Basis of Accounting and Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Basis of Accounting and Significant Accounting Policies

2. Basis of Accounting and Significant Accounting Policies

The Sponsor has determined that the Trust falls within the scope of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies, and has concluded that for reporting purposes, the Trust is classified as an Investment Company. 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 preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires those responsible for preparing financial statements to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust.

2.1 Custody and Fair Valuation of Gold

The Trust follows the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 provides guidance for determining fair value and requires increased disclosure regarding the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

Gold is held by ICBC Standard Bank Plc (the “Custodian”), on behalf of the Trust, at the Custodian’s London, United Kingdom vaulting premises. 100.00% and 99.84% of gold is allocated gold in the form of good delivery gold bars as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. A current list of all gold held by the Custodian is available on the sponsor’s website. The cost of gold is determined according to the average cost method and the fair value is based on the London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) PM Gold Price. If there is no LBMA Gold Price PM on any day, the Trustee is authorized to use the most recently announced LBMA Gold Price AM unless the Trustee, in consultation with the Sponsor, determines that such price is inappropriate as a basis for evaluation.

The LBMA PM Gold Price is set using the afternoon session of the ICE Benchmark Administration equilibrium auction, an electronic, tradable and auditable over-the-counter auction market with the ability to participate in US Dollars, Euros or British Pounds for LBMA authorized participating gold bullion banks or market makers that establishes a reference gold price for that day’s trading.

The per Share amount of gold exchanged for a purchase or redemption is calculated daily by the Trustee, using the LBMA PM Gold Price to calculate the gold amount in respect of any liabilities for which covering gold sales have not yet been made, and represents the per Share amount of gold held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities, to cover expenses and liabilities and any losses that may have occurred.

ASC 820 establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The three levels of inputs are as follows:

Level 1: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Trust has the ability to access.

Level 2: Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments and similar data.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability to the extent that relevant observable inputs are not available, representing the Trust’s own assumptions about the assumptions that a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability, and that would be based on the best information available.

The following table summarizes the Trust’s investments at fair value:

(Amounts in 000’s of US$)

December 31, 2023

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Investment in Gold

960,623

–

Total

960,623

–

The following table summarizes the Trust’s investments at fair value:

(Amounts in 000’s of US$)

June 30, 2023

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Investment in Gold

935,950

–

Total

935,950

–

There were no transfers between Level 1 and other Levels for the period ended December 31, 2023 and year ended June 30, 2023.

2.2 Expenses, realized gains and losses

The Trust’s only ordinary recurring fee is expected to be the fee paid to the Sponsor, which will accrue daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.1749% of the adjusted daily net asset value of the Trust, paid monthly in arrears.

The Sponsor has agreed to assume administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust, including the Trustee’s monthly fee and out of pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and the reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses, exchange listing fees, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and certain legal expenses.

As of period ended December 31, 2023, the fees payable to the Sponsor was $139,878. As of year, ended June 30, 2023, the fees payable to the Sponsor were $139,167.

With respect to expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor, the Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion, sell the Trust’s gold as necessary to pay these expenses. When selling gold to pay expenses, the Trustee will endeavour to sell the smallest amounts of gold needed to pay these expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than gold. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the three months and 6 months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Unless otherwise directed by the Sponsor, when selling gold the Trustee will endeavor to sell at the price established by the LBMA PM Gold Price. The Trustee will place orders with dealers (which may include the Custodian) through which the Trustee expects to receive the most favorable price and execution of orders. The Custodian may be the purchaser of such gold only if the sale transaction is made at the next LBMA PM Gold Price or such other publicly available price that the Sponsor deems fair, in each case as set following the sale order. A gain or loss is recognized based on the difference between the selling price and the cost of the gold sold. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor is liable for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of any sale.

Realized gains and losses result from the transfer of gold for Share redemptions and / or to pay expenses and are recognized on a trade date basis as the difference between the fair value and cost of gold transferred. Gain or loss on sales of gold bullion is calculated on a trade date basis using the average cost method.

2.3. Gold Receivable and Payable

Gold receivable or payable represents the quantity of gold covered by contractually binding orders for the creation or redemption of Shares respectively, where the gold has not yet been transferred to or from the Trust’s account. Generally, ownership of the gold is transferred within two business days of the trade date.

2.4 Creations and Redemptions of Shares

The Trust issues and redeems in one or more blocks of 50,000 Shares (a block of 50,000 Shares is called a “Basket”) only to Authorized Participants. The creation and redemption of Baskets will only be made in exchange for the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of gold represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which will be based on the combined Fine Ounces represented by the number of shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.

Orders to create and redeem Baskets may be placed only by Authorized Participants. An Authorized Participant must: (1) be a registered broker-dealer or other securities market participant, such as a bank or other financial institution, which, but for an exclusion from registration, would be required to register as a broker-dealer to engage in securities transactions, (2) be a participant in DTC, and (3) must have an agreement with the Custodian establishing an unallocated account in London or have an existing unallocated account meeting the standards described herein. To become an Authorized Participant, a person must enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Sponsor and the Trustee. The Authorized Participant Agreement provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets and for the delivery of the gold required for such creations and redemptions. The Authorized Participant Agreement and the related procedures attached thereto may be amended by the Trustee and the Sponsor, without the consent of any investor or Authorized Participant. A transaction fee of $500 will be assessed on all creation and redemption transactions. Multiple Baskets may be created on the same day, provided each Basket meets the requirements described below and that the Custodian is able to allocate gold to the Trust Allocated Account such that the Trust Unallocated Account holds no more than 430 Fine Ounces of gold at the close of a business day.

Authorized Participants who make deposits with the Trust in exchange for Baskets will receive no fees, commissions or other form of compensation or inducement of any kind from either the Sponsor or the Trust, and no such person has any obligation or responsibility to the Sponsor or the Trust to effect any sale or resale of shares.

2.5 Income Taxes

The Trust is 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 proceeds, income, gains, losses and deductions to the Internal Revenue Service on that basis.

The Sponsor has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions are required as of December 31, 2023 and June 30, 2023.

The Sponsor evaluates tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Trust’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet that threshold would be recorded as an expense in the current year. The Trust is required to analyze all open tax years. Open tax years are those years that are open for examination by the relevant income taxing authority. As of December 31, 2023, the 2023, 2022 and 2021 tax years remain open for examination.

GraniteShares Gold Trust 10-Q