To calculate zakat in Australia, pick your zakat date, add up everything zakatable you own on that date (cash, gold and silver, shares and funds at market value, money owed to you, business stock and receivables), subtract debts that are due now, check that the net figure is at or above the nisab, and pay 2.5% of it. The nisab is the value of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver; on NZF Australia's site when checked for this article, that was $16,257.10 for gold and $1,671.95 for silver, while Islamic Relief Australia and Human Appeal Australia display different figures from different dates. This page works through three households in AUD, then compares what the three main Australian calculators include and exclude according to their own published pages. The zakat hub covers who must pay and when.
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The six steps, in order
- Fix your zakat date: the lunar anniversary of the day your wealth first reached nisab, as NZF explains; if you use the Gregorian calendar instead, NZF says the rate becomes 2.577% to compensate for the longer year.
- Check nisab on that date: take the current gold or silver price per gram, multiply by 85 or 595, and compare with your net zakatable wealth; most Australian charities recommend the lower silver figure so more wealth is captured for recipients.
- List zakatable assets at market value on the date: cash in every account and at home, gold and silver by weight, shares, ETFs and managed funds, crypto, money others owe you that you expect to receive, and for a business its cash, stock and receivables.
- Exclude non-zakatable assets: your home, car, furniture, tools of trade, and superannuation you cannot access, which NZF says is not zakatable annually until you reach preservation age.
- Deduct liabilities due now: the credit card bill, this month's rent or instalment, tax or BAS owed, and supplier invoices due; do not deduct the whole balance of a 30-year home finance contract.
- Pay 2.5% of the net figure if it is at or above nisab, and keep the receipt, because zakat paid to an Australian organisation with DGR status is tax deductible.
The order matters because the nisab test is applied to the net figure after deductions, not to gross assets. Someone with $20,000 in the bank and a $19,000 tax bill due this week is below the silver nisab after deduction and owes nothing that year. The nisab explainer goes deeper on gold versus silver; the arithmetic below uses NZF's silver figure as the threshold, because it is the lowest and the most recently dated of the three.
Nisab in Australia right now: three charities, three numbers
The three largest Australian zakat collectors publish different nisab values because they update on different dates. The table shows each figure exactly as displayed, and the implied gold price per gram, which is simply the gold nisab divided by 85.
| Source | Gold nisab (85g) | Silver nisab (595g) | Date shown | Implied gold price per gram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZF Australia | $16,257.10 | $1,671.95 | Last updated 24 September 2026 | About $191 |
| Islamic Relief Australia | $17,489.27 | $2,368.06 | 13 March 2026 on the zakat page; 23 February 2026 on the calculator page | About $206 |
| Human Appeal Australia | $19,328.71 | $2,584.04 | No date shown; described as approximate current value | About $227 |
A spread of more than $3,000 on the gold nisab and more than $900 on the silver nisab is large, and it comes from stale updates rather than disagreement about the rule; all three use 85 grams and 595 grams. For most households the choice does not change the outcome, because net wealth is either well above or well below every figure. If you are near the line, do not rely on any site's number: look up today's gold and silver price in AUD, multiply by 85 and 595 yourself, and use the result. Human Appeal's own page says its figure may change from time to time, which is the honest description of all three.
Three worked examples in AUD
Household 1: cash only
Amira has $42,000 in a savings account and $3,500 in her everyday account on her zakat date, no gold, no shares, and no business. Her credit card closing balance of $1,200 is due next week and her rent of $2,300 is due in three days. Zakatable assets: $45,500. Liabilities due now: $3,500. Net zakatable wealth: $42,000. That is above the silver nisab of $1,671.95 and above the gold nisab of $16,257.10, so zakat is due on all of it. Zakat: $42,000 multiplied by 2.5% equals $1,050. Note that she deducts only the instalments due now, and that any interest credited to the savings account should be stripped out before the calculation and given away, because it was never hers to keep.
Household 2: cash, shares and superannuation
Yusuf and Hana, who calculate jointly, hold $18,000 in cash and an ETF portfolio worth $26,000 at market value on the date. Yusuf's super balance is $95,000 and he is 38, so it is inaccessible. Their only liability due now is a $1,500 credit card balance. Zakatable assets: $18,000 plus $26,000 equals $44,000. Deduct $1,500: net $42,500. Zakat at 2.5%: $1,062.50. The super is the swing item. NZF's superannuation page says zakat is not payable annually on a balance you cannot access, and becomes payable on the zakatable portion once you reach preservation age or take early release. On that view the $95,000 is excluded. A stricter opinion treats super as owned wealth and would add $95,000 to the base, raising zakat by $2,375 to $3,437.50. The couple should pick one position, record it, and apply it every year; the zakat on superannuation guide sets out both views and the middle positions.
