When is my zakat due? Zakat is due one lunar (Islamic) year after the day your wealth first reached the nisab, and on the same Islamic date every year after that. Because the lunar year is about 354 days, the date moves about 11 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar. Ramadan is not required; many people choose it only for the extra reward.
What is hawl?
Hawl is the full lunar year that wealth must stay at or above the nisab before zakat becomes due. You do not count each rupee separately: in the Hanafi madhab what matters is that you were above the nisab at the start and at the end of the year, even if your balance went up and down in between. Money added during the year is counted with the rest on the zakat date.
I don’t know the exact date
If you cannot remember when your wealth first reached the nisab, scholars advise picking a date you can reasonably estimate, such as an Islamic date you will remember (for example 1 Ramadan), and keeping to it every year. Enter that date above.
Zakat for years you missed
Zakat that was not paid stays owed; it does not lapse with time. Estimate your zakatable wealth on each missed zakat date and enter it year by year. In the Hanafi view, zakat you owed for an earlier year counts as a debt, so it reduces the wealth for the next year; the tick box does this for you. Pay what you can now and make a plan for the rest.
Gregorian or lunar year?
Zakat follows the lunar year. If you keep accounts on a Gregorian (solar) year, some scholars say you should pay 2.577% instead of 2.5% to make up for the extra 11 days. Our main calculator uses 2.5% on a lunar year.
More detail: what hawl is and when zakat becomes due, and how to pay zakat for past years.
When the date comes, work out the amount with the zakat calculator. If your bank deducted zakat on 1 Ramadan, enter it under “Already paid”.
Frequently asked questions
Does zakat have to be paid in Ramadan?
No. It is due on your own zakat date. Paying in Ramadan is allowed if it is your date, or as an advance payment.
Zakat ki tareekh kaise maloom karein?
Jis din aapka maal pehli dafa nisab ko pohncha, us se aik qamri saal baad. Har saal wahi islami tareekh hoti hai.
Do I have to pay zakat for past years I missed?
Yes. Unpaid zakat remains owed. Estimate the wealth for each year and pay it.