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Last updated: July 22, 2026 · By White Metal Resources Editorial
Quick answer: A saver searching for a "Texas Precious Metals Depository review" is usually weighing one of two Texas storage options for IRA metal. One is the state-authorized Texas Bullion Depository in Leander, created by Texas House Bill 483 in 2015. The other is the IDS of Texas vault in the Dallas area, run by Dillon Gage Metals.
Neither is opened directly by a retail saver. IRA metal is always placed through a self-directed IRA custodian that satisfies the federal physical-possession rule under 26 U.S.C. Section 408(m)(3). The same federal fineness minimums (.999 for silver, .9995 for platinum and palladium, .995 for gold) apply to either Texas facility, and home storage of IRA metal is not allowed under any label.
Short on time? The essentials
- "Texas Precious Metals Depository" is a colloquial label. The two facilities most savers mean are the state-authorized Texas Bullion Depository in Leander, Texas, and the IDS of Texas vault in the Dallas area.
- The Texas Bullion Depository was authorized by Texas House Bill 483 in 2015. It is the first state-authorized precious-metals depository in the United States.
- IDS of Texas is owned by Dillon Gage Metals, a Dallas wholesaler operating since 1976. IDS of Delaware is its COMEX-approved sister site.
- Federal rules govern IRA metal at any Texas depository. Silver must be .999 fine, platinum and palladium .9995, and gold .995, drawn from commodity-market delivery standards.
- Home storage of IRA metal is barred by statute. The physical-possession requirement in 26 U.S.C. Section 408(m)(3) was applied against the taxpayers in McNulty v. Commissioner in 2021.
- Retail savers never open a Texas depository account directly. The self-directed IRA custodian holds title, files the reporting, and routes the metal to the chosen facility.
- Segregated storage keeps your specific bars or coins apart. Commingled storage pools same-type metal. Ask which tier the Texas depository will apply to your holding, and at what fee.
- Silver-heavy holdings usually cost more per dollar to store than gold-heavy holdings, because silver takes more vault volume for the same dollar value.
- Insurance, audit cadence, and vault classification are not standardized across depositories. Demand the underwriter, the policy limits, and the audit schedule in writing before you fund.
- The 2026 IRA contribution limit is $7,500 plus a $1,100 catch-up at age 50 and over, so most Texas-depository accounts are funded by a direct rollover rather than fresh contributions.
This page is for savers weighing a Texas depository for their precious-metals IRA and finding two different facilities behind the same colloquial name. Below we separate the two, explain the federal rules that apply to either, and lay out what to verify with an operator before you commit. Every claim traces to statute, an IRS source, or a public act of the Texas Legislature.
What “Texas Precious Metals Depository review” usually asks
The phrase is a search term, not a company name. Savers type it because they have heard that Texas hosts precious-metals depositories and want to know which one is credible for their IRA. The problem is that at least two facilities in Texas fit the description, and they are structurally different.
The first is the Texas Bullion Depository in Leander, north of Austin. It was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 2015 and is the first state-authorized precious-metals depository in the United States. The second is IDS of Texas in the Dallas area, owned by the wholesale metals firm Dillon Gage.
Both hold precious metals for retail and institutional clients. Both can hold IRA metal if the account is set up through a compliant self-directed IRA custodian. The distinctions matter less on federal eligibility and more on ownership, insurance, storage tier, and the reasons a custodian may prefer one over the other. A useful "review" separates them plainly and points the reader to the trade-offs of each.
The two Texas facilities savers most often mean
Not every "Texas depository" mention on a dealer's website refers to the same building. Confusing the two is easy, and asking your custodian which one your metal would ship to is a fair first question.
Texas Bullion Depository (Leander, state-authorized)
The Texas Bullion Depository was created by House Bill 483 of the 84th Texas Legislature, signed into law in June 2015 (source: Texas Legislature, HB 483 bill history). The statute placed the depository under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and set out the framework for a public precious-metals custody service open to any qualified holder, including individual customers.
The facility is located in Leander, Texas, north of Austin. It is operated for the Comptroller under an administrator contract, and the operator has published its offerings for retail depositors, IRA depositors routed through a custodian, and institutional accounts. Because the statute is a matter of public record, its existence and general structure are verified. Specific fee schedules and current insurance underwriters should be confirmed with the operator before a transfer runs.
