International Depository Services (IDS) Review

Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission when a reader opens an account through links on this page. The commission has no effect on what you pay or on what we publish. We are not a financial or tax advisor; consult a licensed advisor for your situation. Last reviewed July 2026.

What IDS Group actually is

International Depository Services Group is a privately owned, independently run division of Dillon Gage Metals that operates specialized precious metals depositories. It does not sell coins, set premiums, or offer investment advice. Its role is to receive, store, ship, and account for physical gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and rhodium held on behalf of institutional clients, individual investors, and IRA custodians (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com About page, checked July 2026).

Dillon Gage itself has been in the precious metals wholesale trading business since 1976 and opened a precious metals refinery in 1996, with a larger Dallas refinery added in 2011. The company's history covers metals trading, numismatics, refining, jewelry closeouts, and estate liquidations. The depository arm was a natural extension of that operating footprint, per the IDS History page.

The first depository opened in 2010 in New Castle, Delaware, originally under the name Diamond State Depository. It later took the current name IDS of Delaware. Two more depositories followed: IDS of Canada in Mississauga, Ontario in 2013, and IDS of Texas in Dallas in 2017.

For a gold IRA holder, the depository is the last link in the chain. The dealer sells the metal. The custodian holds legal title inside the IRA. The depository receives the physical bars or coins and stores them off the balance sheet of any bank, in fully allocated custody, until the account owner instructs otherwise.

Three North American depositories and their opening dates

IDS Group operates three North American depositories today. Each one is purpose-built for precious metals custody, with UL-rated (US) or ULC-rated (Canada) multi-redundant security systems, a Class III gold vault, and 24-hour surveillance every day of the year (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com About and History pages, checked July 2026).

All three depositories serve institutional accounts, individual investor accounts, and IRA custodian accounts. IDS of Delaware and IDS of Texas focus on US self-directed IRA custody. IDS of Canada handles the Canadian RSP program, which includes Registered Retirement Savings Plans and Tax-Free Savings Accounts, per the IRA/RSP Custodian Accounts page.

The three sites are Lloyd's of London insured, they all offer segregated and allocated storage, they all use Class III gold vaults, and they all provide access through the same IDS Group proprietary Online Depository Client Portal. Where they differ is exchange approval status and jurisdiction of oversight, covered further down this page.

IDS of Texas: the in-state option in Dallas

IDS of Texas is the natural focal point for a Texas gold IRA reader. The vault sits in Dallas, minutes from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. It was IDS Group's third depository when it opened in 2017 to meet growing precious metals storage demand in Texas. Two years later, in 2019, the company relocated and expanded the vault to become the largest precious metals depository in the state (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com History and IDS of Texas pages, checked July 2026).

The Dallas facility features state-of-the-art custom construction with Class III vaults, a UL-rated multi-redundant security system monitored in real time by off-site security specialists 24 hours a day, and on-site armed police officers. Assets stored at IDS of Texas are insured with Lloyd's of London, and the facility follows dual-control policies with daily activity checks and monthly precious metals inventory audits, per the IDS of Texas page.

Texas offers two structural advantages IDS surfaces on its own pages. First, no state income tax on distributions: an IRA distribution is taxed at the federal level only, with no Texas state layer (source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, checked July 2026). Second, a state sales tax exemption on precious metals purchases has been in place since 2013, which the IDS of Texas page cites when explaining the tax-neutral appeal of the Dallas location.

IDS of Texas is not a CME/COMEX-approved vault. Only IDS of Delaware inside IDS Group carries the COMEX approval. That distinction matters more for institutional clients tendering bars against futures than for a Texas retiree who simply wants IRA-eligible coins vaulted in-state. Every other IDS Group operational feature applies at IDS of Texas.

Trust framework: Dillon Gage division, off balance sheet

IDS Group is a privately owned and independently run division of Dillon Gage Metals, per the About page. Client assets are held in custody in client-specific accounts, off the balance sheet of the depository. That accounting stance is the point of a custody vault. It means the metal is not counted among the depository's own assets and is not exposed to a claim against the depository as a company.

