How Much Gold Can You Keep at Home?
India has no limit on how much gold you can own. What exists is a rule about how much jewellery tax officers won't seize during a search, and that's a question of paperwork.
Information, not advice. This guide summarises published CBDT instructions for general understanding. For your own situation, especially a large or undocumented holding, speak to a chartered accountant.
The rule: CBDT Instruction No. 1916
On 11 May 1994 the Central Board of Direct Taxes issued Instruction No. 1916 to income-tax officers carrying out searches. It says officers should not seize gold jewellery and ornaments up to these amounts:
| Person | Gold jewellery not seized |
|---|---|
| Married woman | 500 g |
| Unmarried woman | 250 g |
| Male member of the family | 100 g |
The instruction also lets the officer leave a larger quantity unseized, taking into account family custom, community practice and the family's status.
What it doesn't mean
- It's not a cap on ownership. In a press release on 1 December 2016, CBDT confirmed there is no limit on holding gold bought from disclosed income, exempt income such as agricultural income, reasonable household savings, or inheritance from explained sources.
- It's not "tax-free" or "automatically explained". It only protects jewellery from seizure during a search. At assessment you can still be asked where any gold came from, within the amount or not.
- It covers jewellery and ornaments. Coins and bars aren't covered, so keep proof for all of them.
- Being a little over isn't a problem in itself. Gold with proof is fine at any quantity.
So what actually matters? Proof.
For every piece, the question that matters is "can you show where this came from?" What counts as proof depends on how the piece came to you:
| How you got it | Best proof | Also helps |
|---|---|---|
| Bought | The jeweller's GST tax invoice (not an estimate slip) | Bank, card or UPI record of the payment; the HUID on the invoice |
| Received as a gift | A gift deed, especially for large gifts | Wedding photos, and the giver's own purchase bill |
| Inherited | The will, or a family settlement deed | A valuation report from the time of inheritance; the previous owner's bills |
| Exchanged old for new | The new bill showing the old gold credited | The original bill for the old piece |
Gifts from relatives, and gifts received at your own wedding, are generally not taxable in India. You still need to show that the gift happened, which is why a gift deed or photographs help.
Counting a family
The amounts are per person, and in practice officers look at what each family member holds. Minor daughters have been treated like unmarried women, and sons like male members. A household of a married couple with one daughter comes to 500 + 100 + 250 = 850 g of jewellery that wouldn't be seized, whoever's cupboard it's actually in.
That's why Tijori asks for an owner for every piece. Try the numbers for your family with the safe-harbor check.
How Tijori's meter works
- Each person in People gets the amount that matches their gender and marital status.
- The meter adds up the gross weight of the gold items they own.
- A warning appears only if the person is over their amount and owns gold with no proof recorded. The number shown is the weight with no proof above the line. Those pieces need paperwork first.
- Each amount shown in the app names its source.
Sources: CBDT Instruction No. 1916 dated 11 May 1994; CBDT press release dated 1 December 2016. This page is general information and not legal or tax advice.