Palladium can go in an IRA only as bullion at least 99.95% pure (.9995), held by your custodian. No palladium coin is named in the tax code, so the purity test decides every product. "IRA-eligible" means an IRA can buy the product without the purchase being taxed as a withdrawal. Bullion means bars and coins valued for their metal. The custodian is the trust company that holds your IRA and approves each purchase.
That leaves a short list, and dealers disagree on it. Which products pass the law, which do custodians accept, and what does each cost you?
SD Bullion, the source of most prices here, is an online bullion dealer. Custodians name only bars and one palladium coin, the shortest product list of the four metals in our IRA-eligible precious metals database. SafeOunce takes no money from any company named on this page.
Which Palladium Coins and Bars Are IRA-Eligible?#
Of 9 palladium products checked, 3 qualify and are named by custodians, 3 pass on purity but appear on no custodian list, and 3 are refused or in doubt. All 9 use Route B, our name for the bullion route: .9995 metal held by your custodian. An accredited refiner is a refiner or mint approved by an exchange, a market body such as the LPPM, or a government. The table below checks each product.
| Product | Fineness | Legal route | Custodian lists (GoldStar / STRATA / Equity Trust) | Price and premium over spot | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz palladium bar, accredited refiner | .9995 | B (bullion) | GoldStar "Various bars .9995"; Equity Trust bars ".9995+" from accredited makers; STRATA covers bars only with "and more" | $1,404.72, 12.8% (SD Bullion "design our choice" bar, maker picked by the dealer) | Eligible |
| 10 oz palladium bar, accredited refiner | .9995 | B (bullion) | Same as the 1 oz bar | $14,447.15 ($1,444.72 per oz), 16.0% (SD Bullion) | Eligible (SD Bullion labels its generic 10 oz bar "IRA Approved: No") |
| Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf, 1 oz | .9995 | B (bullion) | GoldStar and STRATA name it; Equity Trust names no palladium coin | $1,644.72, 32.1% (SD Bullion) | Eligible |
| American Palladium Eagle, bullion (2017, 2021) | .9995 (31 U.S.C. 5112(a)(12)) | B only; not named in 408(m)(3)(A) | Named by none of the three | $2,394.49, 71.7% (JM Bullion, August 5, 2026; none in stock at SD Bullion on September 29) | Passes on purity; ask your custodian in writing |
| American Palladium Eagle, West Point (W) collector version, ungraded, original box and certificate | .9995 | B on purity | Named by none; GoldStar's proof rule requires original packaging and certificate | Not captured | Passes on purity; ask in writing |
| Graded (slabbed) Palladium Eagle, such as the 2025-W reverse proof PF70 | .9995 | B on purity | GoldStar: "certified or 'graded' coins" unacceptable; Equity Trust: slabbed coins "not acceptable in IRAs at this time" | $3,264.72, 162.1% (SD Bullion) | Refused by GoldStar and Equity Trust |
| Russian Palladium Ballerina, 1 oz (1989-1995) | .999 per APMEX and Hero Bullion; .9995 per Provident | B only if .9995 | Named by none | Not priced | Unconfirmed: dealers disagree on purity; avoid unless the custodian approves in writing |
| Australian Palladium Emu, 1 oz proof (1995-1997) | 99.95% per dealer listings | B on purity | Named by none | Collector pricing, not priced here | Passes on paper; proof collector coin, ask in writing |
| Gram bars and "design our choice" fractional coins | 50 g bar .9995; 1/2 oz coin "Varied" | B only if each piece is .9995 from an accredited maker | Not named as such | Out of stock at SD Bullion | Dealer marks both "IRA Approved: No" |
Prices: SD Bullion wire prices on the morning of September 29, 2026 (spot $1,245.43, JM Bullion, 5:51 a.m. ET), except the bullion Eagle (JM Bullion, August 5, 2026). SD's cheapest 1 oz bar is a design-our-choice bar (maker chosen by the dealer); a named-refiner bar such as PAMP or Valcambi can cost more, so 12.8% is a floor, not a quote. Custodian wording from GoldStar, STRATA and Equity Trust pages read September 29, 2026. One dealer, one day; premiums move daily.
A "maybe" row passes the purity test, yet no custodian list names it, so get a written yes before the dealer invoices.
