fail to comply with any of the conditions of this Legal Notice.

Jurisdiction

This Legal Notice is governed entirely by Spanish law.

Unless otherwise provided by law, for any questions that may arise regarding the interpretation, application, and compliance with this Legal Notice, as well as claims that may arise from its use, the parties agree to submit to the Judges and Courts of the province of Girona, expressly waiving any other jurisdiction that may correspond.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Legal Notice or wish to make any comments regarding the Website, you can send an email to: info@goldrefuge.com

Taxes & Reporting Requirements for Buying Physical Gold Worldwide

📜 General Tax Considerations

VAT (Value-Added Tax): In most countries around the world, VAT is not payable on the purchase of physical investment gold as long as the gold meets the requirements for investment gold (bars or coins) and is of the appropriate purity.

What type of gold is exempt?
Ingots: Gold in the form of ingots must have a fineness equal to or greater than 995 thousandths (99.5% purity).
Coins: Gold coins must have a purity equal to or greater than 90%.
Note: The gold we offer at GoldRefuge always meets these conditions.

Capital Gains Tax: If you sell gold at a profit, many countries tax the gain. The rate and exemptions vary widely.
Reporting Requirements: Large transactions may trigger KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) compliance checks.
Import/Export Duties: Moving gold across borders may involve declaration and import taxes.
Holding Thresholds: In some countries, holding a certain amount of gold requires reporting it to tax authorities.

🌍 Country-Specific Overview

Below is a brief overview of tax and reporting rules in various countries. This is not exhaustive, and laws can change.

United States: No VAT on bullion purchases. Sales of gold are subject to capital gains tax. Transactions over $10,000 must be reported to the IRS. KYC is mandatory.
India: 3% GST (Goods and Services Tax) on gold purchases. Capital gains tax applies on resale. Large transactions must comply with PAN/Aadhaar and KYC rules.
China: There is no VAT to pay when purchasing physical investment gold.
Indonesia: No VAT on investment-grade gold. End consumers are exempt from the 0.25% tax under Article 22.
Brazil: There is no VAT to pay when purchasing investment gold, but the Gold Sales Tax (IVO – Imposto sobre Venda de Ouro) is required under the country’s new tax system.
Pakistan: When purchasing physical investment gold, no VAT is payable on the purchase Gold is subject to sales tax. Income from resale may be taxed as capital gains or business income. Regulations vary regionally.
Nigeria: VAT is not payable when purchasing physical investment gold, provided it meets the purity requirements (99.5% for bullion or 90% for coins). However, the purchase must be declared, and the sale may be subject to other taxes.
Bangladesh: There is no VAT to pay when purchasing physical investment gold.
Russia: No VAT or value-added tax is payable when purchasing physical investment gold in Russia since March 1, 2022. Reporting applies for transactions exceeding set thresholds.
Mexico: Gold purchases are VAT-exempt if classified as investment-grade. Profits on resale are subject to capital gains tax.
European Union: Investment gold is VAT-exempt under EU Directive 98/80/EC. Capital gains may be taxed depending on national law. KYC and AML regulations apply across member states.
United Kingdom: No VAT or value added tax is payable when purchasing physical investment gold.
Japan: There is no VAT or value added tax payable when purchasing physical investment gold as long as the gold is investment grade (99.99% pure).
Africa: There is no VAT or value-added tax to pay when purchasing physical investment gold in most African countries.
South America: VAT is not typically charged on the purchase of physical investment gold (high-purity ingots and coins), as these countries generally have similar legislation to Europe’s, exempting these types of transactions from VAT.
Middle East: There is no VAT on the purchase of physical investment gold.
Countries declared tax havens by the European Union: There is no VAT on the purchase of physical investment gold in these 47 countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Aruba, Belize, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Curaçao, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Macedonia, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia and Labuan, Maldives, Mauritius, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Peru, Oman, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Switzerland, Serbia, Swaziland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, and Vanuatu.

📌 Key Disclaimers & Tips

⚠️ Laws Change: Tax laws and reporting requirements are complex and change frequently. Do not rely solely on this overview.
✅ Always Verify: This information is for general guidance. Always consult a qualified tax professional in your specific jurisdiction before making any investment.
✅ Keep Records: Meticulously keep all invoices, certificates of authenticity, and transaction records for tax purposes.

General Requirements for Buying Physical Gold Anywhere in the World

✅ Buyer Identification (KYC – Know Your Customer)

In most countries, for purchases above a certain amount (e.g., €10,000 or equivalent), you must provide:

Valid ID (passport or national ID)
Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement)
Sometimes, a source of funds declaration

Why? Due to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations. All significant transactions must be documented.

✅ Qualifying Investment Gold

For physical gold to be tax-exempt or considered “investment gold,” it must meet certain criteria:

Bars: Minimum purity of 99.5% and weight marked
Coins: Legal tender in issuing country, minimum purity of 90%, issued after 1800

Valid examples: Krugerrand, Maple Leaf, Gold Eagle, Panda, French Napoleon, Swiss Vreneli

✅ Payment Methods

Bank transfer (preferred)
In some cases, credit card (limits may apply)
Cash discouraged for high amounts

✅ Storage or Delivery

Buyers must choose:

On-site gold pickup with passport or ID
Insured delivery to their address
Professional vault storage (e.g., Switzerland, Germany, Singapore)

Vaults incur annual costs but offer safety and confidentiality

✅ Export/Import Regulations (if applicable)

When buying gold in one country and taking it to another:

Declare the export if it exceeds the allowed limit
Follow import rules of the destination country
Some countries require declarations above €10,000 in precious metals

✅ Certification and Authenticity

Always ensure:

LBMA Good Delivery bars or
Official bullion coins from recognized mints

Request:

Certificates of authenticity
Invoice with serial number

📌 Additional Tips for InexperienceCd Investors

❌ Avoid buying gold online without trusted intermediaries
✅ Choose liquid, easy-to-resell products
✅ Avoid rare collectibles unless you understand the market
✅ Compare prices and premiums over spot price