IDS of Texas (Dallas area, private)
IDS of Texas is one of three vaults owned by International Depository Services Group, which is itself owned by Dillon Gage Metals of Dallas. The Texas site sits in the Dallas area and holds precious metals for IRA custodians, institutional clients, and personal-custody clients. The other two sister vaults are in New Castle, Delaware and Mississauga, Ontario.
IDS of Texas is a private facility, not a state entity. It carries LBMA Associate status and the group's insurance stack, and it is segregated-only across all IDS accounts. Our sibling review covers the IDS group in depth (see International Depository Services review).
| Feature | Texas Bullion Depository | IDS of Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | State-authorized under the Texas Comptroller; operated by a contracted administrator | Private; owned by Dillon Gage Metals through the IDS Group |
| Statutory basis | Texas House Bill 483, 84th Legislature, 2015 | None; operates under Texas corporate law and depository customs |
| Location | Leander, Texas (north of Austin) | Dallas area, Texas |
| IRA metal accepted? | Yes, through a self-directed IRA custodian | Yes, through a self-directed IRA custodian |
| Storage tiers | Verify with operator; historically both segregated and commingled tiers have been offered | Segregated only; IDS Group does not offer commingled or unallocated storage |
| Retail direct? | Yes for non-IRA depositors; IRA metal still flows through a custodian | No retail direct; the custodian holds the relationship |
Sources: Texas HB 483, 84th Legislature (2015); International Depository Services locations page. Specific fee, insurance, and audit terms should be confirmed with each operator. Checked June 2026.
Federal rules that apply to any Texas IRA depository
The state that hosts your depository is not the deciding legal factor. Federal rules govern IRA metal regardless of whether it sits in a state-authorized Texas vault or a private Texas vault. Four rules matter most.
Fineness minimums and eligible metals
Section 408(m)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code ties IRA eligibility to the minimum fineness a commodity contract market requires for delivery. In practice, that gives the widely cited minimums: silver at .999, platinum and palladium at .9995, and gold at .995 (source: 26 U.S.C. Section 408). American Silver, Gold, and Platinum Eagles qualify under a separate carve-out for coins issued under 31 U.S.C. Section 5112. No other metal qualifies, at any purity, in a Texas depository or any other.
These minimums apply the same at the state-authorized Texas Bullion Depository and at IDS of Texas. Rhodium and iridium are not on the statutory list, so they never qualify. A coin below the fineness threshold and outside the United States coin carve-out is treated as a collectible under Section 408(m), which triggers a deemed distribution equal to cost.
Physical possession by an approved trustee
The same statute requires bullion to be in the physical possession of an IRS-approved trustee (source: IRS, Investments in collectibles Issue Snapshot). That trustee is either a bank or an IRS-approved non-bank trustee acting as the self-directed IRA custodian. The Texas depository holds the metal on the trustee's account, not on yours.
Home storage of IRA metal is not permitted, no matter the marketing label. In McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. 10 (2021), the United States Tax Court applied Section 408(m)(3) against a couple who took physical possession of American Eagle coins at home. The result was a deemed distribution plus tax and penalty. This case controls in Texas the same as everywhere else.
Required minimum distributions and 2026 limits
A traditional IRA holding metal at a Texas depository is subject to the same required minimum distribution rules as any other IRA. The start age is 73 for savers who reached 72 after December 31, 2022, and rises to 75 beginning in 2033 for people born in 1960 or later (source: IRS RMD FAQs). Roth IRAs have no required minimum distribution during the owner's lifetime, which keeps the account clean for a surviving spouse or heirs.
The 2026 IRA contribution limit is $7,500, with a $1,100 catch-up for savers age 50 and over (source: IRS Newsroom, 2026 limits). Fresh contributions rarely fund a Texas-depository IRA. Most accounts are funded by a direct rollover from a former 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), TSP, or another IRA.
The calculator below estimates the required minimum distribution against a rough account balance, so you can see whether a Texas depository account produces a workable distribution schedule for your spouse or heirs.
Precious metals IRA required minimum distribution (RMD) estimator
Once required minimum distributions begin (age 73 now, 75 starting 2033), you divide last year-end balance by an IRS life-expectancy factor. Most states tax the result as ordinary income, on top of federal tax. You can take a precious metals IRA RMD in cash or in metal.