How these products fit into a palladium IRA, from rules to 10-year costs, is covered on the metal's own guide.
Why Palladium Qualifies Only as .9995 Bullion#
Palladium qualifies only as .9995 bullion because the tax code lets it in through the bullion clause alone. Fineness, the share of pure metal, must reach the 99.95% a US futures exchange demands.
IRS Publication 590-A (2025) lists "certain gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion." Two routes, named coins and bullion, decide all IRA-approved precious metals.
The 99.95% figure is not an IRS number: NYMEX required it for palladium delivered after October 1992, per the exchange's archived contract sheet. Congress let bullion into IRAs for tax years beginning after December 31, 1997 (Pub. L. 105-34, sec. 304).
That sheet also sets 100-ounce lots with "no single piece weighing less than 10 ounces", but only the purity number carries into IRA law.
Why gold needs only .995 while palladium needs .9995 is explained on IRA purity requirements.
Is Any Palladium Coin Named in the Tax Code?#
No: the tax code names US gold, silver and platinum Eagle coins and state-issued coins, but no palladium coin. So even the American Palladium Eagle is eligible by purity, not by name. A named coin qualifies whatever its purity.
The gap dates from 1997. The conference report (H. Rept. 105-220) followed the Senate amendment letting IRAs hold "certain platinum coins and ... certain gold, silver, platinum or palladium bullion". No US palladium coin was even authorized until 2010.
The Platinum Eagle is different: 5112(k) covers "platinum bullion coins and proof platinum coins", so proof Platinum Eagles are named. Proof Palladium Eagles are not.
Mint law also calls palladium coins "numismatic items", meaning collector goods (31 U.S.C. 5112(v)(4)). That label governs how the Mint sells them, not how the IRS taxes them, so claims of a statutory "carve-out" for palladium proofs are wrong.
Which Palladium Bars Can an IRA Hold?#
An IRA can hold palladium bars at least .9995 pure from an accredited refiner or a national mint; the refiner rule is custodian policy, not tax law. The statute checks purity only. Your custodian adds the maker test, for rounds as well as bars.
A round, a coin-shaped piece of private-mint bullion with no face value, passes the same way a bar does. The LPPM is the London Platinum and Palladium Market, the trade body that keeps the list of approved platinum and palladium refiners.
ISO 9000 is a looser gate: a general quality certificate, not a precious metals approval, that a private mint can hold.
The LPPM Palladium List: 33 Refiners and the Names Missing From It#
The LPPM's palladium list names 33 refiners as of September 29, 2026, including MKS PAMP, Valcambi and Johnson Matthey. Others include Heraeus, Metalor, Asahi, Tanaka and BASF. An accredited refiner on this list is one the London market accepts for its large trading bars.
Those Good Delivery bars weigh 1 to 6 kilograms (about 32 to 193 troy ounces) at 99.95%. Retail 1 oz and 10 oz bars are not Good Delivery bars, but the list shows who made them.
The metal matters: both Johnson Matthey entities (USA and UK) are on the palladium list, yet not on the LBMA gold list of 67 refiners.
A former refiner is one that has left the list. The five names that need a closer look on a palladium bar are listed below.
- Engelhard: every Engelhard entity is a former refiner, yet older Engelhard bars still trade. No list we read says whether custodians accept them, so ask in writing.
- Russian refiners: Krastsvetmet, Prioksky ("effective from 8th April 2022"), Novosibirsk ("20th April 2009") and Ekaterinburg ("15th May 2018") are former refiners.
- Umicore and JX Metals: former refiners too; JX Metals left on "14th May 2024".
- Credit Suisse: a brand, not a refiner, and not on the list. Valcambi, which Credit Suisse owned until 2003, made its bars and is listed.
- Baird & Co: not on the palladium list; acceptance would depend on another accreditation your custodian recognizes.
Match the refiner's name on the bar, not the dealer's product title, to your custodian's list.
1 oz vs 10 oz Palladium Bars: Why the Bigger Bar Can Cost More#
On September 29, 2026, a 10 oz palladium bar cost $1,444.72 per ounce at SD Bullion, $40 more per ounce than a 1 oz bar. Gold and platinum bars usually work the other way. Ten 1 oz bars cost $14,047.20, while one 10 oz bar cost $14,447.15: $399.95 more for the same 10 troy ounces (311 grams).