The IDS Group FAQs page draws a clear line on account authority. All accounts are set up in the name of the client, whether that client is an individual, a business entity, or a trust. IDS maintains the account, but it has no authority to transact any business without the client's written direction (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com FAQs page, checked July 2026).

Under 26 U.S.C. section 408, an IRA can only be held by a bank, a federally insured credit union, a state-chartered trust company, or an IRS-approved non-bank trustee (source: Cornell Legal Information Institute, checked July 2026). IDS itself is not the IRA custodian in this chain. The IRA custodian is a separate qualified trust company; IDS is the depository the custodian names as the storage location for the physical metal.

IDS Group serves as a preferred storage partner for many self-directed IRA administrators, per the IRA/RSP Custodian Accounts page. Fees are, per that page, favorably negotiated with the IRA administrators to save investors' money. The exact fee schedule reaches the reader through the IRA administrator's own paperwork, not through a retail IDS fee sheet.

Insurance: 100 percent all-risk coverage with Lloyd's of London

IDS Group insures every deposit at each of its three facilities on an all-risk basis, underwritten by Lloyd's of London (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com Insurance page, checked July 2026). The Insurance page describes the coverage as 100 percent protection through Lloyd's, which is the world's leading provider of specialized asset insurance and has operated in this role for 300 years.

All-risk coverage answers a broad list of loss scenarios rather than a short named-perils list. The IDS Insurance page does not publish a specific dollar cap on the vault policy the way some depositories do. Institutional-grade all-risk cover through Lloyd's is the substance IDS cites on the page; readers who want the specific policy limits should ask the depository or their IRA custodian for confirmation before signing paperwork.

Shipments are also insured. The FAQs page confirms that all outbound shipments processed out of IDS are insured, and carrier-specific insurance guidelines and limits are available on request. Insurance on inbound and outbound movement matters when a reader takes an in-kind distribution or moves metal between depositories in multiple smaller shipments.

Two related insurance points the IDS pages make explicit. A homeowners policy typically caps investment-grade precious metals coverage at around 2,000 dollars per piece, when it covers them at all. A bank safe deposit box is not insured by the FDIC, and most US banks do not self-insure the contents of the box either. A depository with named Lloyd's cover is a different insurance category than either of those alternatives.

Accreditations: COMEX, ICE, LBMA, NCBA, IIROC

IDS Group carries a stack of industry accreditations that vary by location. Reading them in order helps a reader see which vault sits in which regulatory frame (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com Accreditations page, checked July 2026).

IDS of Delaware is CME/COMEX approved for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. That approval is granted only after a stringent COMEX process including full financial and procedural audits, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is informed of each approval. Per the Accreditations page, there are only eight COMEX-approved facilities in the United States and only nine Intercontinental Exchange approved depositories. IDS of Delaware is on both lists.

All three IDS depositories are Associates of the London Bullion Market Association and members of the National Coin and Bullion Association. LBMA associate status requires ongoing compliance with the association's physical and operational security standards. NCBA is the successor to the Industry Council for Tangible Assets and functions as the industry watchdog in the United States and all 50 states.

IDS of Canada carries an additional Canadian accreditation. The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada approved IDS of Canada in 2014 as an entity suitable to hold LBMA gold and silver delivery bars, one of eight such precious metals depositories at the time. IIROC is the pan-Canadian self-regulatory organization that oversees all Canadian investment dealers.

Segregated and allocated storage: what IDS offers

IDS Group offers two storage arrangements: segregated storage and allocated storage. Unallocated storage is not offered at any IDS site. The Allocated and Segregated Storage page draws the distinction in plain terms (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com Allocated and Segregated Storage page, checked July 2026).

Segregated storage isolates a client's gold, silver, or platinum from other metals in the facility. It is kept separate from other clients' and dealers' positions. Legal title is not transferred, and the vault cannot change or use the items the client stored. This is the choice for a reader who wants to take back the exact bars or coins they originally shipped in.

