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Zakat calculator: what do I owe?
Zakat is 2.5% of your net zakatable wealth — cash, gold, silver, investments, and business assets, minus short-term debts — once it has stayed above the nisab threshold (the value of 85g of gold or 595g of silver) for a full lunar year. Enter what you own below and the calculator works it out instantly.
What is zakat?
Zakat is the annual wealth due that Islam obligates on Muslims whose qualifying wealth stays above a set threshold. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside shahadah, salah, sawm, and hajj. Each lunar year, a qualifying Muslim gives 2.5% of net zakatable wealth — no more, no less — to those entitled to receive it.
Zakatable wealth generally means what you own beyond personal essentials: money, gold and silver, investments, and business assets. Your home, your clothes, and the car you drive are not counted. The word itself comes from an Arabic root meaning purification and growth — the payment purifies the wealth that remains.
Read more in the glossary entry on zakat.
How is zakat calculated?
The method has four steps. One: add up everything zakatable — cash, gold and silver, investments, business inventory and receivables, money owed to you that you expect back, and crypto. Two: subtract the debts you must repay within the coming year. Three: compare the remainder with the nisab — the value of 85g of pure gold or 595g of silver. Four: if the remainder has stayed above nisab for a full lunar year, pay 2.5% of it.
A worked example (illustrative prices)
Imagine Ayesha, using US dollars, with gold around $110/gram and silver around $1.30/gram:
| Item | Value |
|---|
| Cash & bank balances | $5,000 |
| Gold — 20g at 24K (20g pure × $110) | $2,200 |
| Silver — 100g × $1.30 | $130 |
| Stocks at today's market value | $2,670 |
| Less: credit-card balance | −$1,000 |
| Net zakatable wealth | $9,000 |
The silver nisab is 595 × $1.30 = $773.50 (the gold nisab would be 85 × $110 = $9,350). Her $9,000 is above both, and a full hawl has passed — so her zakat is 2.5% × $9,000 = $225.
Gold vs silver nisab — which should I use?
Classical fiqh sets the nisab by weight: 85 grams of pure gold or 595 grams of silver. Because silver costs far less per gram than gold, the silver threshold is much lower than the gold threshold — often several times lower. Which one you apply changes who owes zakat.
Both positions are established. Some scholars favour the silver standard because it is more generous to the poor: with a lower threshold, more people qualify to give zakat, and so more recipients receive it. The Hanafi school permits either measure and commonly uses silver for currency wealth. Others prefer gold because most modern savings are held as money, which they treat by analogy to gold, or because the gold figure better reflects the value threshold the threshold was meant to represent.
What this means practically: if your wealth is above the silver nisab but below the gold nisab, the basis you choose decides whether zakat is due. This calculator shows both thresholds so you can apply either. Consult a knowledgeable scholar for your specific situation.
Is zakat due on my 401(k), pension, house, or car?
Your home and your car are not zakatable if you live in them or use them personally. Likewise furniture, clothing, and appliances for your own use. Zakat falls on wealth held for growth or saving, not on essentials you use.
Retirement accounts are a genuinely debated area. A 401(k), pension, or similar scheme ties your money up behind withdrawal ages, taxes, and penalties — and how fiqh treats that depends on how accessible the money really is and the rules of the country you are in. Scholars differ on whether you owe zakat on the balance each year, only when you withdraw, or in between. Rather than guess, consult a scholar who knows your plan type and country.
Frequently asked questions
How much zakat do I owe on my savings?
Zakat on money and savings is 2.5% of your net zakatable wealth — cash, gold, silver, investments, and business assets, minus debts you must repay within the year — provided the total has stayed above nisab for one full lunar year (hawl).
What is nisab and how is it calculated?
Nisab is the minimum threshold for zakat: 85 grams of pure gold or 595 grams of silver. To find it in your currency, multiply today's price per gram by 85 (gold) or 595 (silver). Silver gives the lower threshold.
Do I owe zakat if my wealth is below nisab?
No. If your net zakatable wealth is below nisab on your zakat date, nothing is due that year. If it later stays above nisab for a full lunar year, zakat becomes due at 2.5%.
How do I calculate zakat on gold jewellery of different karats?
Convert to pure-gold equivalent: multiply grams by karat ÷ 24 (22K ≈ 91.7% pure, 21K = 87.5%, 18K = 75%), then value the pure grams at the current price per gram. This calculator does the conversion for you.
Is zakat always 2.5 percent?
For money, gold, silver, and business wealth, yes — 2.5%, a quarter of a tenth. Classical fiqh sets different rates for some other asset classes such as agricultural produce and livestock. This calculator covers wealth zakat; for other cases consult a knowledgeable scholar.
Get a reminder when your zakat year ends
Set your hawl date once; Niyat reminds you and keeps last year's numbers.