BAR GraniteShares Gold Trust

Item 1. Business

The purpose of the GraniteShares Gold Trust (the “Trust”) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (“Shares”). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. The assets of the Trust are anticipated to consist solely of gold bullion. The Trust was formed on August 24, 2017 when an initial deposit of gold was made in exchange for the issuance of two Baskets (a “Basket” consists of 50,000 Shares).

The sponsor of the Trust is GraniteShares LLC (the “Sponsor”). The trustee of the Trust is The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) and the custodian is ICBC Standard Bank (the “Custodian”).

The Trust’s Shares at redeemable value increased from US$ 545,511,107 on June 30, 2019 to US$ 1,041,316,068 on June 30, 2020, the Trust’s fiscal year end. The Outstanding Shares in the Trust increased from 38,850,000 Shares on June 30, 2019 to 59,200,000 Shares on June 30, 2020.

The Trust is not managed like a corporation or an active investment vehicle. The Trust has no directors, officers or employees. It does not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from or to improve the losses caused by changes in the price of gold. The gold held by the Trust will only be delivered to pay the remuneration due to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s Fee”), distributed to Authorized Participants (defined under Item 7) in connection with the redemption of Baskets or sold (1) on an as-needed basis to pay Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, (2) in the event the Trust terminates and liquidates its assets, or (3) as otherwise required by law or regulation.

The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not required to register under such act. The Trust does not and will not hold or trade in commodities futures contracts regulated by the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”), as administered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”). The Trust is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA and neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor in connection with the Shares. The Trust has no fixed termination date.

The Sponsor of the registrant maintains an Internet website at www.graniteshares.com, through which the registrant’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, are made available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Additional information regarding the Trust may also be found on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

Trust Objective

The objective of the Trust is for the value of the Shares to reflect, at any given time, the value of the assets owned by the Trust at that time less the Trust’s accrued expenses and liabilities as of that time. The Shares are intended to constitute a simple and cost-effective means of making an investment similar to an investment in gold. An investment in allocated physical gold bullion requires expensive and sometimes complicated arrangements in connection with the assay, transportation and warehousing of the metal. Traditionally, such expense and complications have resulted in investments in physical gold bullion being efficient only in amounts beyond the reach of many investors. The Shares have been designed to remove the obstacles represented by the expense and complications involved in an investment in physical gold bullion, while at the same time having an intrinsic value that reflects, at any given time, the price of the assets owned by the Trust at such time less the Trust expenses and liabilities. Although the Shares are not the exact equivalent of an investment in gold, they provide investors with an alternative that allows a level of participation in the gold market through the securities market.

Advantages of investing in the Shares include:

Minimal credit risk.

The Shares are backed primarily by allocated physical gold bullion identified as the Trust’s property in the Custodian’s books. The Trust arrangements contemplate that no Shares can be issued unless the corresponding amount of gold has been deposited into the Trust. Once deposited into the Trust, gold is only removed from the Trust if (i) sold to pay Trust expenses (such as the Sponsor’s Fee and any other expenses not assumed by the Sponsor) or liabilities to which the Trust may be subject, or (ii) transferred from the Trust’s account to an Authorized Participant’s account in exchange for one or more Baskets of Shares surrendered for redemption.

Ease and flexibility of investment.

Retail investors may purchase and sell Shares through traditional brokerage accounts. Because the amount of gold corresponding to a Share is significantly less than the minimum amounts of physical gold bullion that are commercially available for investment purposes, the cash outlay necessary for an investment in Shares should be less than the amount required for currently existing means of investing in physical gold bullion. Shares are eligible for margin accounts.

Relatively cost efficient.

Although the return, if any, of an investment in the Shares is subject to the additional expenses of the Trust, including the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trustee’s Fee, the Custodian’s Fee, and to other costs and expenses not assumed by the Sponsor which would not be incurred in the case of a direct investment in gold, the Shares may represent a cost-efficient alternative for investors not otherwise in a position to participate directly in the market for allocated physical gold bullion, because the expenses involved in an investment in allocated physical gold bullion through the Shares are dispersed among all holders of Shares.

Description of the Gold Industry

Introduction

This section provides a brief introduction to the gold industry by looking at some of the key participants, detailing the primary sources of demand and supply and outlining the role of the “official” sector (i.e., central banks) in the market.

Market Participants

The participants in the world gold industry may be classified in the following sectors: the mining and producer sector, the banking sector, the official sector, the investment sector, and the manufacturing sector. A brief description of each follows.

The Mining and Producer Sector

This group includes mining companies that specialize in gold and silver production; mining companies that produce gold as a by-product of other production (such as a copper or silver producer); scrap merchants and recyclers.

The Banking Sector

Bullion banks provide a variety of services to the gold market and its participants, thereby facilitating interactions between other parties. Services provided by the bullion banking community include traditional banking products as well as mine financing, physical gold purchases and sales, hedging and risk management, inventory management for industrial users and consumers, and gold deposit and loan instruments.

The Official Sector

The official sector encompasses the activities of the various central banking operations of gold-holding countries. Having been a source of gold supply for many years, the official sector became a source of net demand in 2010. The prominence given by market commentators to this activity coupled with the total amount of gold held by the official sector has resulted in this area being a significant shift in the gold market.

The Investment Sector

This sector includes the investment and trading activities of both professional and private investors and speculators. These participants range from large hedge and mutual funds to day-traders on futures exchanges and retail-level coin collectors.

The Manufacturing Sector

The fabrication and manufacturing sector represents all the commercial and industrial users of gold for whom gold is a daily part of their business. The jewelry industry is a large user of gold. Other industrial users of gold include the electronics and dental industries.

Source: Gold Survey 2019 and Gold Survey 2020, GFMS, Thomson Reuters

Historical Chart of the Price of Gold

The price of gold is volatile, and its fluctuations are expected to have a direct impact on the value of the Shares. However, movements in the price of gold in the past, and any past or present trends, are not a reliable indicator of future movements. Movements may be influenced by various factors, including announcements from central banks regarding a country’s reserve gold holdings, agreements among central banks, fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar, political uncertainties around the world, and economic concerns.

The following chart illustrates the changes in the LBMA gold prices from July 2010 through June 2020:

Source: Bloomberg and GraniteShares

Operation of the Gold Market

The global trade in gold consists of Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) transactions in spot, forwards, and options and other derivatives, together with exchange-traded futures and options.

Over-the-Counter Market

The OTC gold market includes spot, forward, and option and other derivative transactions conducted on a principal-to-principal basis. While this is a global, nearly 24-hour per day market, its main centers are London, New York and Zurich.

