Gold held inside a Gold IRA is stored at a third-party, IRS-approved depository — never at home, never in a personal safe deposit box. Under 26 U.S.C. §408(m)(3), personal possession of IRA-owned metal at any point converts the entire IRA into a taxable distribution, plus a possible 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you’re under 59½.

The Depositories Actually Used

Custodians typically work with a small number of approved vault operators: Delaware Depository, Brink’s, and International Depository Services (IDS) are among the most commonly used, offering insured, audited storage built specifically for retirement-account metals.

Storage Options Within the Depository

Segregated storage keeps your specific coins/bars separately identifiable as yours; commingled storage pools your metal with other investors’ equivalent-grade holdings, tracked by ownership percentage. Segregated costs more but gives you a traceable, specific holding.