Estimate only, not tax advice. Uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (most owners). A spouse more than 10 years younger and sole beneficiary uses a different table. Roth IRAs have no lifetime RMD. Sources: IRS Publication 590-B (Table III); IRS RMD FAQs. Consult your tax advisor.
Picking a company that explains every fee up front is the first step. Get the free precious metals IRA company checklist.
Early-withdrawal penalty
Section 72(t) applies a 10 percent additional tax on distributions before age 59.5, on top of ordinary income tax, with a defined list of exceptions in IRS Publication 590-B (source: IRS Publication 590-B). Placing metal at a Texas depository does not change that arithmetic. If you may need the money before age 59.5, weigh the penalty first, whether the vault sits in Leander, Dallas, Delaware, or anywhere else.
What to verify before you place IRA metal in Texas
Because state hosting is not a compliance shortcut, your due diligence has to focus on the operator's actual terms. Ask the same questions of either Texas facility in writing.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which self-directed IRA custodians route metal to this depository? | You do not open a Texas depository account directly for an IRA. Your custodian must have a working relationship with the facility. |
| Do you offer segregated storage, commingled storage, or both, and at what fee? | Segregated storage keeps your specific bars or coins apart. Commingled pools same-type metal. The fee difference is often meaningful on small accounts. |
| Who is the insurance underwriter, and what are the per-item and per-account limits? | Insurance terms are not standardized. Silver-heavy holdings often bump into item limits before gold-heavy holdings do. |
| How often is the vault audited, by whom, and are audit reports available on request? | Independent audit cadence and access to the audit summary matter more than any marketing claim of "audited yearly". |
| What is the withdrawal process for an IRA saver at distribution or death? | The custodian, not you, executes the withdrawal. A Texas depository should describe the workflow for both scheduled distributions and beneficiary claims. |
| What are the standard fees for storage, withdrawal, shipping, and account closure? | Fixed fees matter more than the vault brand. Fixed dollar fees eat a bigger share of a small account than a large one. |
Framework based on IRC 408(m)(3); IRS Publication 590-B; general depository due-diligence practice. Checked June 2026.
Two Texas-specific points also matter. Texas has no state income tax, but that does not change federal IRA taxation, and the tax on an IRA distribution is a federal question. Texas state authorization at the Bullion Depository does not confer federal deposit insurance or any FDIC-like guarantee on stored metal.
Segregated versus commingled storage in Texas
The two Texas facilities take different structural stances on storage tiers. That difference feeds directly into fees, into how a withdrawal works, and into what "your metal" actually means.
Segregated storage keeps your specific bars or coins in an assigned space. When you withdraw, the same items ship back to you or your custodian. Commingled storage pools same-type metal from many clients, and a withdrawal returns equivalent items of the same weight and purity, not necessarily the pieces you delivered.
IDS of Texas is segregated only. IDS Group states plainly that it does not offer commingled or unallocated storage across any of its vaults. That stance simplifies audit and lowers counterparty risk, but it also removes the cheaper commingled tier from the table.
At the Texas Bullion Depository, both tiers have historically been available. Confirm the current tier options and the fee gap with the operator or your custodian before you commit, and get the answer in writing. Cheaper commingled storage often makes sense on a small balance, while segregated matters more once the account is large enough that individual-item integrity dominates the trade-off.
Insurance you should demand in writing
Insurance at a precious-metals depository is not a standardized product. The underwriter, the policy structure, and the exclusion list differ across facilities. A Texas depository can carry excellent coverage or thin coverage, and the marketing page rarely spells out the difference.
Ask three questions on paper. First, who underwrites the vault. A Lloyd's of London syndicate, a major commercial carrier, or an insurance-linked structure each imply different rating and settlement practice. Second, what are the per-event, per-account, and per-item limits. Silver-heavy holdings can bump into item limits well before gold-heavy holdings do. Third, which categories are excluded. All-risk vault policies commonly exclude cyber-attacks, war and radioactive contamination, and certain kinds of employee misconduct that require a separate policy.
State authorization of the Texas Bullion Depository does not create federal deposit insurance for the stored metal. FDIC and similar programs do not cover physical bullion. The underwriter is what protects you, and the terms of that policy are what matter for a claim, not the label on the door.
Fees at a Texas depository, and how the bill gets built
Fees at a Texas depository are usually a modest slice of the total IRA bill, but they compound with custodian and dealer costs in ways that matter over the long life of the account. Three points recur.