The table below compares bar sizes at two dealers on two dates, with platinum for contrast.
| Dealer, date and measure | 1 oz bar | 10 oz bar | Cheaper size |
|---|---|---|---|
| SD Bullion palladium ask, September 29, 2026 (premium over spot) | 12.8% | 16.0% | 1 oz |
| SD Bullion platinum ask, same day, for contrast (premium over spot) | 5.5% | 3.2% | 10 oz |
| Monex palladium round trip, August 12, 2026 (spread as % of ask) | 13.14% | 5.83% | 10 oz |
Different dealers and dates: a direction, not a ranking. Monex figures exclude its buy and sell charges, which Monex does not publish.
A round trip is what you lose if you buy and sell back at once. At Monex, the 10 oz bar lost less, so the cheaper size flips by dealer and by day.
Get both sizes quoted in writing: both prices per ounce and both buyback bids. Size also matters later, because a 10 oz bar cannot be split when you take metal out.
Gram Bars and "Design Our Choice" Coins: The Dealer Says No#
Small palladium bars and random-design coins are poor IRA choices: the dealer ranked first on Google for "IRA approved palladium" marks its own 50 gram bar "IRA Approved: No". That dealer is SD Bullion (US results, September 29, 2026). Its data sheets, read that day, label three such products, listed below.
- 50 gram palladium bars: .9995 pure (about 1.61 troy ounces), made by "Various Mints", with no certificate of authenticity, the maker's paper confirming the piece. The sheet says "IRA Approved: No".
- 1/2 oz "design our choice" palladium coins: purity "Varied", grade "Circulated", country not stated. The sheet also says "No".
- Random-brand orders: when the dealer picks the maker, your custodian cannot check the refiner in advance. SD's 1 oz "design our choice" bar, the cheapest in our tables, is one.
A .9995 stamp is necessary, not sufficient: the custodian also needs a known, accredited maker.
Which Palladium Coins Can an IRA Hold?#
Only one palladium coin is named on the custodian lists we read, the Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf; the American Palladium Eagle passes on purity but is named by none. Old foreign coins, such as the Russian Ballerina and the Australian Emu, are on no list either. Two of the three custodians refuse graded coins outright.
Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf: The Only Palladium Coin Custodians Name#
Yes: the Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf is IRA-eligible as .9995 bullion, and GoldStar and STRATA both name it on their lists of acceptable palladium. GoldStar says "Canadian Maple Leaf coins"; STRATA, "Canadian Maple Leaf bullion coins and more" (read September 29, 2026). Equity Trust names no palladium coin.
The coin weighs 31.11 grams (1 troy ounce), measures 34 mm and carries a C$50 face value. Every Palladium Maple Leaf is .9995, so there is no year trap. Issue years are 2005-2007, 2009 and 2015 onward, per the Royal Canadian Mint's program history as summarized by Wikipedia; the Mint's own page confirms 2015.
The Maple cost $1,644.72 at SD Bullion on September 29, 2026, 32.1% over spot, the most expensive named way to own palladium bullion. Specs and custodian wording are on Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf in an IRA.
American Palladium Eagle: Eligible by Purity, Named by No Custodian List#
The American Palladium Eagle passes the IRA purity test at .9995, but none of the three custodian lists we read names it. The $25, 1 troy ounce coin comes from the American Eagle Palladium Bullion Coin Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-303).
Bullion Eagles are scarce: 15,000 struck in 2017 and 8,700 in 2021, or 23,700 in all, per US Mint figures as summarized by Wikipedia. The same figures show a West Point (W) collector version struck each year from 2018 to 2025.
The 2026-W uncirculated coin has a limit of 5,000, one per household in the first 24 hours, according to CoinWeek. A 2013 study for the Mint by CPM Group, as summarized by Wikipedia, found that "demand would most likely not be sufficient to sustain a market in palladium bullion coins".
No bullion Eagle was in stock at SD Bullion on September 29, 2026. JM Bullion priced one at $2,394.49 on August 5, 2026, 71.7% over that day's $1,394.50 spot. A "bullion" coin priced like a collectible costs you that premium when you sell. Its legal history and every mintage year are on American Palladium Eagle in an IRA.
