Zakat Calculator

How to use the Zakat Calculator

1. Enter what you own: cash, bank balances, gold and silver (by weight or value), investments, business stock and money owed to you.
2. Enter debts due now, such as bills and installments that are payable immediately.
3. Choose the nisab standard, silver or gold, and type today’s price per gram.
4. See your net zakatable wealth, the nisab threshold and the zakat due at 2.5%.

Features

• Cash, bank, gold, silver, investments, business stock and receivables
• Gold by weight with 24K, 22K, 21K and 18K purity
• Nisab by silver (612.36 g) or gold (87.48 g)
• Deducts debts that are due now
• Breakdown chart of your zakatable assets
• Your figures stay in your browser and are never sent anywhere

What zakat is

Zakat is the obligatory annual charity in Islam and one of its five pillars. It is due on wealth that reaches a minimum threshold, the nisab, and has been held for one full lunar year, known as the hawl. The rate on money, gold, silver and trade goods is 2.5%, one fortieth of the net zakatable amount.

How this calculator works

1. It adds your zakatable assets: cash, bank balances, gold, silver, investments, business inventory at its current sale value, and money owed to you that you expect to be repaid.
2. It subtracts debts that are due now, such as overdue bills or installments payable immediately.
3. It compares the result with the nisab. If your net wealth is equal to or above the nisab, zakat is 2.5% of it.

The nisab: gold or silver

The nisab comes from the hadith, which set it at 20 mithqal of gold and 200 dirhams of silver. In modern weights these are commonly taken as 87.48 grams of gold and 612.36 grams of silver. Multiply the weight by today’s price per gram to get the nisab in your currency.

Because silver is far cheaper than gold, the silver nisab is much lower, so more people reach it. Many scholars and zakat organizations recommend the silver standard for cash and mixed assets because it benefits more people in need; others use gold. Whichever you choose, apply it consistently from year to year.

Example

Suppose you have 5,000 in cash, 15,000 in the bank and 50 grams of 24K gold priced at 70 per gram (3,500), and you owe 2,000 that is due now. Your net zakatable wealth is 21,500. With silver at 0.90 per gram, the nisab is 612.36 × 0.90 = 551.12, so you are above it and the zakat due is 21,500 × 2.5% = 537.50. These prices are for illustration only; always use current prices.

Gold, silver and jewelry

For gold below 24 karat, only the pure gold content counts: 22K gold is 22/24 pure, so 10 grams contain about 9.17 grams of pure gold. Choose the purity and enter the price of 24K gold. Scholars differ on jewelry worn regularly: the Hanafi school counts it as zakatable, while many scholars of the other schools exempt jewelry kept for normal personal use. Follow the opinion you trust.

What is usually not zakatable

• Your home, car, furniture, clothes and other personal belongings
• Tools and equipment used in your business (stock held for sale is zakatable)
• Money already spent or set aside for debts that are due now

Practical tips

• Pick a fixed date in the Islamic calendar, such as 1 Ramadan, and calculate on that day each year.
• If you calculate on the Gregorian (solar) year, which is about 11 days longer, some scholars suggest a rate of about 2.577% instead of 2.5%.
• Retirement accounts, company shares, rental property, agricultural produce and livestock have their own rules, which this calculator does not cover.

This calculator gives a general estimate and is not a religious ruling. For your own situation, such as long-term debts, pensions or business assets, please consult a qualified scholar or a trusted zakat organization. Results are estimates for information only and are not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions