How to calculate and pay zakat 2026

Home How to calculate and pay zakat 2026
January 13, 2026 -

Zakat is an obligatory form of worship for all adult Muslims of sound mind who possess the nisab (minimum amount of wealth on which zakat is due). In this article we explain how you can calculate and pay your zakat using our zakat calculator.

Assets and deductibles

Calculating your zakat becomes straightforward once you know which types of assets are zakatable, and which are not.

Below is an outline of zakatable assets according to the Hanafi madhab.

Zakat Infographic Single (1)
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Using the zakat calculator

You can input your zakatable assets and deductibles into our zakat calculator on your zakat calculation date (hawl). This should be the day you first come into possession of the nisab amount and is different for everyone. For example, your hawl might be the day you receive your first every paycheck.

You should pay your zakat on the same Islamic date every year. For example, if you paid your zakat on the 5th of Sha’ban last year, you should also pay it on 5th Sha’ban in 2026.

Once you have added up your zakatable assets, and deducted all liabilities, you will have your net assets.

You then need to see whether your net assets are equal to, or exceed, the nisab threshold.

What is nisab?

The nisab is the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must possess before they become eligible to pay zakat. This amount is often referred to as the ‘nisab threshold’.

The nisab threshold is based on the value of gold or silver. While using either value is valid, most scholars prefer to use the value of silver as it is lower, which means more people will be able to give zakat, and therefore more people in need will benefit from zakat.

The value of gold and silver fluctuates daily.

Current Nisab Value (Live update)

Using value of silver (612.36 grams) – approximately $1,646.89

Using value of gold (87.48 grams) – approximately $13,569.72

Is zakat on income or savings?

Zakat is based on the amount of zakatable assets that you own – including income and savings.

Zakatable assets include gold, silver, cash, savings and business assets.

You can use our zakat calculator to find out if you’re eligible to pay zakat, and how much you should pay based on your circumstances. 

How do I calculate zakat on cash?

Calculating zakat on cash is very straightforward. 

First, total how much cash you own on your zakat calculation date, including all the cash in your bank account, cash at home, and cash which is owed to you. 

Then take away any cash which you owe to others/in debt, as well as any cash outgoings due, to work out how much cash you own. 

If this value is above the nisab threshold, you must pay zakat. This is calculated by multiplying the net cash you own by 2.5%. 

*Please note that you must calculate the zakat due on cash alongside your other assets (this includes gold and silver, investments, shares and business assets).

You can efficiently calculate how much zakat you owe using our zakat calculator. 

How do I calculate debts and liabilities to pay zakat?

Some debts and liabilities can be deducted from the total value of your zakatable assets when calculating how much zakat you must pay from the last year. These include: 

  • debts which must be paid off within 12 months
  • up to 12 months’ worth of instalments of longer-term debts
  • arrears and/or overdue payments.

However, not all debts and liabilities can be deducted from the total value of your zakatable assets from the past year. These include: 

  • expenses and bills which are not yet due
  • debts that are not payable at all in the next 12 months.

For mortgages and student loans, alongside other long-term debts, only the amounts which are overdue or due imminently should be deducted when calculating zakat. 

Zakat must also be paid on debts owed to you, that you believe will be paid – such as the repayment of loans given to family and friends.

It should be noted that there is no zakat due on interest (riba). If a person has interest due on a debt, the interest should be given as general charity (not zakat).

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