Most OTC market trades are cleared through London. The LBMA plays an important role in setting OTC gold trading industry standards. A London Good Delivery Bar (as described below), which is acceptable for settlement of any OTC transaction, will be acceptable for delivery to the Trust in connection with the issuance of Baskets.

Futures Exchanges

Futures exchanges seek to provide a neutral, regulated marketplace for the trading of derivatives contracts for commodities, such as futures, options and certain swaps. The terms of these contracts are defined by an exchange for each commodity. For each commodity traded, the contract specifies the precise commodity quality and quantity standards, as well as the location and timing of physical delivery for the reference physical commodity, although only a very small number of these contracts result in the actual commodity delivery.

An exchange does not buy or sell those contracts, but seeks to offer a transparent forum where members, on their own behalf or on the behalf of customers, can trade the contracts in a safe, efficient and orderly manner. The futures and options contracts, as well as some swaps, are cleared through a derivatives clearing organization which ensures more accurate valuation of positions in these contracts as well as settlement of trades in these contracts.

The most significant gold futures exchange in the U.S. is COMEX, operated by Commodities Exchange, Inc., a subsidiary of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., and a subsidiary of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (the “CME Group”). Other commodity exchanges include the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (“TOCOM”), the Multi Commodity Exchange Of India (“MCX”), the Shanghai Futures Exchange, ICE Futures US (the “ICE”), and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange.

Exchange Regulation

In addition to the public nature of the pricing, futures exchanges in the United States are regulated at two levels, internal and external governmental supervision. The internal is performed through self-regulation as self-regulatory organizations and consists of regular monitoring of the trading process to ensure that it is conducted in conformance with all exchange rules; the financial condition of all exchange member firms to ensure that they continuously meet financial commitments; and the positions of commercial and non-commercial customers to ensure that physical delivery and other commercial commitments can be met, and that pricing is not being improperly affected by the size of any particular customer positions. External governmental oversight is performed by the CFTC, which reviews all the rules and regulations of United States futures exchanges and monitors their enforcement. The CFTC oversees the operation of the U.S. commodity futures markets, including COMEX and ICE Futures US. One of the principal public policy objectives of the Commodity Exchange Act is to ensure the integrity of the markets it oversees and the reliability of the prices of trades on those markets. The Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC require futures exchanges to ensure compliance with core principles applicable to designated contract markets to have rules and procedures to prevent market manipulation, abusive trade practice and fraud, and the CFTC conducts regular review of the markets’ rule enforcement programs. Other local regulators enforce their own regulations governing trading platforms and futures exchanges located in their jurisdictions.

The London Bullion Market

Most trading in physical gold is conducted on the OTC market, predominantly in London. The LBMA coordinates various OTC-market activities, including clearing and vaulting, acts as the principal intermediary between physical gold market participants and the relevant regulators, promotes good trading practices and develops standard market documentation. In addition, the LBMA promotes refining standards for the gold market by maintaining the “London Good Delivery List,” which identifies refiners of gold that have been approved by the LBMA.

In the OTC market, gold bars that meet the specifications for weight, dimensions, fineness (or purity), identifying marks (including the assay stamp of an LBMA-acceptable refiner) and appearance described in “The Good Delivery Rules for Gold and Silver Bars” published by the LBMA are referred to as “London Good Delivery Bars.” A London Good Delivery Bar (typically called a “400 ounce bar”) must contain between 350 and 430 fine troy ounces of gold (1 troy ounce = 31.1034768 grams), with a minimum fineness (or purity) of 995 parts per 1000 (99.5%), be of good appearance and be easy to handle and stack. The fine gold content of a gold bar is calculated by multiplying the gross weight of the bar (expressed in units of 0.025 troy ounces) by the fineness of the bar. A London Good Delivery Bar must also bear the stamp of one of the refiners identified on the London Good Delivery List.

London Market Regulation

Following the enactment of the Financial Markets Act 2012, the Prudential Regulation Authority of the Bank of England is responsible for regulating most of the financial firms that are active in the bullion market, and the Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for consumer and competition issues. Trading in spot, forwards and wholesale deposits in the bullion market is subject to the Non-Investment Products Code adopted by market participants.

Not a Regulated Commodity Pool

The Trust does not trade in gold futures, options or swap contracts on any futures exchange or over the counter. The Trust takes delivery of gold that complies with the LBMA gold delivery rules. Because the Trust does not trade in gold futures, options or swap contracts on any futures exchange or OTC, the Trust is not regulated by the CFTC or the NFA under the Commodity Exchange Act as a “commodity pool,” and is not required to be operated by a CFTC-regulated commodity pool operator or advised by a commodity trading advisor. Investors in the Trust do not receive the regulatory protections afforded to investors in commodity pools operated by registered commodity pool operators, nor may any futures exchange or the NFA enforce its rules with respect to the Trust’s activities. In addition, investors in the Trust do not benefit from the protections afforded to investors in gold futures, options or swaps contracts on regulated futures exchanges or OTC.

Other Methods of Investing in Gold

The Trust competes with other financial vehicles, including traditional debt and equity securities issued by companies in the gold industry and other securities backed by or linked to gold, direct investments in gold and investment vehicles similar to the Trust.

Secondary Market Trading

While the Trust seeks to reflect generally the performance of the price of gold less the Trust’s expenses and liabilities, Shares may trade at, above or below their NAV. The NAV of Shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Trust’s assets. The trading prices of Shares will fluctuate in accordance with changes in their NAV as well as market supply and demand. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV may be influenced by non-concurrent trading hours between the major gold markets and the Exchange. While the Shares trade on the Exchange until 4:00 p.m. (New York time), liquidity in the market for gold may be reduced after the close of the major world gold markets, including London, Zurich and COMEX. As a result, during this time, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount, on Shares may widen. However, given that Baskets of Shares can be created and redeemed in exchange for the underlying amount of gold, the Sponsor believes that the arbitrage opportunities may provide a mechanism to mitigate the effect of such premium or discount.

Valuation of Gold; Computation of Net Asset Value

On each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (New York time), the Trustee evaluates the gold held by the Trust and determines the net asset value of the Trust and the NAV. For purposes of making these calculations, a business day means any day other than a day when the Exchange is closed for regular trading.

