Zakat Calculator
Estimate the Zakat you owe based on your zakatable assets, liabilities, and today's gold or silver price. This tool provides a calculation for informational purposes — always consult a qualified Islamic scholar for personal rulings.
How It Works
Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam — an annual obligatory almsgiving of 2.5% of a Muslim's accumulated wealth above the nisab threshold, provided the wealth has been held for one full lunar year (hawl).
Nisab is the minimum threshold of wealth that makes a person liable for Zakat. It is defined as:
• 85 grams of gold, OR
• 595 grams of silver
Scholars differ on which to use. Many contemporary scholars prefer the silver nisab because it is lower and therefore includes more people in the obligation. Enter the current price per gram of each metal and the tool calculates both thresholds.
Zakatable assets typically include: cash and bank balances, the current market value of gold and silver, tradeable stocks and business inventory, and money owed to you that you expect to recover within the year.
Non-zakatable assets include: your primary home and car, personal clothing and household items, and machinery used in your business (not for resale).
Liabilities that reduce your zakatable wealth: debts due within the year (rent, bills, loan instalments, etc.).
Formula: Zakat due = (total zakatable assets − short-term liabilities) × 2.5%, provided the net amount exceeds the nisab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which assets are zakatable?
Zakatable assets include cash, savings accounts, gold and silver (by weight or value), business inventory held for sale, stocks (typically the market value or the zakatable portion of the company's assets), and receivables you expect to collect. Personal use items — your home, car, clothing, and household goods — are not zakatable.
Which nisab threshold should I use — gold or silver?
Scholars differ. The gold nisab (85 g) is currently worth significantly more than the silver nisab (595 g), so using silver results in more people being obligated to pay. Many scholars in South and Southeast Asia prefer silver; many Middle Eastern scholars prefer gold. Consult your local Islamic authority for guidance.
What is hawl?
Hawl is the lunar year condition. Your net zakatable wealth must have been at or above the nisab threshold for a full Islamic (lunar) calendar year — 354 days. If your wealth dropped below nisab at any point during the year and then rose again, a new hawl begins from when it exceeded nisab again.
When should I pay Zakat?
Zakat is due once per lunar year. Many Muslims calculate and pay during Ramadan for spiritual reasons, though it can be paid at any point after the hawl year has passed. It is permissible to pay in advance before the hawl date.
Where should I pay Zakat?
Zakat must be given to one or more of the eight categories specified in Quran 9:60: the poor, the needy, Zakat collectors, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, freeing slaves, those in debt, in the cause of Allah, and travellers in need. Many Muslims give through established Islamic charities that have Zakat-eligible programmes.