Are Proof and Graded Palladium Eagles Allowed in an IRA?#
Graded Palladium Eagles are refused by GoldStar and Equity Trust, and ungraded proofs pass only on purity: no custodian list or statute names palladium proofs. A proof is a mirror-finish collector version sold boxed with a certificate; a graded, or slabbed, coin is sealed in a plastic holder.
Mint law's proof and uncirculated "collectible versions" (31 U.S.C. 5112(v)(5)) are not a tax rule. SD Bullion sold a graded 2025-W reverse proof PF70 for $3,264.72 on September 29, 2026, 162.1% over spot; its own data sheet says "IRA Approved: No".
How custodians treat proof and graded coins in an IRA, metal by metal, is covered separately.
Russian Ballerina and Australian Emu: Why Old Palladium Coins Are a Gamble#
Older palladium coins are a gamble: dealers list the Russian Ballerina as both .999 and .9995 pure. The Australian Emu is 99.95% pure per dealer listings, but it is a proof collector coin that no custodian list names.
Dealer listings put the Ballerina at the Leningrad Mint from 1989 to 1995, with a 25-rouble face value. APMEX says "Contains 1 oz of .999 fine Palladium" and Hero Bullion "Purity .999 Fine"; Provident says ".9995 pure palladium" (read September 29, 2026). At .999, the coin would fail.
The Emu came from the Perth Mint in 3 proof issues from 1995 to 1997, with a $40 face value and 2,500 struck in 1995, per dealer listings. One ranking list page calls the Ballerina allowed and the Emu not; the dealer data says the opposite. The table below sets out both coins.
| Coin | Years | Stated purity (source) | Passes .9995? | Custodian lists | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian Palladium Ballerina | 1989-1995 | .999 (APMEX, Hero Bullion); .9995 (Provident) | Cannot be confirmed | None | Avoid unless your custodian approves the exact coins in writing |
| Australian Palladium Emu | 1995-1997, proof only | 99.95% (dealer listings) | On paper | None | Treat as a collector coin; proof rules apply |
That list page marks 7 more foreign palladium coins "not allowed", such as the China Panda and Swiss William Tell. None is named in the tax code or on a custodian list, and SafeOunce has not verified their purity. Each passes only with .9995 shown in writing and your custodian's written yes.
Which IRA Custodians Accept Which Palladium Products?#
GoldStar and Equity Trust accept .9995 palladium bars from accredited makers, GoldStar and STRATA name the Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf, and none of the 3 names the American Palladium Eagle. STRATA covers bars only with the words "and more".
These are the three metals IRA custodians whose palladium wording we could read on September 29, 2026. The table below quotes each one.
| Rule or product | GoldStar Trust | STRATA Trust | Equity Trust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum purity | ".9995 pure" | "Minimum 99.95% pure" | ".9995+" |
| Maker rule (bars and rounds) | NYMEX, COMEX, NYSE/Liffe, LME, LBMA, LPPM, TOCOM, ISO 9000 or national mint | Not stated on the page | Nymex/Comex, LME, LBMA, LPPM, TOCOM, NYSE/Liffe/CBOT, ISO-9000 or national mint |
| Palladium bars | "Various bars .9995" | Covered by "and more" | Bars ".9995+" |
| Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf | Named | Named | Not named (no palladium coin named) |
| American Palladium Eagle | Not named | Not named | Not named |
| Proof coins | "ungraded, complete with certificate of authenticity and in original mint packaging" | Original mint packaging with certificate (stated for Eagles) | Not stated |
| Graded coins | Unacceptable | "Any rare or collectible coin" excluded | "not acceptable in IRAs at this time" |
Custodian policy is contract terms, not tax law, but a refused product cannot settle into your IRA. Pages read September 29, 2026.
A custodian list is a published set of examples, not a closed list, so a written yes matters for anything not named.
What Do Palladium Coins and Bars Cost in an IRA in 2026?#
As of September 29, 2026, the cheapest palladium product custodians name, a 1 oz bar, cost 12.8% over spot at SD Bullion, and the Maple Leaf cost 32.1%. The spot price is the live market price of 1 troy ounce of palladium: $1,245.43 at 5:51 a.m. ET that day, per JM Bullion. The premium over spot is what you pay above the metal's value, as a percent of that value. Melt value is the metal's worth at spot.
