Collectibles Tax Blog
Tax guides written for collectors — not accountants. Learn how the 28% rate actually works, how to track cost basis, and what your IRS classification means for your bottom line.
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The guides every collector should read before selling. Each one maps to a real decision you'll face at tax time.
Pokémon Turns 30 in 2026: Tax Planning for Collectors Sitting on Big Gains
Anniversary years have historically driven price spikes on vintage cards. If you bought into WOTC-era keys before the pandemic boom, the tax math on selling now is worth understanding — including timing strategies, cost basis recovery, and loss harvesting.
How Collectibles Are Taxed in 2026: The Complete Guide
The 28% rate is a cap, not a flat tax — and that distinction can save you thousands. Covers bracket stacking, NIIT, short-term vs. long-term treatment, and how state taxes layer on top.
Cost Basis for Collectors: What You Can (and Can't) Deduct
Every dollar added to your cost basis is a dollar less in taxable gain. Learn what counts — grading fees, shipping, buyer's premium, authentication — and how to document it when you don't have receipts.
Dealer vs. Investor vs. Hobbyist: How the IRS Classifies You
Your classification changes everything — tax rates, deductible expenses, self-employment tax, and which forms you file. Here's how the IRS decides and what you can do about it.
Costco Gold Bar Tax: The Complete Guide
Gold is above $5,000/oz — more than double the price when Costco started selling bars in 2023. The IRS taxes gold as a collectible at up to 28%, not the 15–20% you'd pay on stocks. Here's the full breakdown.
Gold ETFs and the 28% Tax Trap: What GLD, IAU & SGOL Investors Don't Know
Most investors holding GLD, IAU, or SGOL have no idea they're being taxed at 28% instead of 20%. Your broker won't flag it, your tax software may get it wrong, and the bill shows up at filing time.
How Trading Cards Are Taxed in 2026: Pokémon, Sports Cards & Magic
The 28% collectibles rate, cost basis for graded cards, how box breaks work for tax purposes, and what to do with your eBay 1099-K. Real examples included.
How Sneaker Resales Are Taxed in 2026: StockX, GOAT & eBay
Personal use vs. investment, the StockX 1099-K, dealer classification risk, and cost basis tips for serious sneaker resellers and collectors.
How NFTs Are Taxed in 2026: IRS Notice 2023-27, Minting & Capital Gains
IRS Notice 2023-27’s look-through analysis, creator vs. investor treatment, buying NFTs with crypto, royalties, and how to report sales correctly.
1099-K for Collectors: eBay, StockX & Whatnot (2026 Rules)
A 1099-K reports gross sales — not your profit. Here’s what the OBBBA threshold means, how to report correctly, and how to avoid overpaying tax.
How eBay, StockX & Whatnot Sales Are Taxed in 2026
Platform fee comparison, 1099-K thresholds by marketplace, cost basis for each, and a worked example showing $45K gross but only $6,200 in taxable gain.
State Capital Gains Tax on Collectibles: Which States Give Collectors a Break?
Seven states offer exclusions, deductions, or lower rates that apply to collectibles — and nine more have no income tax at all. The complete state-by-state breakdown with statutes, effective rates, and how IRC §1222 makes most exclusions apply to collectibles.
How to Report Collectible Sales on Your Tax Return (Form 8949 & Schedule D)
Step-by-step walkthrough of reporting a collectible sale, handling your 1099-K, and which tax software correctly applies the 28% collectibles rate — so you don't overpay or trigger an audit.
Sales Tax on Coins, Bullion & Collectibles: 50-State Guide (2026)
About 40 states exempt precious metals from sales tax — but trading cards, art, and stamps get no such break. State-by-state breakdown including threshold rules, recent changes in Maryland and Washington, and what it means for your cost basis.
Am I a Hobby Seller, Investor, or Dealer? Take the Quiz
Answer 9 questions based on the IRS’s hobby-vs-business factors under IRC §183. See your classification, score breakdown, and what it means for your tax rate and deductions.
More Guides in the Works
We're building the most comprehensive collectibles tax library on the web. Here's what's next.
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