The Trustee values the gold held by the Trust using that day’s LBMA Gold Price PM. LBMA Gold Price PM is the price per fine troy ounce of gold, stated in U.S. dollars, determined by IBA following one or more 30-second electronic auctions conducted starting at 3:00 p.m. (London time), on each day that the London gold market is open for business, and announced by the LBMA shortly thereafter. If there is no LBMA Gold Price PM on any day, the Trustee is authorized to use the LBMA Gold Price AM announced on that day. If neither price is available for that day, the Trustee will value the Trust’s gold based on the most recently announced LBMA Gold Price PM or LBMA Gold Price AM. If the Sponsor determines that such price is inappropriate to use, the Sponsor will identify an alternate basis for evaluation to be employed by the Trustee. Further, the Sponsor may instruct the Trustee to use on an on-going basis a different publicly available price which the Sponsor determines to fairly represent the commercial value of the Trust’s gold. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor are liable to any person for the determination that the most recently announced LBMA Gold Price PM (or other benchmark price) is not appropriate as a basis for evaluation of the gold held or receivable by the Trust or for any determination as to the alternative basis for evaluation, provided that such determination is made in good faith.

On each day that the LBMA Gold Price PM is to be determined, a price for the first round of auction (and any round thereafter) is set by a chairperson appointed by IBA, based on a set of rules and taking into account relevant pricing information available at the time, and made publicly available in advance of the auction. Beginning at 3:00 p.m. (London time), the direct participants pre-qualified by IBA and their sponsored clients are allowed, but not required, to electronically submit during a 30-second period buy and/or sell orders for spot transactions in gold at the pre-determined price. If at the conclusion of the 30-second round the market is determined by IBA to be balanced, the price determined by a chairperson for that round is the LBMA Gold Price PM for that day and announced as such by the LBMA. If the market is not balanced at the end of the first auction, a chairperson will revise the starting price, and an additional 30-second auction is held at the new price. If necessary, the process is repeated until the market is determined to be balanced and the price at which that determination occurs is the LBMA Gold Price PM for that date. For these purposes, the market is considered to be balanced when, at the end of an auction, the total number of ounces of gold for which buy orders were submitted in that auction falls within a certain pre-determined margin of tolerance from the total number of ounces of gold for which sell orders were submitted in the auction. Once the LBMA Gold Price PM has been determined for a given day, the buy and sell orders entered by the auction participants during the last auction will be executed at that day’s LBMA Gold Price PM. Any market imbalance remaining after the last auction (which must be within the margin of tolerance) is allocated equally among all participants (and not only those participating in any auction held on that date). IBA reserves a right to limit the allocation of any market imbalance on any date only among participants that have entered an order during an auction on that date.

Once the value of the Trust’s gold has been determined, the Trustee subtracts all accrued fees, expenses and other liabilities of the Trust from the total value of the gold and all other assets of the Trust. The resulting figure is the net asset value of the Trust. The Trustee determines the NAV per Share by dividing the net asset value of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding at the time the computation is made. Any estimate of the accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and liabilities of the Trust for purposes of computing the net asset value of the Trust and NAV per Share of the Trust made by the Trustee in good faith shall be conclusive upon all persons interested in the Trust.

Trust Expenses

The Trust’s only ordinary recurring expense is expected to be the Sponsor’s Fee. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume the following expenses incurred by the Trust: The Trustee’s Fee and its ordinary out-of-pocket expenses, the Custodian’s Fee and its reimbursable expenses, the Exchange listing fees, SEC registration fees, marketing expenses, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and expenses and up to $100,000 per annum in legal fees and expenses.

The Sponsor’s Fee is accrued daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.1749% of the net asset value of the Trust and is payable monthly in arrears. The Sponsor may, at its discretion and from time to time, waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for stated periods of time. The Sponsor is under no obligation to waive any portion of its fees and any such waiver shall create no obligation to waive any such fees during any period not covered by the waiver. Presently, the Sponsor does not intend to waive any part of its fee. Furthermore, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, agree to rebate all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee attributable to Shares held by certain institutional investors subject to minimum Share holding and lock up requirements as determined by the Sponsor to foster stability in the Trust’s asset levels. Any such rebate will be subject to negotiation and written agreement between the Sponsor and the investor on a case by case basis. The Sponsor is under no obligation to provide any rebates of the Sponsor’s Fee. Neither the Trust nor the Trustee will be a party to any Sponsor’s Fee rebate arrangements negotiated by the Sponsor. Any Sponsor’s Fee rebate shall be paid from the funds of the Sponsor and not from the assets of the Trust.

The Sponsor’s Fee will be paid through delivery of gold from the Trust Unallocated Account that has been de-allocated from the Trust Allocated Account for this purpose. The Trustee will, when directed by the Sponsor, and, in the absence of such direction, may, in its discretion, sell gold in such quantity and at such times, as may be necessary to permit payment of the Trust expenses or liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor. The Trustee will endeavor to sell gold at such times and in the smallest amounts required to permit such payments as they become due, it being the intention to avoid or minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than gold. Accordingly, the amount of gold to be sold will vary from time to time depending on the level of the Trust’s expenses and the market price of gold. The Custodian may, but is not required to purchase gold needed to cover Trust expenses provided that if the Trustee’s instruction to sell gold is received by the Custodian by 2:00 p.m. (London time), the purchase price for the gold will be that day’s LBMA Gold Price PM (or other applicable benchmark price), and if the Trustee’s instruction to sell gold is received by the Custodian after 2:00 p.m. (London time), the purchase price will be the next LBMA Gold Price PM (or other applicable benchmark price) available after that day.

Cash held by the Trustee pending payment of the Trust’s expenses will not bear any interest. Each sale of gold by the Trust will be a taxable event to Shareholders for federal income tax purposes. See “United States Federal Income Tax Consequences—Taxation of U.S. Shareholders.”

The Sponsor’s Fee for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 was $1,193,277.

Deposit of Gold; Issuance of Baskets

The Trust creates and redeems Shares on a continuous basis but only in Baskets of 50,000 Shares. Upon the deposit of the corresponding amount of gold with the Custodian, and the payment of the Trustee’s applicable fee and of any expenses, taxes or charges (such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees), the Trustee will deliver the appropriate number of Baskets to the DTC account of the depositing Authorized Participant. Only Authorized Participants can deposit gold and receive Baskets of Shares in exchange. As of the date of this prospectus, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp. and Virtu Financial BD LLC are the Authorized Participants. The Sponsor and the Trustee maintain a current list of Authorized Participants. Gold allocated by the Custodian to the Trust Allocated Account must meet the London Good Delivery Standards.