That 12.8% is a floor, not a quote: SD's cheapest 1 oz bar is a design-our-choice bar, maker chosen by the dealer. A named-refiner bar such as PAMP or Valcambi can cost more. The table below compares one dealer's prices on one morning.
| Product | Price | Melt value | Premium over spot | Custodian status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz palladium bar | $1,404.72 | $1,245.43 | 12.8% | Named as bars |
| 10 oz palladium bar | $14,447.15 | $12,454.30 | 16.0% | Named as bars |
| Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf | $1,644.72 | $1,245.43 | 32.1% | Named |
| American Palladium Eagle, bullion | $2,394.49 (JM Bullion, August 5, 2026) | $1,394.50 (spot that day) | 71.7% | Not named |
| 2025-W reverse proof Palladium Eagle, graded PF70 | $3,264.72 | $1,245.43 | 162.1% | Refused as graded |
SD Bullion wire prices, morning of September 29, 2026; spot $1,245.43. The Eagle row comes from a second dealer on an earlier date. Premiums move daily.
What $10,000 Buys, Product by Product#
$10,000 bought about $8,866 of palladium in 1 oz bars on September 29, 2026, but only $7,572 in Maple Leafs and about $5,824 in bullion Palladium Eagles. The math divides $10,000 by each product's price and multiplies by spot. The Eagle figure uses JM Bullion's price and spot of August 5, 2026.
| Product | Premium over spot | Palladium you own for $10,000 | Premium paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz palladium bar | 12.8% | $8,866 | $1,134 |
| 10 oz palladium bar | 16.0% | $8,621 | $1,379 |
| Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf | 32.1% | $7,572 | $2,428 |
| American Palladium Eagle, bullion (August 5, 2026) | 71.7% | $5,824 | $4,176 |
| Graded 2025-W reverse proof PF70 | 162.1% | $3,815 | $6,185 |
The gap between the cheapest and dearest named products, bars and Maple Leafs, was $1,294 on the same $10,000.
Markups, Spreads and Break-Even: What You Get Back if You Sell#
Selling back the same day lost 21.6% on a 1 oz palladium bar and 31.8% on a Maple Leaf at SD Bullion on September 29, 2026. The bid, what the dealer pays you, sat 9.9% to 11.5% below spot. Every quote hides two costs, the premium and the bid gap, which is how markups and spreads work for any metal.
Break-even is the price rise you need to get even. The table below compares a same-day buyback of palladium, platinum and gold at the same dealer.
| Product | Ask | Bid | Loss if sold the same day | Rise needed to break even | Bid vs spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz palladium bar | $1,404.72 | $1,101.73 | 21.6% | 27.5% | 11.5% under |
| Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf | $1,644.72 | $1,121.73 | 31.8% | 46.6% | 9.9% under |
| 1 oz platinum bar | $1,800.69 | $1,655.00 | 8.1% | 8.8% | 3.0% under |
| 1 oz American Gold Eagle | $4,280.53 | $4,049.93 | 5.39% | 5.7% | 2.5% under |
SD Bullion ask and bid, September 29, 2026; spot $1,245.43 palladium, $1,706.80 platinum, $4,154.51 gold. Bids come from a static sell page that may lag the live quote.
The dealer matters too. At Monex on August 12, 2026, the Maple's round trip was 9.54% (10.54% to break even) before its unpublished buy and sell charges, about a third of SD's 31.8%.
Custodian trade fees add to the loss. STRATA charges $40 per trade plus $35 depository handling, $75 per buy or sell (fee page modified August 31, 2026): 1.5% more on a $10,000 round trip.
Test your own palladium quote in the gold IRA break-even calculator.
Why Dealer Premium Claims Don't Match Real Prices#
Premium ranges quoted without a date do not match what palladium cost on September 29, 2026. One dealer's IRA page says palladium bars typically cost 3% to 7% over spot and government coins 8% to 15%. That morning, SD Bullion sold bars at 12.8% to 16.0% over spot and the Maple Leaf at 32.1%. We read the claim from a search extract; the page blocked direct reading.
Even a plain palladium bar sat above the range the CFTC gave for bullion in its customer advisory of August 4, 2020: "5 to 10 percent" over spot.