First, silver-heavy holdings typically cost more per dollar to store than gold-heavy holdings, because silver takes far more vault volume for the same dollar value. Second, segregated storage costs more than commingled, when both are offered. Third, fixed annual fees are the drag that punishes small accounts hardest, whether they show up under "storage", "administration", or "recordkeeping".
Ask your custodian for the all-in bill in writing before the transfer runs. Break it out into the depository storage fee, the custodian administration fee, any inbound and outbound shipping, and the dealer spread on the metal you buy. The dealer spread is often the largest lifetime cost and the one least clearly disclosed.
The calculator below estimates how annual percentage fees compound against a balance across the decades a Texas-depository IRA usually stays open.
Precious metals IRA fee-drag calculator
Precious metals IRAs charge mostly flat dollar fees (setup, annual custodian, storage). Flat fees take a much bigger bite out of a small account than a large one. Enter your numbers to see the drag.
Estimate only. Fee amounts vary by provider and are often not published; enter figures you confirm in writing. This tool ignores metal price changes and the dealer spread, which also affect returns. Not financial advice.
Picking a company that explains every fee up front is the first step. Get the free precious metals IRA company checklist.
Consider a saver who rolls $80,000 from a former employer's 401(k) into a self-directed IRA and directs the metal to a Texas depository. Assume the custodian charges a $250 annual administration fee and the depository segregated fee runs $175 per year on a mixed silver-and-gold holding. That is $425 in fixed annual cost in this illustration.
- On $80,000: $425 of fixed cost is $425 divided by $80,000, which equals about 0.53 percent per year.
- On $20,000: the same $425 is $425 divided by $20,000, which equals 2.13 percent per year, four times the drag.
- Separately, a dealer spread of 4 percent on the metal purchased is a one-time cost of $3,200 on an $80,000 order, paid at buy and again, in part, at sale.
The figures above are illustrative, not a quote from any Texas depository, custodian, or dealer. They show the structural point: fixed annual fees and the dealer spread both punish small accounts hardest, which is why the industry usually flags a $50,000 minimum. This is not financial advice. Consult a licensed advisor for your situation.
How savers actually place IRA metal at a Texas depository
A retail IRA saver never opens a Texas depository account directly. The process runs through the self-directed IRA custodian, and the depository takes delivery from the dealer under the custodian's account. The direct-rollover route below is what most savers follow.
- Open a self-directed IRA with a compliant custodian. Choose a bank or IRS-approved non-bank trustee that routes precious metals to the Texas depository you want. The custodian holds legal title and files the annual reporting.
- Confirm which Texas facility the custodian uses. Ask whether metal will ship to the state-authorized Texas Bullion Depository in Leander or to IDS of Texas near Dallas, and get the answer in writing.
- Fund the IRA through a direct movement. Use a trustee-to-trustee transfer or a direct rollover to bypass the 60-day deadline and the 20 percent mandatory withholding rule that applies to plan payouts.
- Choose IRS-eligible bullion through a dealer. Stick to coins and bars that meet the fineness minimum or fit the United States coin carve-out. Common bullion usually beats premium numismatic pieces inside an IRA.
- Direct the shipment to the Texas depository. The dealer ships the metal to the vault under the custodian's account. The depository inspects, counts, and books the bullion into your position.
- Verify the account entry through the custodian. Depositories typically publish holdings through the custodian's system, not through a retail portal for individual IRA savers. Confirm the entry before you consider the transaction closed.
When a Texas depository is not the right fit
Texas storage has real appeal for some savers, especially those already based in the state or working with a Texas-area dealer. That does not make it the right call for every account. Naming the cases where it works against you is part of an honest review.
It is usually not the right fit in these situations:
- You want the closest possible shipping geography and live far from Texas. A West Coast saver working with a Nevada or California dealer will usually pay less in freight over time by using a West Coast depository. Texas helps in the South and Midwest, less so on the East and West Coasts.
- You expect state authorization to add federal protection. Texas hosting does not create FDIC-style insurance, does not change IRC 408(m) requirements, and does not exempt the account from the 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty. The federal rules govern.
- You want a segregated-only stance and consider commingled a compromise. If your custodian routes to a facility that offers only commingled or that mixes tiers by default, a segregated-only sister vault at another site may serve you better than a Texas facility that does not match your preference.
