Privacy Policy - Gold Refuge

The Owner informs you about its Privacy Policy regarding the processing and protection of personal data of users and customers that may be collected while browsing, purchasing a product, or contracting a service through the Website: https://goldrefuge.com

In this regard, the Owner guarantees compliance with the current regulations on the protection of personal data, as reflected in Organic Law 3/2018, of December 5, on Personal Data Protection and Guarantee of Digital Rights (LOPD GDD). It also complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 27, 2016, regarding the protection of natural persons (GDPR).

The use of the Website implies acceptance of this Privacy Policy as well as the conditions included in the Legal Notice.

Principles Applied in Data Processing

In the processing of your personal data, the Owner will apply the following principles, which align with the requirements of the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Principle of Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency: The Owner will always require consent for the processing of personal data, which may be for one or more specific purposes, about which the Owner will inform the User in advance with absolute transparency.
Principle of Data Minimization: The Owner will request only the data strictly necessary for the purpose or purposes for which they are requested.
Principle of Limitation of Storage Period: The Owner will keep the personal data collected for the time strictly necessary for the purpose(s) of the processing. The Owner will inform the User of the corresponding retention period according to the purpose. In the case of subscriptions, the Owner will periodically review the lists and delete those records that have been inactive for a considerable amount of time.
Principle of Integrity and Confidentiality: The personal data collected will be treated in such a way that its security, confidentiality, and integrity are guaranteed. The Owner takes the necessary precautions to prevent unauthorized access or misuse of user data by third parties.

Obtaining Personal Data

To browse the Website, it is not necessary to provide any personal data.

Rights

The Owner informs you that you have the right to:

Request access to the stored data.
Request correction or deletion.
Request the limitation of their processing.
Object to the processing.

You cannot exercise the right to data portability.

The exercise of these rights is personal and, therefore, must be exercised directly by the interested party, requesting it directly from the Owner. This means that any client, subscriber, or collaborator who has provided their data at any time can contact the Owner and ask for information about the data stored and how it was obtained, request the correction of the data, oppose the processing, limit its use, or request the deletion of those data from the Owner’s files.

To exercise your rights, you must send your request along with a photocopy of your National Identity Document or equivalent to the email address: info@goldrefuge.comm

The exercise of these rights does not include any data that the Owner is obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

You have the right to effective judicial protection and to file a complaint with the supervisory authority, in this case, the Spanish Data Protection Agency, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you violates the Regulation.

Purpose of Processing Personal Data

When you connect to the Website to send an email to the Owner, subscribe to its newsletter, or contract a product or service, you are providing personal information for which the Owner is responsible. This information may include personal data such as your IP address, name and surname, physical address, email address, phone number, and other information. By providing this information, you give your consent for your information to be collected, used, managed, and stored by — SERED — as described on the pages:

Legal Notice
Privacy Policy

The personal data and the purpose of processing by the Owner vary depending on the information collection system:

Product or Service Contract Forms: The Owner requests personal data, including: name and surname, identity document (tax identification number, foreign identification number, passport, or residence permit), email address, postal address, phone number, and payment details (payment methods or bank details) to maintain a commercial relationship with the User, process orders, provide contracted services, and for billing and collection of contracted products or services.

Other Purposes for Which the Owner Processes Personal Data:

To ensure compliance with the conditions set out on the Legal Notice page and applicable law. This may include the development of tools and algorithms that help the Website guarantee the confidentiality of the personal data it collects.
To support and improve the services offered by this Website.
To analyze user navigation. The Owner collects other non-identifying data obtained through the use of cookies that are downloaded to the User’s computer when browsing the Website, the characteristics, and purposes of which are detailed on the Cookie Policy page.
To manage social networks. The Owner has a presence on social networks. If you become a follower on the Owner’s social networks, the processing of personal data will be governed by this section, as well as by the terms of use, privacy policies, and access regulations belonging to the relevant social network that you have previously accepted. You can check the privacy policies of the main social networks through these links: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram.

The Owner will process your personal data for the purpose of properly managing its presence on the social network, informing you of its activities, products, or services, as well as for any other purpose permitted by the social network’s regulations.

Under no circumstances will the Owner use follower profiles on social networks to send individual advertising.

Security of Personal Data

To protect your personal data, the Owner takes all reasonable precautions and follows industry best practices to prevent their loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

The Website is hosted on SERED. Data security is guaranteed since they take all the necessary security measures. You can check their privacy policy for more information.

The Owner informs the User that their personal data will not be transferred to third-party organizations, except where such a data transfer is covered by a legal obligation or where the provision of a service involves the need for a contractual relationship with a data processor. In the latter case, data will only be transferred to the third party when the Owner has the User’s explicit consent.

However, in some cases, collaborations with other professionals may be carried out; in these cases, consent will be requested from the User, informing them about the identity of the collaborator and the purpose of the collaboration. It will always be done with the strictest security standards.

Content from Other Websites

Pages on this Website may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the same way as if you had visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction using this embedded content.

Cookie Policy

To ensure that this Website functions correctly, it needs to use cookies, which are information stored in your web browser.

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

Legitimacy for Data Processing

The legal basis for processing your data is:

The consent of the interested party.
The execution of a contract or the application of pre-contractual measures with the interested party to provide a product or service purchased from the Owner.
Compliance with legal obligations.

Categories of Personal Data

The categories of personal data processed by the Owner are:

Identification data.

Retention of Personal Data

The personal data provided to the Owner will be retained until you request its deletion.

Recipients of Personal Data

Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc., a Delaware company whose main office is at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View (California), CA 94043, United States (“Google”).

Google Analytics uses “cookies,” which are text files placed on your computer to help the Website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Website (including your IP address) will be transmitted and stored by Google on servers in the United States.

More information at: https://analytics.google.com

You can consult how Google handles privacy regarding the use of cookies and other information on Google’s Privacy Policy page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

You can also see a list of the types of cookies used by Google and its partners and all the information related to their use of advertising cookies at:

Types of cookies used by Google
How Google uses cookies in advertising.

Web Browsing

When browsing the Website, non-identifiable data may be collected, which may include IP address, geolocation, a record of how services and sites are used, browsing habits, and other data that cannot be used to identify you.

The Website uses the following third-party analytics services:

Google Analytics.

The Owner uses the information obtained to obtain statistical data, analyze trends, manage the site, study browsing patterns, and gather demographic information.

The Owner is not responsible for the processing of personal data carried out by websites accessed through the various links contained on the Website.

Accuracy and Truthfulness of Personal Data

You agree that the data provided to the Owner is correct, complete, accurate, and current, as well as to keep it duly updated.

As a User of the Website, you are solely responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the data you submit to the Website, exonerating the Owner from any responsibility in this regard.

Acceptance and Consent

As a User of the Website, you declare that you have been informed of the conditions regarding the protection of personal data. You accept and consent to the processing of your personal data by the Owner in the manner and for the purposes stated in this Privacy Policy.

To contact the Owner, subscribe to a newsletter, or make comments on this Website, you must accept this Privacy Policy.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

The Owner reserves the right to modify this Privacy Policy to adapt it to new legislation or jurisprudence, as well as to industry practices.

These policies will remain in force until modified by others duly published.

Responsible for Personal Data: IDEAL PRODUCTS EXPRESS, S.L. NIF B-55261952, with address at CALLE BORRASSÁ, 20 17469-VILAMALLA (Girona), hereinafter referred to as THE SITE MANAGER, whose contact email is 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