On the afternoon of September 29, 2026, SD Bullion priced its 1 oz palladium bar at $1,391.74 by wire and $1,449.73 by card, 4.2% more. IRA purchases are paid by custodian wire, so ask for the wire price. Who charges less, a bullion dealer vs gold IRA company, is compared on the same fee data.
Palladium Bars, Maple Leafs or Eagles: Which Fits Your IRA?#
For most IRA buyers, 1 oz palladium bars from an LPPM refiner were the lowest-cost product custodians name on September 29, 2026. The Maple Leaf fits only buyers who want a government coin and accept a 32.1% premium. The table below matches six buyer situations to the better fit.
| If you... | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Want palladium at the lowest cost per ounce | 1 oz or 10 oz .9995 bars from an LPPM refiner, after comparing both sizes | Bars cost 12.8% (1 oz, design-our-choice) and 16.0% (10 oz) over spot at SD Bullion on September 29, 2026; at Monex on August 12, 2026, the 10 oz bar had the smaller round trip |
| Want a government coin a custodian names | Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf, after comparing two dealers' bids | Named by GoldStar and STRATA; 32.1% premium and 31.8% same-day loss (SD Bullion, September 29, 2026) against a 9.54% round trip at Monex (August 12, 2026) |
| Plan to take metal out in kind for RMDs | 1 oz bars, not 10 oz | A 10 oz bar at spot was about 6.1 times the RMD on a $50,000 account at age 75 (September 29, 2026 spot) |
| Are offered Palladium Eagles | Get the custodian's written yes and the dealer's buyback bid first | On none of 3 custodian lists (September 29, 2026); bullion Eagles sold at 71.7% over spot (JM Bullion, August 5, 2026) |
| Are offered graded, proof, Ballerina, Emu or other foreign coins | Skip them unless your custodian approves the exact coin in writing | GoldStar and Equity Trust refuse graded coins; dealers disagree on the Ballerina's purity; the Emu is a proof on no list |
| Want palladium exposure at the lowest yearly cost | A palladium ETF in the IRA you already have, compared on the palladium IRA guide | PALL charged 0.60% a year (annual report for 2025); a brokerage IRA can hold it |
Palladium was the costliest metal in our database to buy and sell on September 29, 2026, so the product you pick decides most of your cost. Compare at least two sizes and two dealers before you buy.
How Sellers Mislabel Palladium as "IRA-Approved"#
Sellers use "IRA-approved" as a sales label, not a legal finding, so check the five claims below against the tax code and your custodian. Why no official IRA-approved precious metals list exists is explained in the IRS's own words. The five claims and their answers follow.
- "IRS-approved palladium": the IRS keeps no product list. Its Retirement Plan Investments FAQs say "there is no list of approved investments". The only IRS approval list covers nonbank trustees (73 on April 1, 2026).
- "IRA Approved" dealer labels: SD Bullion marks its .9995 10 oz and 50 g bars "IRA Approved: No" (read September 29, 2026). Its 1 oz bar, purity "Varied", gets a "Yes". Its IRA menu lists gold, silver and platinum only, and its "ira-approved-palladium" web address returned "not found" (error 404).
- Palladium Eagles "approved" like the Gold Eagle: neither the tax code nor any of the three custodian lists names it.
- Old coins such as the Ballerina listed as "allowed": dealers disagree on its purity, and no custodian list names it.
- Wrong purity on account pages: Accuplan, an IRA administrator, states palladium purity as both .999 and 99.95% (as of September 2026). The rule is .9995.
How Do Palladium Coins and Bars Fit Into a Palladium IRA?#
The product you choose decides what palladium costs you, but the account rules decide what you can do with it. The same rules apply to every metal in a precious metals IRA.
The three account facts to weigh are listed below.
- Taxes: traditional IRA withdrawals are ordinary income; the 28% collectibles rate applies only outside an IRA.
- Account fees: $235 to $285 a year at Equity Trust as of September 2026 (FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726).
- Prices: SafeOunce does not forecast palladium; the palladium IRA guide shows every past 5-year window.
Everything outside the product choice is on our guide to palladium IRA rules and costs.
Can You Keep IRA Palladium Bars at Home?#
No: IRA palladium must stay "in the physical possession of a trustee" under 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B). The Tax Court held in McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (November 18, 2021), that IRA coins kept at home are a taxable distribution.