Household 3: a business owner
Bilal runs a small trading business. On his zakat date the business holds $35,000 in its bank account, $48,000 of stock valued at what it would sell for, and $22,000 of invoices he expects customers to pay. Personally he has $9,000 in cash. The business owes $14,000 to suppliers, due within the month, and $5,000 on its BAS. Zakatable assets: $35,000 plus $48,000 plus $22,000 plus $9,000 equals $114,000. Liabilities due now: $19,000. Net: $95,000. Zakat at 2.5%: $2,375. His van, shop fit-out and tools are excluded because they are used in the business rather than held for sale. If some invoices are doubtful, the usual approach is to include only the receivables he genuinely expects to collect and to pay on the rest when it arrives. The zakat on business assets guide covers stock valuation and partnerships.
NZF, Islamic Relief and Human Appeal calculators compared
Each calculator asks for slightly different inputs, and the differences tell you which assumptions it makes. The comparison is drawn from the fields and text visible on each organisation's own calculator or guidance page.
| Feature | NZF Australia | Islamic Relief Australia | Human Appeal Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nisab metal | Both shown; silver recommended as the lower threshold | Choice of silver or gold nisab in the tool; recommends silver | Both shown; advises silver |
| Superannuation | Guidance page: not zakatable annually until accessible; zakatable portion only after preservation age | Dedicated superannuation field in the calculator; treatment not explained on the page | No superannuation field |
| Shares and funds | Checklist asks for latest statements for shares, pensions and investments | Investment and share values field | Investments and shares field plus a stocks and equities field |
| Money owed to you | Checklist asks for debts immediately owed to you | Money owed to you field | Loans given to others field |
| Business assets | Guidance covers business inventory at 2.5% | Stock value and property field | No dedicated business field; other income or savings field |
| Debts you owe | Checklist asks for debts you owe to others | Short term liabilities field | Money borrowed from others and other expenses fields |
| Tax receipt | States DGR status and that all donations are fully tax deductible | Publishes a tax deductions and charity giving page | Not stated on the calculator page |
The practical differences are two. Islamic Relief's tool has a superannuation box with no instruction, so a user following NZF's view should leave it at zero and a user following the stricter view should enter the full balance; Human Appeal's tool has no box at all, which matches the exclusion view by default. And Human Appeal's deduction fields are broad enough to invite deducting long-term debt, which overstates the deduction; enter only what is due now. NZF Australia is the only one of the three built solely around zakat, and its guidance pages are the most detailed on Australian specifics such as super and tax; its calculator is an app that walks through the same checklist. HalalWallet's own zakat tools use the same six-step logic as this page.
Super, shares and crypto in one paragraph each
Superannuation: NZF's position is that an inaccessible balance is not zakatable each year, that early access under hardship makes the released portion zakatable in that year, and that after preservation age you calculate on the zakatable part of the balance, meaning cash, term deposits, shares and managed funds at market value rather than property or infrastructure holdings. Scholars who hold the opposite view treat super as owned from the day of contribution; the superannuation guide linked above carries both arguments.
Shares and ETFs: if you hold them to trade, zakat is due on the full market value, as in Household 2. If you hold them for the long term for dividends, a common view allows you to pay on the zakatable assets of the underlying companies rather than the share price, which requires looking up each company's balance sheet; most Australians use market value for simplicity and because it pays more to recipients. The shares and ETFs zakat guide explains the two methods.
Crypto: coins and tokens held as money or for trading are treated like cash and included at market value on your zakat date in AUD; NZF accepts zakat paid in crypto. Staked or locked tokens raise the same accessibility question as super. The crypto zakat guide covers wallets, exchanges and valuation.
Where to pay in Australia and whether the receipt is tax deductible
A gift to an organisation with deductible gift recipient status is deductible under the ATO's rules, and the ATO's gifts and donations page, last updated 6 July 2026, states that from 1 July 2026 the old $2 minimum threshold has been removed, backdated to gifts made from 1 July 2024, so every dollar of zakat paid to a DGR is now claimable. The ATO also says to keep the receipt, and that a DGR receipt must show the organisation's name and ABN and state that it is for a gift. NZF states on its site that it holds DGR status and that donations are fully tax deductible, and it offers a tax receipt request page and a tax savings calculator. Islamic Relief publishes a page on tax deductions and charity giving. Human Appeal's calculator page does not address deductibility, so check the organisation's ABN Lookup entry, which the ATO says is the way to confirm DGR status before claiming. Claiming the deduction is permissible; NZF's own FAQ says so, and the deduction does not reduce the zakat you paid, only your tax.
Our view: which calculator for which reader
If your wealth is cash and shares with no business and no accessible super, any of the three tools will produce the same answer, and the only thing to check is the nisab figure, which is irrelevant once you are well above it. If you have superannuation and want the mainstream Australian treatment, use NZF, because its guidance explains the exclusion and the calculator follows it; if you follow the inclusion view, Islamic Relief's tool is the only one with a box for it. If you run a business, