Work out your Zakat. This free Zakat calculator totals your zakatable assets minus debts, compares them to the gold or silver nisab, and applies the 2.5% rate when you’re at or above the threshold.
Add your zakatable assets and subtract debts due now. Set the nisab using a current metal price per gram (many people use silver for the lower threshold) or enter a nisab value directly.
Zakat is generally 2.5% of net zakatable wealth that has been held for one lunar (hijri) year, payable when that wealth is at or above the nisab. Nisab is the value of 87.48 g of gold or 612.36 g of silver; the silver standard gives a lower threshold, so more people qualify.
Preparing Your Figures Before Using the Zakat Calculator
Zakat is due on wealth held for a full lunar year (the hawl), so the most useful habit is to pick one fixed date each year, often in Ramadan, and value everything on that day.
Value assets at current prices. Gold and silver are usually counted at their market value by weight, not what you paid. Cash includes bank balances, money at home and debts owed to you that you expect to be repaid. Shares and funds are generally valued at market price, though scholars differ on how to treat long-term holdings and the underlying company assets.
Choose the nisab deliberately. The traditional thresholds are about 85 grams of gold or about 595 grams of silver. Because silver is far cheaper, the silver nisab is much lower in money terms, so more people reach it. Some scholars recommend the silver nisab for cash savings because it benefits more recipients, while others use gold; ask a scholar you trust which applies to you.
Common slips to avoid:
- Counting your home, car or personal-use items, which are generally exempt.
- Deducting all long-term debt, such as a full mortgage balance; many scholars allow only the amount currently due.
- Forgetting business stock, which is normally zakatable at its current value.
- Applying the lunar-year rate on a solar-year date; if you work on the Gregorian calendar, some scholars use a slightly higher rate to compensate.
The Zakat calculator gives a figure based on the values you enter and the nisab you choose. For complex cases such as pensions, business ownership or jointly owned property, consult a qualified scholar or a trusted Zakat organisation. The Wikipedia article on zakat explains its conditions and recipients.