Before making a deposit, the Authorized Participant must deliver to the Trustee a written purchase order indicating the number of Baskets it intends to acquire. The Trustee will acknowledge the purchase order unless it or the Sponsor decides to refuse the purchase order as permitted by the Trust Agreement. The date the Trustee receives that order determines the Basket Amount the Authorized Participant needs to deposit. However, orders received by the Trustee after 3:59 p.m. (New York time) on a business day or on a business day when the LBMA Gold Price PM or other applicable benchmark price is not announced, will not be accepted.

If the Trustee accepts the purchase order, it transmits to the Authorized Participant, via facsimile or electronic mail message, no later than 5:30 p.m. (New York time) on the date such purchase order is received, or deemed received, a copy of the purchase order endorsed “Accepted” by the Trustee and indicating the Basket Amount that the Authorized Participant must deliver to the Custodian at the Trust Unallocated Account loco London in exchange for each Basket. Prior to the Trustee’s acceptance as specified above, a purchase order only represents the Authorized Participant’s unilateral offer to deposit gold in exchange for Baskets of Shares and has no binding effect upon the Trust, the Trustee, the Custodian or any other party.

The Basket Amount necessary for the creation of a Basket changes from day to day. On each day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, the Trustee adjusts the quantity of gold constituting the Basket Amount as appropriate to reflect sales of gold, any loss of gold that may occur, and accrued expenses. The computation is made by the Trustee as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (New York time). See “The Trust—Valuation of Gold; Computation of Net Asset Value” for a description of how the LBMA Gold Price PM is determined, and description of how the Trustee determines the NAV. The Trustee determines the Basket Amount for a given day by dividing the number of Fine Ounces of gold held by the Trust as of the opening of business on that business day, adjusted for the amount of gold constituting estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Trust as of the opening of business on that business day, by the quotient of the number of Shares outstanding at the opening of business divided by 50,000. Fractions of a Fine Ounce of gold smaller than 0.001 Fine Ounce are disregarded for purposes of the computation of the Basket Amount. The Basket Amount so determined is communicated via electronic mail message to all Authorized Participants, and made available on the Sponsor’s website for the Shares. The Exchange also publishes the Basket Amount determined by the Trustee as indicated above.

Because the Sponsor has assumed what are expected to be most of the Trust’s expenses, and the Sponsor’s Fee accrues daily at the same rate (i.e., 1/365th for a non-leap year or 1/366^th for a leap year of the daily net asset value of the Trust multiplied by 0.1749%), in the absence of any extraordinary expenses or liabilities, the amount of gold by which the Basket Amount decreases each day is predictable. Authorized Participants may use that indicative Basket Amount as guidance regarding the amount of gold that they may expect to have to deposit with the Custodian in respect of purchase orders placed by them on such next business day and accepted by the Trustee. The Authorized Participant Agreement provides, however, that once a purchase order has been accepted by the Trustee, the Authorized Participant will be required to deposit with the Custodian the Basket Amount determined by the Trustee on the effective date of the purchase order.

No Shares are issued unless and until the Custodian has informed the Trustee that it has allocated to the Trust Allocated Account (other than up to 430 Fine Ounces, which may be held in the Trust Unallocated Account) the corresponding amount of gold.

Redemption of Baskets

Authorized Participants, acting on authority of the registered holder of Shares or on their own account, may surrender Baskets of Shares in exchange for the corresponding Basket Amount announced by the Trustee. Upon the surrender of such Shares and the payment of the Trustee’s applicable fee and of any expenses, taxes or charges (such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees), the Trustee will deliver to the order of the redeeming Authorized Participant the amount of gold corresponding to the redeemed Baskets. Shares can only be surrendered for redemption in Baskets of 50,000 Shares each.

Before surrendering Baskets of Shares for redemption, an Authorized Participant must deliver to the Trustee a written request indicating the number of Baskets it intends to redeem or on a business day when the LBMA Gold Price PM or other applicable benchmark price is not announced. The date the Trustee receives that order determines the Basket Amount to be received in exchange. However, orders received by the Trustee after 3:59 p.m. (New York time) on a business day or on a business day when the LBMA Gold Price PM or other applicable benchmark price is not announced, will not be accepted.

The redemption distribution from the Trust will consist of a credit to the redeeming Authorized Participant’s unallocated account representing the amount of the gold held by the Trust evidenced by the Shares being redeemed as of the date of the redemption order. Fractions of a Fine Ounce included in the redemption distribution smaller than 0.001 of a Fine Ounce are disregarded. The redemption distribution will not be delivered unless and until all of the Shares to be redeemed have been received by the Trustee.

In connection with any issuance or redemption of Shares, the Authorized Participant shall be responsible for paying or reimbursing to the Custodian and the Trustee the amount of any applicable tax, fees or other governmental charge that may be due in connection with the transfer of gold and the issuance and delivery of Shares, and any expense associated with the delivery of gold other than by credit to an Authorized Participant’s unallocated account with the Custodian.

Redemptions may be suspended, or the date for delivery of gold may be postponed, only (i) during any period in which regular trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted or the Exchange is closed (other than scheduled holiday or weekend closings), or (ii) during an emergency as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of gold is not reasonably practicable. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor will be liable to any person by reason of any such suspension or postponement.

Fees and Expenses of the Trustee

Each deposit of gold for the creation of Baskets of Shares and each surrender of Baskets of Shares for the purpose of withdrawing Trust property (including if the Trust Agreement terminates) must be accompanied by a payment to the Trustee of a fee of $500 (or such other fee as the Trustee, with the prior written consent of the Sponsor, may from time to time announce).

The Trustee is entitled to reimburse itself from the assets of the Trust for all expenses and disbursements incurred by it for extraordinary services it may provide to the Trust or in connection with any discretionary action the Trustee may take to protect the Trust or the interests of the holders.

The Sponsor

The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company and was formed on January 6, 2017. The Sponsor’s office is located at 205 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10013. Under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the governing documents of the Sponsor, the sole member of the Sponsor, GraniteShares, Inc., is not responsible for the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Sponsor solely by reason of being the sole member of the Sponsor.

The Sponsor’s Role

The Sponsor arranged for the creation of the Trust and is responsible for the ongoing registration of the Shares for their public offering in the United States and the listing of the Shares on the Exchange. The Sponsor has agreed to assume the organizational expenses of the Trust and the following expenses incurred by the Trust: The Trustee’s monthly fee and its ordinary out-of-pocket expenses, the Custodian’s Fee and its reimbursable expenses, Exchange listing fees, SEC registration fees, marketing expenses, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and expenses and up to $100,000 per annum in legal fees and expenses.

The Sponsor will not exercise day-to-day oversight over the Trustee or the Custodian. The Sponsor may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor Trustee (i) if the Trustee ceases to meet certain objective requirements (including the requirement that it has capital, surplus and undivided profits of at least $150 million), (ii) if, having received written notice of a material breach of its obligations under the Trust Agreement, the Trustee has not cured the breach within 30 days, or (iii) if the Trustee refuses to consent to the implementation of an amendment to the Trust’s initial Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Sponsor also has the right to replace the Trustee during the 90 days following any merger, consolidation or conversion in which the Trustee is not the surviving entity or, in its discretion, on the fifth anniversary of the creation of the Trust or on any subsequent third anniversary thereafter. The Sponsor also has the right to direct the Trustee to appoint any new or additional Custodian that the Sponsor selects.

The Sponsor has developed a marketing plan for the Trust, prepares marketing materials regarding the Shares, including the content of the Trust’s website, and executes the marketing plan for the Trust on an ongoing basis.

The Trustee

The Bank of New York Mellon, a banking corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York with trust powers, serves as the Trustee. The Bank of New York Mellon has a trust office at 2 Hanson Place, 9th Floor, Brooklyn, New York 11217. The Bank of New York Mellon is subject to supervision by the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. A copy of the Trust Agreement is available for inspection at The Bank of New York Mellon’s trust office identified above. The Bank of New York Mellon had at least $150 million in capital and retained earnings as of June 30, 2020.

The Trustee’s Role

The Trustee is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust. This includes (i) processing orders for the creation and redemption of Baskets; (ii) coordinating with the Custodian the receipt and delivery of gold transferred to, or by, the Trust in connection with each issuance and redemption of Baskets; (iii) calculating the net asset value of the Trust on each business day; and (iv) selling the Trust’s gold as needed to cover the Trust’s expenses. The Trustee intends to regularly communicate with the Sponsor to monitor the overall performance of the Trust. The Trustee does not monitor the performance of the Custodian other than to review the reports provided by the Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreements. The Trustee, along with the Sponsor, will liaise with the Trust’s legal, accounting and other professional service providers as needed. The Trustee will assist and support the Sponsor with the preparation of the financial statements of the Trust and with all periodic reports required to be filed with the SEC on behalf of the Trust.

The Custodian

ICBC Standard Bank Plc, a public limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, serves as the Custodian of the Trust’s gold.

The Custodian’s Role

The Custodian is responsible for holding the Trust’s allocated gold as well as receiving and converting allocated and unallocated gold on behalf of the Trust. Unless otherwise agreed between the Trustee (as instructed by the Sponsor) and the Custodian, physical gold must be held by the Custodian at its London vault premises. At the end of each business day, the Custodian will hold no more than 430 Fine Ounces of unallocated gold for the Trust, which corresponds to the maximum Fine Ounce weight of a London Good Delivery Bar. The Custodian converts the Trust’s gold between allocated and unallocated gold when: (1) Authorized Participants engage in creation and redemption transactions with the Trust; or (2) gold is sold to pay Trust expenses. The Custodian will facilitate the transfer of gold in and out of the Trust through the unallocated gold accounts it may maintain for each Authorized Participant or unallocated gold accounts that may be maintained for an Authorized Participant by another LBMA-approved gold-clearing bank, and through the unallocated gold account it will maintain for the Trust. The Custodian is responsible for allocating specific bars of gold to the Trust Allocated Account.

The Custodian will provide the Trustee with regular reports detailing the gold transfers in and out of the Trust Unallocated Account with the Custodian and identifying the gold bars held in the Trust Allocated Account.

The Custodian’s fees and expenses are to be paid by the Sponsor. The Custodian and its affiliates may from time to time act as Authorized Participants or purchase or sell gold or shares for their own account, as an agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. The Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, has entered into the Custody Agreements with the Custodian, under which the Custodian maintains the Trust Unallocated Account and the Trust Allocated Account.

Pursuant to the Trust Agreement, if, upon the resignation of the Custodian, there would be no custodian acting pursuant to the Custody Agreements, the Trustee shall, promptly after receiving notice of such resignation, appoint a substitute custodian or custodians selected by the Sponsor pursuant to custody agreement(s) approved by the Sponsor (provided, however, that the rights and duties of the Trustee under the Trust Agreement and the custody agreement(s) shall not be materially altered without its consent). When directed by the Sponsor, and to the extent permitted by, and in the manner provided by, the Custody Agreements, the Trustee shall remove the Custodian and appoint a substitute or appoint an additional custodian or custodians selected by the Sponsor. Each such substitute or additional custodian shall, forthwith upon its appointment, enter into a Custody Agreement in form and substance approved by the Sponsor. After the entry into the Custody Agreements, the Trustee shall not enter into or amend any Custody Agreement with a custodian without the written approval of the Sponsor (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). When instructed by the Sponsor, the Trustee shall demand that a custodian of the Trust deliver such of the Trust’s gold held by it as is requested of it to any other custodian or such substitute or additional custodian or custodians directed by the Sponsor. In connection with such transfer of physical gold, the Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor, cause the physical gold to be weighed or assayed. The Trustee shall have no liability for any transfer of physical gold or weighing or assaying of delivered physical gold as directed by the Sponsor, and in the absence of such direction shall have no obligation to effect such a delivery or to cause the delivered physical gold to be weighed, assayed or otherwise validated.

Under the Trust Agreement, the Sponsor is responsible for appointing accountants, auditors or other inspectors to audit or examine the accounts and operations of the Custodian and any successor custodian or additional custodian at such times as directed by the Sponsor as permitted by the Custody Agreements. See “Inspection of Gold” for a summary of the provisions of the Custody Agreements permitting the Sponsor and the Trustee and their identified representatives, independent public accountants and physical gold auditors to access the premises of the Custodian and to examine the physical gold and records maintained by the Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreements. The Trustee has no obligation to monitor the activities of the Custodian other than to receive and review such reports of the gold held for the Trust by such Custodian and of transactions in gold held for the account of the Trust made by such Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreements.

Inspection of Gold

Under the Custody Agreements, the Custodian will allow the Sponsor and the Trustee and their identified representatives, independent public accountants and physical gold auditors (currently Inspectorate), access to its premises upon reasonable notice during normal business hours, to examine the physical gold and such records as they may reasonably require to perform their respective duties with regard to investors in Shares. The Trustee agrees that any such access shall be subject to execution of a confidentiality agreement and agreement to the Custodian’s security procedures, and any such audit shall be at the Trust’s expense.

