Leaving a gold IRA custodian costs between nothing and roughly $375 in administrative fees, depending on who holds the account. Of the three published schedules we could read on 19 October 2026, GoldStar Trust lists no closing fee, Equity Trust lists $250, and Strata Trust lists $250 plus $100 to move assets out. The larger bill, if you sell, is usually the dealer's buyback spread rather than anything the custodian charges.
Closing, Termination and Transfer-Out Fees by Custodian
The table shows what each custodian publishes. Fees change, sometimes without notice, so treat it as a checklist of questions rather than a quote.
Two things stand out. First, a blank is not the same as a zero. GoldStar's schedule has no line for closing, wires or transfers, but several amounts on the PDF are unlabelled, so confirm by phone that nothing applies. Second, annual fees at Strata and GoldStar are stated as not prorated. Close in February and you have usually paid for a full year you will not use. Our Equity Trust fee guide covers its schedule in more detail, and so does our Strata Trust fee guide.
Madison Trust and Kingdom Trust are common choices too. Madison's public fee schedule is dated January 2022 and its labels did not read reliably, and we could not retrieve a Kingdom Trust schedule, so neither is in the table. Ask each for its current schedule in writing.
What this means for you: the difference between custodians on exit is at most a few hundred dollars. It matters less than the fee you pay every year, but it is the one most often left out of a quote.
Wire, Liquidation and Shipping Charges
Three smaller charges tend to appear on the way out. Outgoing wires run $30 to $35 at the custodians above. Selling only part of your metal can trigger a re-registration or liquidation fee, $50 at GoldStar and $100 at Strata. And taking physical delivery adds shipping and insurance on top of the custodian's handling fee. Equity Trust says to expect $50 to $300 or more depending on weight, value and destination. Our guide to in-kind distributions explains how delivery works.
Storage is a separate question. Depository fees are billed in advance with the annual fee, so once you have paid for the year there is normally nothing further to pay after the metal leaves. Ask for confirmation that no storage charge continues after the closing date.
The Biggest Exit Cost Is the Dealer Buyback Spread
Selling metal means selling to a dealer, and the dealer pays below the price it would charge you. That gap is the spread, and it can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars on a typical account. Few dealers publish theirs. A custodian transfer fee of $100 is small beside a spread of even 2% on a $50,000 account, which is $1,000. Our guide to how buyback programs work explains what to ask, and the break-even math on fees and spreads shows how spreads and fees combine.
A Worked Example of a Full Exit
Take a $50,000 account at Strata Trust, using the fees in the table. The 2% spread is an assumption for illustration only, not a published figure.
- Transfer to a new custodian, metal stays in kind: $250 closing + $100 asset re-registration = $350. No sale, so no spread and no tax.
- Transfer as cash: sell the metal (assumed 2% spread = $1,000), then $250 closing + $100 cash transfer out = $1,350. A cash transfer is not a taxable distribution when it moves directly between custodians.
- Cash out to your bank: $1,000 spread + $250 closing + $35 wire = $1,285, plus income tax on the withdrawal, and a 10% additional tax if you are under 59 and a half.
At GoldStar, using only its listed fees, the first scenario would cost $0 in custodian charges. At Equity Trust it could cost $375 if both the closing and transfer fees apply, which Equity Trust's pages do not clarify.
Moving between custodians directly, called a trustee-to-trustee transfer, avoids tax. A distribution paid to you personally does not. The IRS explains the rules on its rollovers of retirement plan and IRA distributions page, and our guide to switching custodians without a taxable event walks through the steps.
What to Get in Writing Before You Open an Account
Ask the dealer and the custodian for the full fee schedule, not a bundled annual figure. Then confirm these in writing: the closing fee, the transfer-out or re-registration fee, whether both apply to a full transfer, the outgoing wire fee, whether annual fees are prorated, and who pays shipping. Add the dealer's buyback terms. Our guide to comparing quotes side by side has a table you can copy, and the complete fees breakdown covers the annual costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to close a gold IRA?
Often, yes. Equity Trust and Strata Trust each list $250. GoldStar Trust lists none. Check the current schedule, because some fees are waived for specific dealers or promotions.
How much does it cost to transfer a gold IRA to another custodian?
From $0 to about $125 per transfer in the schedules above, with a closing fee of up to $250 on top at some custodians.
Are annual gold IRA fees refunded if I close mid-year?
Strata and GoldStar both state that annual fees are not prorated, so expect no refund. Equity Trust does not say in the schedule we reviewed.
Do I pay storage fees after I sell my gold?
Storage is billed in advance, so nothing further is normally due once the metal has left the depository. Confirm that no fee continues after the closing date.
What does it cost to take physical possession of gold?
Strata and GoldStar each list $10 plus the cost of shipping, and Strata adds a $100 re-registration fee. Equity Trust quotes $50 to $300 or more for shipping and insurance. Distributions are also taxable.
This article is educational and not tax or investment advice. Fee schedules change, so confirm current figures with each custodian before you decide.
