This Zakat Calculator estimates the amount owed on qualifying wealth, combining cash, gold, silver, investments, and business assets, net of any debts, against the Nisab threshold.
Calculate Your Zakat on Cash, Gold, Silver, and Business Assets
This calculator estimates your annual Zakat obligation on cash, gold, silver, investments, and business assets, measured against the Nisab threshold you select. It’s built for Muslims who want a clear breakdown of their zakatable wealth and whether it meets the yearly obligation.
Entering Your Holdings, Nisab Standard, and Metal Prices
Enter your holdings, including cash, gold and silver value, investments, and business assets, plus any deductible short-term debts, in your chosen currency. Set the current gold and silver price per gram, and choose the gold or silver Nisab standard. The calculator applies a flat 2.5% rate to net wealth at or above that threshold. It assumes a lunar zakat year.
How Nisab and the 2.5% Zakat Rate Are Calculated
Nisab is the minimum wealth threshold below which Zakat isn’t owed. The calculator sets it at the market value of either 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver — a widely used figure documented by Islamic charities such as Zakat Foundation of America and the National Zakat Foundation.
Some scholars instead cite 87.48 grams of gold and 612.36 grams of silver, based on a different historical conversion of the dinar and dirham. Both are conventions drawn from classical Islamic jurisprudence, not a single fixed statute, and the figure you use can shift your threshold noticeably.
$$Nisab_{gold} = GoldPricePerGram \times 85$$
$$Nisab_{silver} = SilverPricePerGram \times 595$$
Net zakatable wealth is total qualifying assets — cash, gold and silver, investments, and business inventory — minus outstanding short-term debts. If that net figure meets or exceeds the Nisab you selected, Zakat is due at 2.5% of the full net amount, the standard rate used across Sunni jurisprudence and by major Zakat calculators.
$$Zakat = NetWealth \times 0.025 \text{, if } NetWealth \ge Nisab$$
That 2.5% rate assumes your zakat year, or hawl, is tracked on the Islamic lunar calendar. If you instead track your zakat anniversary on the Gregorian calendar, several scholarly bodies — including the International Shariah Board of Zakah — note that the rate should rise slightly, to roughly 2.5775%, since a solar year runs about eleven days longer than a lunar one. This calculator always applies the flat 2.5% rate. It doesn’t ask which calendar you’re using.
A common input mistake: the calculator requires a valid, non-zero silver price even when you’ve selected the gold standard, since both price fields validate independently. Many scholars specifically recommend the silver standard for cash and monetary wealth, since it sets a lower, more inclusive threshold. The calculator defaults to gold, so switching this dropdown is worth a deliberate choice rather than leaving it on default.
Gold and silver prices must be entered as values greater than $0, even if you hold none of that metal, since the price sets the Nisab threshold itself. Cash, metals, investments, business assets, and debts must each be $0 or more; negative entries are rejected.
If debts exceed total assets, net zakatable wealth is floored at $0 rather than shown as a negative figure, since a negative wealth balance has no meaning here. At that floor, zakat due is always $0, regardless of how far liabilities exceed assets.
Because Zakat is a religious obligation with genuine differences of interpretation between scholars and schools of thought, this calculator is for estimation and education. It isn’t a substitute for guidance from a qualified Islamic scholar on your specific situation.
Gold Nisab vs. Silver Nisab, at Typical Prices
Nisab Weight Standards Used in Zakat Calculations
These weight-based figures come from classical Islamic sources and don’t fluctuate with a tax year or market date the way currency figures do. This calculator uses the first row.
| Standard | Commonly cited weight | Alternate figure (some scholars) |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Nisab | 85 grams | 87.48 grams |
| Silver Nisab | 595 grams | 612.36 grams |
Both sets of figures descend from the same classical reference points — 20 dinars of gold and 200 dirhams of silver — converted using different historical coin-weight estimates.
Common Questions About the Zakat Calculator
Why does the calculator ask me to choose between a gold and silver Nisab standard?
Islamic scholarship set two historical thresholds: 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver. Because gold and silver prices have diverged sharply over time, these two standards now produce very different dollar thresholds, so the calculator lets you choose.
Should personal jewelry count as zakatable gold or silver?
Scholars disagree. The Hanafi school generally treats personal-use gold and silver jewelry as zakatable. Several other schools exempt jewelry worn for personal adornment. This calculator doesn’t distinguish jewelry from investment metal, so include or exclude it based on the guidance you follow.
Why did the calculator show $0 zakat instead of a negative number when my debts are high?
Net zakatable wealth can’t go below $0 in this calculation. If debts exceed your qualifying assets, the calculator floors net wealth at $0, meaning no Zakat is due. It doesn’t imply any debt-related credit or refund.
Is 2.5% always the correct Zakat rate?
2.5% is the standard rate for cash, gold, silver, and business assets tracked on the Islamic lunar calendar. Some scholars recommend closer to 2.5775% if you track your zakat year on the Gregorian calendar instead, to offset the shorter lunar year.
Why do I need to enter gold and silver prices myself?
Metal prices change daily, and the calculator doesn’t pull live market data. Entering the current per-gram price yourself keeps the Nisab threshold accurate to the day you’re calculating, rather than relying on a stale built-in figure.