Every home storage gold IRA pitch fails the same custody test, palladium included.
Can You Move Palladium You Already Own Into an IRA?#
No: IRA contributions must be cash under 26 U.S.C. 408(a)(1), so palladium bars or Maple Leafs you already own cannot be deposited. Rollovers and transfers of metal already held in a retirement account are the only exceptions; metal you own personally never moves in.
Selling your own bars to your IRA is a prohibited transaction, a banned deal with your IRA (26 U.S.C. 4975(c)(1)(A)), and the whole IRA is treated as distributed (408(e)(2)).
Cash deposits count against the gold IRA contribution limits, which cover palladium too: $7,500 for 2026, or $8,600 at 50 or older (IRS Notice 2025-67).
Taking Palladium Out: 1 oz Units vs 10 oz Bars at RMD Time#
1 oz palladium bars divide the way required minimum distributions do, while a 10 oz bar forces a much larger taxable withdrawal. Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are yearly traditional IRA withdrawals from age 73 (born 1951-1958), or 75 if born in 1960 or later. Taking them as metal is an in-kind distribution.
The four steps below use September 29, 2026 spot ($1,245.43).
- Account: $50,000 of palladium, owner aged 75.
- RMD: $50,000 ÷ 24.6 = $2,032.52, about 1.6 oz.
- One 10 oz bar in kind: about $12,454 of taxable income, 6.1 times the RMD.
- Two 1 oz bars in kind: about $2,491, just over the RMD.
Ages and divisors for gold IRA required minimum distributions apply to palladium too; the 24.6 divisor comes from IRS Publication 590-B.
From a traditional IRA, metal taken out is ordinary income at its fair market value that day.
In-kind fees, as of September 2026: $125 at Equity Trust (FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726), or $75 plus $10 and shipping at GoldStar (GTC Rev. 01/2026).
Steps and fees for in-kind gold IRA distributions differ by custodian.
IRA-Eligible Platinum vs Palladium Products#
Platinum has what palladium lacks: a named US coin, the Platinum Eagle, and bars that cost 3.2% to 5.5% over spot at SD Bullion on September 29, 2026. Palladium bars cost 12.8% to 16.0% at the same dealer that day.
A same-day round trip cost 8.1% on a 1 oz platinum bar, against 21.6% for palladium; the Platinum Eagle sold at 11.4% over spot.
Every platinum product is checked the same way on IRA-eligible platinum coins and bars.
Can Palladium Bars Be Stored Segregated?#
Yes: segregated storage, where your own bars are kept apart, is offered for palladium at STRATA and at Entrust through Delaware Depository. Commingled storage pools your metal with other clients' metal.
STRATA charges $175 a year (fee page modified August 31, 2026). Entrust's Delaware Depository form charges $150 a year, for gold, platinum and palladium only (Rev. 3/7/2024).
Costs and return rules for segregated vs commingled storage are compared by depository.
Can Rhodium or Other Platinum-Group Metals Go in an IRA?#
No: 408(m)(3)(B) lists only "gold, silver, platinum, or palladium bullion", so rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium are collectibles in an IRA in any form.
An IRA that buys a collectible is treated as paying its cost out to you, taxed as a withdrawal (26 U.S.C. 408(m)(1)).
Rhodium joins the list of coins and bars you cannot hold in an IRA.
How Much Is a 1 oz Palladium Coin Worth?#
A 1 oz palladium coin holds one troy ounce (31.1 grams) of palladium, worth $1,219.25 at the LBMA Palladium Price (PM) on September 28, 2026. That is the London afternoon benchmark.
A dealer paid less the next morning: SD Bullion bid $1,121.73 for a Maple Leaf on September 29, 2026, and asked $1,644.72.
How the spot price is set explains why you never buy at it.
What Is the Best ETF for Palladium?#
SafeOunce does not rank funds, but one US-listed palladium fund, the abrdn Physical Palladium Shares ETF (PALL), charged 0.60% a year per its annual report for 2025. An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock (PALL Form 10-K).
PALL is a grantor trust; ICBC Standard Bank holds its metal. A brokerage IRA can hold the shares without a metals custodian, but it owns shares, not bars.
The same trade-off is worked through in dollars in gold IRA vs gold ETF.