Description of the Shares

General

The Trustee is authorized under the Trust Agreement to create and issue an unlimited number of Shares. The Trustee creates Shares only in Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 50,000 Shares) and only upon the order of an Authorized Participant. The Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust and have no par value. Any creation and issuance of Shares above the amount registered on the Trust’s then-current and effective registration statement with the SEC will require the registration of such additional Shares.

Description of Limited Rights

The Shares do not represent a traditional investment and Shareholders should not view them as similar to “shares” of a corporation operating a business enterprise with management and a board of directors. Shareholders do not have the statutory rights normally associated with the ownership of shares of a corporation, including, for example, the right to bring “oppression” or “derivative” actions. All Shares are of the same class with equal rights and privileges. Each Share is transferable, is fully paid and non-assessable and entitles the holder to vote on the limited matters upon which Shareholders may vote under the Trust Agreement. The Shares do not entitle their holders to any conversion or pre-emptive rights, or, except as provided below, any redemption rights or rights to distributions.

Distributions

If the Trust is terminated and liquidated, the Trustee will distribute to the Shareholders any amounts remaining after the satisfaction of all outstanding liabilities of the Trust and the establishment of such reserves for applicable taxes, other governmental charges and contingent or future liabilities as the Trustee shall determine. Shareholders of record on the record date fixed by the Trustee for a distribution will be entitled to receive their pro rata portion of any distribution.

Voting and Approvals

Under the Trust Agreement, Shareholders have no voting rights, except in limited circumstances. The Trustee may terminate the Trust upon the agreement of Shareholders owning at least 75% of the outstanding Shares. In addition, certain amendments to the Trust Agreement require advance notice to the Shareholders before the effectiveness of such amendments, but no Shareholder vote or approval is required for any amendment to the Trust Agreement.

Redemption of the Shares

The Shares may only be redeemed by or through an Authorized Participant and only in Baskets.

Book-Entry Form

Individual certificates will not be issued for the Shares. Instead, one or more global certificates is deposited by the Trustee with DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC. The global certificates evidence all of the Shares outstanding at any time. Under the Trust Agreement, Shareholders are limited to (1) participants in DTC such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies (DTC Participants), (2) those who maintain, either directly or indirectly, a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant (Indirect Participants), and (3) those banks, brokers, dealers, trust companies and others who hold interests in the Shares through DTC Participants or Indirect Participants. The Shares are only transferable through the book-entry system of DTC. Shareholders who are not DTC Participants may transfer their Shares through DTC by instructing the DTC Participant holding their Shares (or by instructing the Indirect Participant or other entity through which their Shares are held) to transfer the Shares. Transfers will be made in accordance with standard securities industry practice.

Custody of the Trust’s Gold

The Custodian, as instructed by the Trustee on behalf of the Trust, is authorized to accept, on behalf of the Trust, deposits of gold in unallocated form. Acting on standing instructions specified in the Custody Agreements, the Custodian allocates gold deposited in unallocated form with the Trust by selecting bars of physical gold for deposit to the Trust Allocated Account. All physical gold allocated to the Trust must conform to the rules, regulations, practices and customs of the LPPM (including without limitation the good delivery rules of the LPPM).

Gold held for the Trust Allocated Account by the Custodian is held at the Custodian’s London vault. Gold temporarily held by the Custodian’s currently selected sub-custodians and by sub-custodians of sub-custodians may be held in vaults located in England or in other locations. When physical gold is held for the Trust Allocated Account by a sub-custodian, the Custodian will use, or where applicable require any sub-custodian to use, commercially reasonable efforts to promptly transport such physical gold held on behalf of the Trust to the Custodian’s London vault premises at the Custodian’s own cost and risk.

The Custodian’s vault is managed by The Brink’s Company. The Custodian segregates by identification in its books and records the Trust’s gold in the Trust Allocated Account from any other gold which it owns or holds for others and requires the sub-custodians it selects to so segregate the Trust’s gold held by them. This requirement reflects the current custody practice in the London bullion market and, under the Trust Allocated Account Agreement, the Custodian is deemed to have communicated such requirement by virtue of its participation in the London bullion market. The Custodian’s books and records are expected, as a matter of current London bullion market custody practice, to identify every bar of gold held in the Trust Allocated Account in its own vault by refiner, assay, serial number and weight. Sub-custodians selected by the Custodian are also expected, as a matter of current industry practice, to identify in their books and records each bar of gold held for the Custodian by serial number and such sub-custodians may use other identifying information.

The Sponsor has contracted with a specialist bullion assaying firm to provide biannual inspections of the gold bars held on behalf of the Trust and the Custodian’s records concerning the Trust Allocated Account and the Trust Unallocated Account as they may be reasonably required to perform their respective duties to Shareholders. One audit will be conducted at the end of the fiscal year (June 30) and the other at random, with the consent of the Custodian, on a date selected by the assaying firm.

United States Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following discussion of the material United States federal income tax consequences that generally will apply to the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares by a U.S. Shareholder (as defined below), and certain United States federal income consequences that may apply to an investment in Shares by a Non-U.S. Shareholder (as defined below), represents, insofar as it describes conclusions as to United States federal income tax law and subject to the limitations and qualifications described therein, the opinion of Vedder Price P.C., special United States federal income tax counsel to the Sponsor. The discussion below is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and judicial and administrative interpretations of the Code, all as in effect on the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change either prospectively or retroactively. The tax treatment of Shareholders may vary depending upon their own particular circumstances. Certain Shareholders (including but not limited to banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, broker-dealers, traders, Shareholders that are partnerships for United States federal income tax purposes, persons holding Shares as a position in a “hedging,” “straddle,” “conversion,” or “constructive sale” transaction for United States federal income tax purposes, persons whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, persons with “applicable financial statements” within the meaning of Section 451(b) of the Code, or other investors with special circumstances) may be subject to special rules not discussed below. In addition, the following discussion applies only to investors who will hold Shares as “capital assets” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code. Moreover, the discussion below does not address the effect of any state, local or foreign tax law on an owner of Shares. Purchasers of Shares are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to all federal, state, local and foreign tax law considerations potentially applicable to their investment in Shares.

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Shareholder” is a Shareholder that is:

A Shareholder that is not a U.S. Shareholder as defined above is considered a “Non-U.S. Shareholder” for purposes of this discussion. If a partnership or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding Shares, the discussion below may not be applicable and we urge you to consult your own tax adviser for the U.S. federal tax implications of the purchase, ownership and disposition of such Shares.

