Key Benefits:
Direct legal ownership of reserved, uniquely identified, physical bullion
Tax free whether purchasing or selling the bullion.
Secure vault storage, full liability protection, multiple independent audits
Optional physical delivery in Singapore of the bullion (2 to 3 days)
Bullion buyback rates can be locked in through our website 24/7
S.T.A.R. Storage is not a financial product but a storage service that securely stores bullion bought from Silver Bullion Pte Ltd in the form of uniquely identified parcels each containing 500 troy ounces (about 15.55 kg) of silver. These parcels can be either sold back or taken delivery of, as initiated through the online S.T.A.R. storage interface.
S.T.A.R. Storage minimizes financial and jurisdictional risks and can be a lifeboat in the event of a systemic financial crisis, rampant financial bankruptcies, precious metals nationalization among Western countries or hyperinflation.
The four defining S.T.A.R. characteristics:
Exclusive Singapore Jurisdiction - If you seek to diversify your assets internationally few countries are safer than Singapore [About Singapore]. The S.T.A.R. Storage program and Silver Bullion Pte Ltd are exclusively based in Singapore with no jurisdictional ties to the US or any country in Europe. For international customers this can be an important diversification aspect, especially in light of precious metal nationalizations that occurred in the US during the Great Depression. See Executive Order 6102.
Ownership without Financial Markets Counterparty Risk – As a S.T.A.R Customer you are the legal owner of the bullion as evidenced by a Singapore tax invoice. Silver Bullion Pte Ltd merely acts as your agent with the vault operator and offers a convenient sellback option. This is a much stronger position compared to the unsecured creditor status that most financial (paper) precious metal positions entail.
Secure Physical Storage – Both the Singapore FreePort and Singapore Certis Cisco Auxiliary Police Bonded Vault are high-security bonded vaults and the S.T.A.R. bullion stored there has full liability protection. Currently all Bullion is Stored in the Singapore FreePort. We expect to add a Certis Cisco Bonded Vault option in the future.
Free Trade Area - S.T.A.R. Storage is exempted from the Singapore Goods and Services Tax (GST) on both purchasing and selling the bullion due to its bonded vault status. Should you request physical delivery of parcels to Singapore instead of selling back to us within the vault, the bullion will be subject to Singapore GST upon import.
No International Reporting Requirements - S.T.A.R. Storage involves physical products (bullion) storage which is not classified as a financial product by Singapore. There is no legal obligation on Silver Bullion to any foreign government, including any foreign tax authority, regulator and/or any foreign public authority to provide information on any customers and/or any transactions performed under the S.T.A.R. Storage Agreement. See 12.4 Transaction Encryption & Data Security
No Capital Gains Tax in Singapore - Singapore has no capital gains tax for private individuals.
Always Fully Allocated - The total amount of bullion in storage always matches or exceeds -- as Silver Bullion also holds bullion in storage -- the total amount of bullion owned by S.T.A.R. customers. See the Allocated (Fully) Storage Section in the S.T.A.R. Storage Agreement for more details.
Clear Ownership Title - Bullion held in S.T.A.R. Storage by customers will not be subject to any kind of lending, collateral or derivative transaction of any type and will remain your property in the safekeeping of the Vault Operator until sold or withdrawn according to your instructions received via Silver Bullion.
Transparent Inventory & Ordering S.T.A.R. Storage lists how much bullion is available in-stock for immediate purchase at the vault or whether a purchase needs to be pre-ordered from suppliers. As a permanently fully allocated storage S.T.A.R. differentiates between these orders since you can only receive legal title for bullion that is physically present in the vault.
Uniquely Identified Bullion Parcels - S.T.A.R. Customers own specific, sealed and uniquely identified parcel(s) containing the purchased bullion [e.g. a sealed 500 coin Maple Leaf monster box] instead of a generic amount of bullion. This “reserved” system, paired with checks and audits by multiple independent parties greatly increases accountability and transparency for all parties involved.
Physical Delivery of Parcels & Import Tax – The S.T.A.R. Storage system keeps a history of sales and buybacks for each parcel. Should you wish to take physical delivery of any parcel(s) in Singapore, Silver Bullion will clear Singapore customs on your behalf and, as per customs rules, reference your original purchase price for each parcel to calculate and collect GST. The S.T.A.R. interface lists your purchase price (in Singapore Dollars) and tax invoice ID for each parcel. This allows you to optimize your import tax by taking delivery of the parcels which have the lowest purchase costs. In essence by purchasing through S.T.A.R. you lock in eventual future import taxes as physical goods are taxed on tax invoice purchase price. See the Withdrawal of precious metals from the Bonded Vault Section in the S.T.A.R. Storage Agreement for more details.
Parcel Ownership List and Checks & Controls – S.T.A.R. ensures that the “Fully Allocated” requirement is always fulfilled through the “Parcel Ownership List” which lists all S.T.A.R parcels and associated anonymous STAR Owner ID owner for a given day. This list is sent to the vault operator who confirms its accuracy and endorses the parcel list. This endorsed list is then made available for download to all S.T.A.R. Storage customers. This ensures that all the bullion is indeed at the facility and that no seal number is allocated twice as either condition would be spotted very quickly. Besides S.T.A.R. customers and the vault operator this list is also periodically checked by specialized material auditors from an LBMA verified inspection company and by Singapore financial auditors. Your anonymity is maintained through the use of an eight-digit S.T.A.R. Owner ID. See the Ownership Records and Audit and Physical Inspections Sections in the S.T.A.R. Storage Agreement for more details.
Find out more about S.T.A.R.:
S.T.A.R. Storage in the Singapore FreePort Facility
S.T.A.R. Storage FAQ
The S.T.A.R. Storage Agreement
The Order Policies and Procedures Agreement
Order Options and Schedule of Fees
or for a quick summary download brochures: