Zakat Calculator
Work out your Zakat properly — the nisab from today's metal price, your zakatable assets, your deductible debts, and the 2.5%.
Enter today's metal rate. Gold and silver move daily, so we do not bake a price into this page — a stale nisab gives a religiously wrong answer. Check the current Dubai rate (most Gold Souk jewellers will also weigh your pieces free of charge), then enter it below.
Nisab basis
Cash & investments
Gold & silver
Deduct liabilities
General guidance based on mainstream contemporary scholarship — it is not a fatwa. Rulings differ between schools, particularly on jewellery, pensions, shares and business assets. For anything complex, or if you are in doubt, ask a scholar you trust. In the UAE the official channel is the Zakat Fund (zakatfund.gov.ae). Nothing you enter here leaves your device.
What counts, and what does not
| Zakatable | Not zakatable |
|---|---|
| Cash and bank savings | The home you live in |
| Gold and silver | Your car |
| Shares and investments | Furniture and clothing |
| Business stock and receivables | Anything in personal use |
Zakat is not a tax on income. It falls on wealth you still hold after a full lunar year. Money spent on living during the year is simply gone. So it is your savings that matter, not your salary.
Gold or silver nisab — the choice that changes the answer
The nisab is the value of 87.48g of gold or 612.36g of silver. Because the two metals move independently, these are not the same number — the silver threshold is usually far lower.
Most contemporary scholars recommend the silver nisab: a lower bar means more Muslims give, and more reaches those in need. Others hold that gold is the more stable historical measure of wealth. If your wealth sits between the two thresholds, this choice decides whether you owe Zakat at all — so it is worth asking a scholar you trust rather than picking whichever is convenient.
The jewellery question
The schools genuinely differ here, and this calculator lets you follow your own rather than choosing for you:
- Hanafi — all gold and silver is zakatable, including jewellery worn every day.
- Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali — jewellery in regular personal use is exempt, on the reasoning that it is consumed through use, like clothing.
- All four schools agree that gold stored away or held as an investment is zakatable.
The Hanafi view is the majority position across South Asian communities, which is a large part of the UAE's Muslim population — so for many families here, that daily-worn jewellery does count.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nisab and which one should I use?
The nisab is the minimum wealth at which Zakat becomes obligatory, set at the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver. Because the two metals move independently, the silver nisab is usually much lower. Most contemporary scholars recommend using the silver figure, on the reasoning that a lower threshold means more Muslims fulfil the obligation and more reaches those in need. Others prefer gold as the historically more stable measure. If your wealth sits between the two thresholds the choice genuinely matters, so ask a scholar you trust.
Do I pay Zakat on my salary?
Not on the salary as it arrives. Zakat is due on wealth you still hold after a full lunar year, so it falls on your accumulated savings rather than your income. Money spent on living costs during the year is simply gone and is not zakatable. If your savings stay above the nisab for the whole lunar year, you pay 2.5% of the balance on your Zakat date.
Is my wife's gold jewellery zakatable?
This is where the schools genuinely differ, and you should follow your own. The Hanafi position is that all gold and silver is zakatable, including jewellery worn every day. The Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools exempt jewellery in regular personal use, on the reasoning that it is consumed through use like clothing, while jewellery stored away or held as investment remains zakatable under all four. This calculator lets you choose, rather than deciding for you.
What is not zakatable?
Anything in personal use: the home you live in, your car, furniture, clothing and household goods. Zakat is a charge on accumulated wealth, not on the things you live with. An investment property is different, though the usual position is that Zakat falls on the rental income you have saved rather than on the value of the property itself.
When exactly is Zakat due?
Once your wealth has stayed above the nisab for one complete lunar year, which is about 354 days and therefore shorter than a solar year. Your Zakat date is the anniversary of when you first crossed the nisab. Many people simplify this by choosing a fixed date, often in Ramadan, and calculating on that same date every year. Consistency matters more than the particular date you pick.
How do I work out the value of mixed-karat gold?
Convert by purity before applying the rate. 24K is pure, 22K is about 91.6% gold, 21K about 87.5% and 18K 75%. So 100 grams of 22K jewellery contains roughly 91.6 grams of pure gold. This calculator does that conversion for you once you enter the weight and karat. Use the current market rate, not what you originally paid — in Dubai most jewellers in the Gold Souk will weigh your pieces free of charge.