Taxation of the Trust

The Sponsor and the Trustee will treat the Trust as a “grantor trust” for United States federal income tax purposes. In the opinion of Vedder Price P.C., special United States federal income tax counsel to the Sponsor, the Trust will be classified as a “grantor trust” for United States federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself will not be subject to United States federal income tax. Instead, the Trust’s income and expenses will “flow through” to the Shareholders, and the Trustee will report the Trust’s income, gains, losses and deductions to the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) on that basis. The opinion of Vedder Price P.C. represents only its best legal judgment and is not binding on the IRS or any court. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with the conclusions of counsel’s opinion and it is possible that the IRS or another tax authority could assert a position contrary to one or all of those conclusions and that a court could sustain that contrary position. Neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee will request a ruling from the IRS with respect to the classification of the Trust for United States federal income tax purposes. If the IRS were to assert successfully that the Trust is not classified as a “grantor trust,” the Trust would likely be classified as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes, which may affect the timing and other tax consequences to the Shareholders.

The following discussion assumes that the Trust will be classified as a “grantor trust” for United States federal income tax purposes.

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders

Shareholders will be treated, for United States federal income tax purposes, as if they directly owned a pro rata share of the underlying assets held in the Trust. Shareholders also will be treated as if they directly received their respective pro rata shares of the Trust’s income, if any, and as if they directly incurred their respective pro rata shares of the Trust’s expenses. In the case of a Shareholder that purchases Shares for cash, its initial tax basis in its pro rata share of the assets held in the Trust at the time it acquires its Shares will be equal to its cost of acquiring the Shares. In the case of a Shareholder that acquires its Shares as part of a creation of a Basket, the delivery of gold to the Trust in exchange for the underlying gold represented by the Shares will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder, and the Shareholder’s tax basis and holding period for the Shareholder’s pro rata share of the gold held in the Trust will be the same as its tax basis and holding period for the gold delivered in exchange therefor. For purposes of this discussion, and unless stated otherwise, it is assumed that all of a Shareholder’s Shares are acquired on the same date and at the same price per Share. Shareholders that hold multiple lots of Shares, or that are contemplating acquiring multiple lots of Shares, should consult their own tax advisers as to the determination of the tax basis and holding period for the underlying gold related to such Shares.

When the Trust sells gold, for example to pay expenses, a Shareholder will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the Shareholder’s pro rata share of the amount realized by the Trust upon the sale and (b) the Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the gold that was sold. A Shareholder’s tax basis for its share of any gold sold by the Trust generally will be determined by multiplying the Shareholder’s total basis for its share of all of the gold held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale, by a fraction the numerator of which is the amount of gold sold, and the denominator of which is the total amount of the gold held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale. After any such sale, a Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the gold remaining in the Trust will be equal to its tax basis for its share of the total amount of the gold held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale, less the portion of such basis allocable to its share of the gold that was sold.

Upon a Shareholder’s sale of some or all of its Shares, the Shareholder will be treated as having sold the portion or all, respectively, of its pro rata share of the gold held in the Trust at the time of the sale that is attributable to the Shares sold. Accordingly, the Shareholder generally will recognize gain or loss on the sale in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the amount realized pursuant to the sale of the Shares, and (b) the Shareholder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the gold held in the Trust at the time of sale that is attributable to the Shares sold, as determined in the manner described in the preceding paragraph.

A redemption of some or all of a Shareholder’s Shares in exchange for the underlying gold represented by the Shares redeemed generally will not be a taxable event to the Shareholder. The Shareholder’s tax basis for the gold received in the redemption generally will be the same as the Shareholder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the gold held in the Trust immediately prior to the redemption that is attributable to the Shares redeemed. The Shareholder’s holding period with respect to the gold received should include the period during which the Shareholder held the Shares redeemed. A subsequent sale of the gold received by the Shareholder will be a taxable event, unless a nonrecognition provision of the Code applies to such sale.

After any sale or redemption of less than all of a Shareholder’s Shares, the Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the gold held in the Trust immediately after such sale or redemption generally will be equal to its tax basis for its share of the total amount of the gold held in the Trust immediately prior to the sale or redemption, less the portion of such basis which is taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss recognized by the Shareholder upon such sale or, in the case of a redemption, that is treated as the basis of the gold received by the Shareholder in the redemption.

Maximum 28% Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Rate for U.S. Shareholders Who Are Individuals

Under current law, gains recognized by individuals from the sale of “collectibles,” including gold, held for more than one year are taxed at a maximum rate of 28%, rather than the current maximum 20% rate applicable to most other long-term capital gains. For these purposes, gain recognized by an individual upon the sale of an interest in a trust that holds collectibles is treated as gain recognized on the sale of collectibles, to the extent that the gain is attributable to unrealized appreciation in value of the collectibles held by the Trust. Therefore, any gain recognized by an individual U.S. Shareholder attributable to a sale of Shares held for more than one year, or attributable to the Trust’s sale of any gold which the Shareholder is treated (through its ownership of Shares) as having held for more than one year, generally will be taxed at a maximum federal income tax rate of 28%. The federal income tax rates for capital gains recognized upon the sale of assets held by an individual U.S. Shareholder for one year or less are generally the same as those at which ordinary income is taxed. A U.S. corporation’s capital gain is generally taxed at the same federal income tax rates applicable to the corporation’s ordinary income.

3.8% Tax on Net Investment Income

Certain U.S. Shareholders who are individuals are required to pay a 3.8% tax on the lesser of the excess of their modified adjusted gross income over a threshold amount ($250,000 for married persons filing jointly and $200,000 for single taxpayers) or their “net investment income,” which generally includes capital gains from the disposition of property. This tax is in addition to any capital gains taxes due on such investment income. A similar tax applies to estates and trusts. U.S. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, this law may have on their investment in the Shares.

Brokerage Fees and Trust Expenses

Any brokerage or other transaction fee incurred by a Shareholder in purchasing Shares will be treated as part of the Shareholder’s tax basis in the underlying assets of the Trust. Similarly, any brokerage fee incurred by a Shareholder in selling Shares will reduce the amount realized by the Shareholder with respect to the sale.

Shareholders will be required to recognize the full amount of gain or loss upon a sale of gold by the Trust (as discussed above), even though some or all of the proceeds of such sale are used by the Trustee to pay Trust expenses. Shareholders may deduct their respective pro rata shares of each expense incurred by the Trust to the same extent as if they directly incurred the expense. Shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts, however, may be required to treat some or all of the expenses of the Trust as miscellaneous itemized deductions. An individual may not deduct miscellaneous itemized deductions for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. For tax years beginning before January 1, 2018 and after December 31, 2025, individuals may deduct certain miscellaneous itemized deductions only to the extent they exceed 2% of adjusted gross income. In addition, such deductions may be subject to phase outs and other limitations under applicable provisions of the Code.