Allocated storage assigns specific quantities of metals to individual client accounts. The metal is owned by the investor and is stored under a safekeeping or custody arrangement in a professional vault. Allocated works for investors who want representation in metal and do not expect to take personal delivery. In both cases, the client is the owner and the metal is off the depository's balance sheet.

Unallocated is the arrangement IDS specifically does not offer. In an unallocated setup, the client's metal is the property of the storing bank, and a bank insolvency can put it at risk of seizure to satisfy the bank's own debts. Excluding unallocated is a design choice by IDS Group and it removes one of the main criticisms leveled at bank-run bullion accounts.

IRA storage: how IDS Group qualifies

IDS of Delaware and IDS of Texas both serve as preferred custodians for IRA trustees in the United States, per the IRA/RSP Custodian Accounts page (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com IRA/RSP Custodian Accounts page, checked July 2026). Since 2010, IDS Group has offered IRA trustees and administrators a custom approach for self-directed precious metals IRA storage with personalized custodial services and custom reporting.

The IRS-facing structure of a precious metals IRA has not changed. Metal must be held by an IRS-approved depository, and the account owner cannot take personal possession without triggering a distribution (source: IRC section 408 and the McNulty v. Commissioner 2021 Tax Court decision). Home storage is treated as a distribution. IDS storage is not.

Metal held at IDS on behalf of an IRA custodian is fully allocated and segregated, with the account titled in the account owner's name and the metal off the depository's balance sheet. IDS itself does not open the IRA. A separate qualified trust company opens the IRA and names IDS on the buy instruction as the depository.

The 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act expanded the precious metals allowed in IRAs beyond American Gold Eagles and Silver Eagles. Eligible bullion depends on purity: gold coins and bars of at least 99.5 percent fineness, silver of 99.9 percent, and platinum and palladium of 99.95 percent, per the IRA/RSP Custodian Accounts page.

American Gold Eagles remain IRA eligible by statute even at 22 karat. Canadian Maple Leafs, Australian Kangaroos, Austrian Philharmonics, and US Gold Buffaloes are all named on the same page as IRA eligible.

How Texas readers reach IDS through a custodian

For a Texas resident opening a gold IRA, IDS shows up on the dealer paperwork as the named depository on the buy instruction. The reader typically never signs anything directly with IDS. The named IRA custodian on the same paperwork is the party that instructs IDS to receive the metal on behalf of the account.

Ask the dealer three specific questions before signing the buy instruction. Which IDS location will hold the metal, Delaware or Texas? Will the storage be segregated or allocated? And what is the full pass-through fee schedule the IRA custodian will bill for that specific IDS arrangement? IDS Group does not publish a retail IRA fee schedule on its public site, so the numbers come through the custodian.

Texas has no state personal income tax (source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, checked July 2026). A distribution from a gold IRA that holds metal at IDS of Texas or IDS of Delaware is taxed at the federal ordinary income rate only, with no Texas state layer. Consult your tax advisor for your specific bracket and situation.

What Texas residents gain by picking IDS of Texas over IDS of Delaware is proximity. Dallas is drivable from Fort Worth, Waco, Tyler, and much of North Texas, and connected by DFW International to Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso for a scheduled visit. What they trade away is the COMEX/CME approval that IDS of Delaware carries, a distinction that mostly serves institutional clients rather than retail IRA holders.

Fee reality on a $100,000 Texas gold IRA at IDS

IDS Group does not publish a retail IRA storage fee schedule on its public site. Storage cost is negotiated between IDS and each IRA administrator, and the number reaches the reader as a pass-through inside the custodian's fee schedule (source: internationaldepositoryservices.com IRA/RSP Custodian Accounts page and FAQs page, checked July 2026). This is different from Delaware Depository or Brink's, both of which are pass-through-priced by specific custodians on published sheets.

The practical implication is that a Texas gold IRA reader cannot know the exact IDS storage fee until the dealer names both the IRA custodian and the storage type on the buy instruction. Get the custodian's fee schedule in writing before you sign anything. The number to look for is the annual precious metals storage fee for IDS at your chosen location and storage type.