- Your balance is small and the fixed fees dominate. Texas storage is not immune to the fixed-fee problem. On a small balance, the annual bill can eat a real share of the account, and Texas does not solve that.
- You expect the depository to sell you the metal. Depositories store metal. If a pitch bundles the dealer, custodian, and Texas depository under one brand, look at the arrangement carefully. The pieces should be separately verifiable.
If one of these describes you, the decision is not that Texas is a bad location. It is that another vault, another custodian, or a different account structure fits your situation better. There is no call to action in this section on purpose.
Texas depository questions, answered
Is the Texas Precious Metals Depository IRS-approved for IRA metal?
Both the state-authorized Texas Bullion Depository in Leander and IDS of Texas in the Dallas area can hold IRA metal when it is placed through a self-directed IRA custodian that satisfies the physical-possession requirement in 26 U.S.C. Section 408(m)(3). The custodian, not the depository, holds the direct relationship with an IRA saver. Confirm the custodian and depository pairing in writing before you fund.
Where is the Texas Bullion Depository located, and who runs it?
The Texas Bullion Depository is located in Leander, Texas, north of Austin. It was authorized by Texas House Bill 483 of the 84th Legislature in 2015 and sits under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, operated for the state under an administrator contract. Retail depositors can open accounts directly for non-IRA holdings. IRA metal still flows through a compliant self-directed IRA custodian.
Is IDS of Texas the same as the Texas Bullion Depository?
No. IDS of Texas is a private facility owned by International Depository Services Group, which is itself owned by Dillon Gage Metals. The Texas Bullion Depository is a state-authorized facility under the Texas Comptroller. Different ownership, different legal basis, and different storage-tier stances. Ask your custodian which one your metal would ship to.
What metals can a Texas depository store for an IRA?
A precious-metals IRA can hold gold, silver, platinum, and palladium if each meets its fineness minimum. Silver must be at least .999 fine, platinum and palladium at least .9995, and gold at least .995 (source: 26 U.S.C. Section 408(m)(3)). American Silver, Gold, and Platinum Eagles qualify under a separate carve-out for United States coins. Rhodium and iridium are not on the statutory list and never qualify.
Can I store my IRA metal at home in Texas?
No. Federal law requires the metal to be in the physical possession of an IRS-approved trustee. A "home-storage IRA" is not a recognized IRS structure in Texas or any other state. The United States Tax Court applied Section 408(m)(3) against the taxpayers in McNulty v. Commissioner in 2021, resulting in a deemed distribution plus tax and penalty.
Does the Texas Bullion Depository offer federal deposit insurance on stored metal?
No. State authorization creates the depository's legal framework, but it does not create FDIC-style federal deposit insurance on stored physical bullion. Coverage on the metal comes from a commercial insurance policy carried by the depository. Ask the operator for the underwriter, the per-account limits, and the exclusions in writing before you fund.
Which custodians route metal to Texas depositories?
Several self-directed IRA custodians route metal to the Texas Bullion Depository or IDS of Texas. Specific routing depends on the custodian's own vault relationships and can change over time. The clean way to answer this for your account is to ask your custodian directly which Texas facility they use and whether they offer a choice, then get the answer in writing.
Do Texas depositories accept platinum and palladium for an IRA?
They can, subject to the same federal rules that govern any IRA depository. Platinum and palladium must be at least .9995 fine, and the Platinum American Eagle qualifies under the United States coin carve-out. Palladium and platinum products are a smaller share of the market than gold and silver, so confirm the specific product's IRA eligibility with your custodian and dealer before you buy.
Sources
- Texas Legislature, House Bill 483, 84th Regular Session (Texas Bullion Depository authorizing act). Checked June 2026.
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Bullion Depository program page. Checked June 2026.
- Cornell Legal Information Institute, 26 U.S.C. Section 408 (collectibles rule and physical-possession requirement). Checked June 2026.
- IRS, Investments in collectibles in individually directed qualified plan accounts (Issue Snapshot). Checked June 2026.
- IRS, Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements. Checked June 2026.
- IRS, Required Minimum Distributions FAQs. Checked June 2026.
- IRS Newsroom, 2026 retirement plan and IRA limits (Notice 2025-67). Checked June 2026.
- International Depository Services, IDS of Texas location page. Checked June 2026.
- U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Release 8260-20 (JPMorgan spoofing order, precious-metals context). Checked June 2026.
