Silver SIPs In Focus: A Beginner's Guide To Silver ETFs, Benefits And Tax Rules
Unlike equity SIPs, silver ETF buys physical silver or silver-backed assets on your behalf.
With the NSE Nifty 50 delivering only around 4% returns year-to-date, investors are growing cautious of stock market volatility. Broader economic uncertainty has further added to the concern. As a result, many are now exploring alternative investment options that offer stability and diversification.
These alternative options include precious metals such as gold and silver, and real estate investments. In contrast to the Nifty 50, gold has given nearly 50% returns in 2025. Similarly, silver has also given impressive returns, attracting investor interest in this industrial metal.
Unlike gold, silver is still a lot more affordable and has a wide range of applications, which is contributing to its appeal among investors.
To invest in silver, one can buy physical bars and coins or even jewellery. However, there is also an easy digital mechanism to add this metal to your portfolio. This method involves investing in silver through Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). It works like a mutual fund SIPs, where you invest a fixed amount every month.
Unlike equity SIPs, silver ETF buys physical silver or silver-backed assets on your behalf. This means you don’t own stocks, but you own a share of silver's value.
This method helps average out the cost over time and is ideal for those who want to build silver exposure without buying physical metal.
Silver ETFs are traded on the stock market and offer liquidity and transparency. Their taxation system is also quite simple.
How Is Silver ETF Taxed?
In the Union Budget 2024, the government introduced some changes to how ETFs are taxed now. This mainly involves taxation based on their date of purchase and redemption dates, HDFC Mutual Fund explains.
From April 1, 2025, new tax rules apply to ETF redemptions. Silver ETFs held for more than 12 months are now classified as Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) if redeemed after March 31, 2025. ETFs held under 12 months are taxed as short term capital gains (STCG).
If held for less than 12 months, gains will be taxed as per your income tax slab. For holdings above 12 months, a flat 12.5% LTCG tax will be applicable on the returns.
To be clear, the ETF Fund of Funds has a holding period of 24 months to be eligible for long-term capital gains, but follows a similar tax system.