The FAQs page confirms that IDS fees vary depending on the value of the assets stored, and that clients contact IDS directly for the fee structure on storage and other services. For a gold IRA reader, that direct conversation happens through the IRA custodian rather than directly with the depository. The custodian is authorized to disclose the storage stack the reader will pay.

Estimate the annual fee drag on your own balance

Use the calculator below to enter your planned rollover balance and the annual fees your IRA custodian will bill for storage at your chosen IDS location. The calculator returns the annual carrying cost and the fee drag as a percentage of the balance. Enter zeros in fields you cannot yet fill in and update them once the custodian provides written numbers.

How to open an IDS storage arrangement for a gold IRA

An IDS storage arrangement for a gold IRA runs through your chosen IRA custodian, not directly with IDS. The steps below describe what happens between selecting the depository on the intake form and seeing the first depository receipt on the account.

1. Pick your IRA custodian first. IDS is on the approved depository list of many US self-directed IRA administrators, per the IRA/RSP Custodian Accounts page. Confirm that both the specific IDS location you want (Delaware or Texas) and your chosen storage type are on that custodian's approved matrix before you commit to a dealer.
2. Choose your storage type at intake. Segregated returns your exact bars or coins. Allocated assigns specific quantities to your account without physical isolation. Unallocated is not offered by IDS Group. Get the annual cost for each option from the custodian in writing before you decide.
3. Fund the IRA at the custodian. Roll over from a former 401(k), 403(b), TSP, or existing IRA. A trustee-to-trustee transfer avoids the 60-day rollover risk under IRC section 402. The custodian receives the cash before any coin buy can settle.
4. Sign the buy instruction naming IDS. The dealer prepares a buy instruction that names the coins or bars, the price, and the specific IDS location as the depository. The custodian executes the wire to the dealer once you sign.
5. Dealer ships insured to the IDS vault. The dealer ships the bullion under insured freight to IDS of Texas in Dallas or IDS of Delaware in New Castle. IDS receives, inspects, and vaults the metal under your account.
6. Confirm the depository receipt. The custodian receives a receipt from IDS confirming the metal is in vault. That is the moment the account holds physical metal rather than cash. Ask the custodian to send you the depository receipt in writing.
7. Access the IDS Online Depository Client Portal. The IDS Group proprietary portal gives clients 24/7 view of holdings, transaction history, and shipment or transfer requests, per the History page. Access is granted through the custodian; the portal does not replace the custodian statements the IRS relies on for reporting.

Worked example: a Houston rollover into IDS of Texas

IDS of Texas vs the Texas Bullion Depository

Texas readers who look at IDS of Texas almost always also look at the Texas Bullion Depository. Both vaults sit inside Texas and both hold IRA metal for Texas residents. They sit in different legal categories and offer a different reader experience. The comparison below focuses on published facts and leaves the choice to the reader.

IDS of Texas is a privately owned Dillon Gage division in Dallas. It opened in 2017 and expanded in 2019 to become the largest precious metals depository in the state.

The Texas Bullion Depository is an agency of the State of Texas, located in Leander in Williamson County. It was established by law signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, 2015, and operated by Lone Star Tangible Assets as the vendor since 2017 (source: texasbulliondepository.gov and Texas Comptroller pages, checked July 2026).

Both vaults sit inside Texas, so both eliminate the geography objection some Texans raise about out-of-state depositories. The difference is oversight and operating history. IDS of Texas is a private vault backed by the operating experience of Dillon Gage Metals since 1976 and by Lloyd's of London insurance. The Texas Bullion Depository is a state-owned facility operating under Texas Comptroller oversight since 2017.

For a reader who wants private-vault operating experience and Lloyd's-backed insurance in Dallas, IDS of Texas is a solid pairing. For a reader who specifically wants a state-owned, state-audited depository under the Texas Comptroller, the Texas Bullion Depository in Leander is the natural pairing. Neither choice changes federal tax treatment of the IRA.

Balanced pros and cons

When IDS is a bad fit for you

Frequently asked questions

By Harry's Coins Editorial. Independent, editorial. Last reviewed July 2026.