‘Did you know this?’: Indian families can legally hide ₹1 crore in gold without receipt

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Golden Loophole

An old CBDT rule from 1994 still lets Indian households legally store up to ₹1 crore in gold—no receipts, no tax questions asked. And yes, it still holds up in raids.

Receipt-Free Riches

You can legally hold 500g of gold as a married woman with zero documentation. That’s over ₹43 lakh in value—sitting in a locker, untaxed, untouched.

950g Shield

A family of four can store 950 grams of gold—worth ₹82 lakh—without ever proving how they got it. It’s not a hack. It’s official government policy from 1994 that still stands.

Raid-Proof Gold

Taxmen can’t touch your stash if it falls within this century-old limit. The rule? Stick to the gram caps. The value? Irrelevant. The paperwork? Not required.

Black Gold

The gold tax rule wasn’t made for black money—but that hasn’t stopped it from being used that way. Gold becomes a legal vault for undocumented income in many Indian households.

Price Freeze

The CBDT set limits in 1994, when gold was ₹350/gram. It’s now ₹8,700—but the rules haven’t changed. That means 500g once worth ₹1.75 lakh is now ₹43 lakh. Still tax-free.

Gender Gold Gap

Married women get 500g, men just 100g. The result? Families route undocumented gold through female members to maximize the protection window.

No Update, No Problem

Despite a 15x jump in gold prices, the government hasn’t revised the gold-holding thresholds. The result: a rule meant for modest savings now protects near-crore stashes.

 Crossed Line? Pay 78%

Exceed the limit without documents, and you’re looking at a 78% penalty. But stay just below it, and even ₹1 crore worth of gold is fully safe—and fully legal.