Investment by U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholders

Certain U.S. Shareholders (“U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholders”) are subject to United States federal income tax only on their “unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”). Unless they incur debt in order to purchase Shares, it is expected that U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholders should not realize UBTI in respect of income or gains from the Shares. U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholders should consult their own independent tax advisers regarding the United States federal income tax consequences of holding Shares in light of their particular circumstances.

Investment by Regulated Investment Companies

Mutual funds and other investment vehicles which are “regulated investment companies” within the meaning of Code Section 851 should consult with their tax advisers concerning (i) the likelihood that an investment in Shares may be considered an investment in the underlying gold for purposes of Code Section 851(b), and (ii) the extent to which an investment in Shares might nevertheless be consistent with preservation of their qualification under Code Section 851. We note that in recent administrative guidance, the IRS stated that it will no longer issue rulings under Code Section 851(b) relating to the determination of whether or not an instrument or position is a “security,” but, instead, intends to defer to guidance from the SEC for such determination

Investment by Certain Retirement Plans

Section 408(m) of the Code provides that the purchase of a “collectible” as an investment for an IRA, or for a participant-directed account maintained under any plan that is tax-qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code (“Tax Qualified Account”), is treated as a taxable distribution from the account to the owner of the IRA, or to the participant for whom the Tax Qualified Account is maintained, of an amount equal to the cost to the account of acquiring the collectible. The IRS has issued private letter rulings which provide that the purchase of shares of trusts similar to the Trust by an IRA or a Tax Qualified Account will not constitute the acquisition of a collectible or be treated as resulting in a taxable distribution to the IRA owner or Tax Qualified Account participant under Code Section 408(m). However, if any of the Shares so purchased are distributed from an IRA or Tax Qualified Account to the IRA owner or plan participant, or if any gold received by such IRA or Tax Qualified Account upon the redemption of any of the Shares purchased by it is distributed (or treated as distributed pursuant to Code section 408(m)) to the IRA owner or plan participant, the Shares or gold so distributed will be subject to federal income tax in the year of distribution, to the extent provided under the applicable provisions of Code sections 408(d), 408(m) or 402. Private letter rulings are only binding on the IRS with respect to the taxpayer to which they were issued and the Trust has neither requested nor obtained such a private letter ruling. Accordingly, potential IRA or Tax Qualified Account investors are urged to consult with their own professional advisors concerning the treatment of an investment in Shares under Code Section 408(m).

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders

A Non-U.S. Shareholder generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax with respect to gain recognized upon the sale or other disposition of Shares, or upon the sale of gold by the Trust, unless (1) the Non-U.S. Shareholder is an individual and is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the sale or other disposition, and the gain is treated as being from United States sources; or (2) the gain is effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Shareholder of a trade or business in the United States and certain other conditions are met.

United States Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

The Trustee will file certain information returns with the IRS, and provide certain tax-related information to Shareholders, in connection with the Trust. To the extent required by applicable regulations, each Shareholder will be provided with information regarding its allocable portion of the Trust’s annual income (if any) and expenses. A U.S. Shareholder may be subject to United States backup withholding tax, at a rate of 24%, in certain circumstances unless it provides its taxpayer identification number and complies with certain certification procedures. Non-U.S. Shareholders may have to comply with certification procedures to establish that they are not a United States person, and some Non-U.S. Shareholders will be required to meet certain information reporting or certification requirements imposed by the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, in order to avoid certain information reporting and withholding tax requirements.

The amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against a Shareholder’s United States federal income tax liability and may entitle such a Shareholder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.

Taxation in Jurisdictions Other Than the United States

Prospective purchasers of Shares that are based in or acting out of a jurisdiction other than the United States are advised to consult their own tax advisers as to the tax consequences, under the laws of such jurisdiction (or any other jurisdiction other than the United States to which they are subject), of their purchase, holding, sale and redemption of or any other dealing in Shares and, in particular, as to whether any value added tax, other consumption tax or transfer tax is payable in relation to such purchase, holding, sale, redemption or other dealing.

ERISA and Related Considerations

ERISA and/or Code section 4975 impose certain requirements on certain employee benefit plans and certain other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts and annuities, Keogh plans, and certain commingled investment vehicles or insurance company general or separate accounts in which such plans or arrangements are invested (collectively, “Plans”), and on persons who are fiduciaries with respect to the investment of “plan assets” of a Plan. Government plans and some church plans are not subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of ERISA or the provisions of section 4975 of the Code, but may be subject to substantially similar rules under other federal law, or under state or local law (“Other Law”).

In contemplating an investment of a portion of Plan assets in Shares, the Plan fiduciary responsible for making such investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan and the “Risk Factors” discussed above and whether such investment is consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA or Other Law, including, but not limited to: (1) whether the investment is permitted under the Plan’s governing documents, (2) whether the fiduciary has the authority to make the investment, (3) whether the investment is consistent with the Plan’s funding objectives, (4) the tax effects of the investment on the Plan, and (5) whether the investment is prudent considering the factors discussed in this prospectus. In addition, ERISA and Code section 4975 prohibit a broad range of transactions involving assets of a plan and persons who are “parties in interest” under ERISA or “disqualified persons” under section 4975 of the Code. A violation of these rules may result in the imposition of significant excise taxes and other liabilities. Plans subject to Other Law may be subject to similar restrictions.

It is anticipated that the Shares will constitute “publicly offered securities” as defined in the Department of Labor “Plan Asset Regulations,” §2510.3-101 (b)(2) as modified by section 3(42) of ERISA. Accordingly, pursuant to the Plan Asset Regulations, only Shares purchased by a Plan, and not an interest in the underlying assets held in the Trust, should be treated as assets of the Plan, for purposes of applying the “fiduciary responsibility” rules of ERISA and the “prohibited transaction” rules of ERISA and the Code. Fiduciaries of plans subject to Other Law should consult legal counsel to determine whether there would be a similar result under the Other Law.

Allowing an investment in the Trust is not to be construed as a representation by the Sponsor or any of its affiliates, agents or employees that this investment meets some or all of the relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by any particular Plan or that this investment is appropriate for any such particular Plan. The person with investment discretion should consult with the Plan’s attorney and financial advisors as to the propriety of an investment in the Trust in light of the circumstances of the particular Plan, current tax law and ERISA.