EZ, that was such a nice offer you made.

That "new" #1099 reporting law doesn't go into effect until 1/1/12. Hoping for someone with brains will work getting this changed before then as it was "attached" to the "new" health legislation which is, in itself, continuing with debate and contention. Without that, someone must sell back $10,000 or more to get their social security #, addy, etc. taken by the ones they sell to. But this, of course, has to do with the IRS and income tax that may result from buying and selling.

In fact, I had a tele conv with one of my bankers a few weeks ago and that $10,000 limit that kicks them into issuing the form to tell the IRS about it is a one day trip wire. Send a second $10,000 the next day and its a new story. Sometimes, transactions stack up at various routing bottlenecks and are a day or two later...so if I were deliberately wishing to avoid tripping the issuance of that form, I think I'd go maybe even a week between transactions. I had assumed they kept some ongoing tally and once all accumulations hit $10k.....but no....its one day's accumulations. And that is the US. No idea for Canada.

I've never paid tax at the buy. I don't know anything about Canada's taxes. I assume you are talking about sales tax. Here, each state decides what is subject to its own sales tax. Avoiding that sales tax is the main reason many will choose to buy "online" or from another state. I do some local trading, but not much. I haunt the shops looking for nice 10oz bars of silver, or even the one ounce bars. They pretty much sell as fast as they show up. I buy most online. What local trading I have done is cash with zero records. I don't care about a receipt. The bars have serial numbers on them. Aside from fake metal risks, its pretty much self-evident that one is buying what they think they are buying. The type of bar, the bar mfg, the size, the condition of the bar, and the spot price as well as premium prices are all points a buyer beware should know.

A good home safe is maybe better than a bank safety deposit box. Depending.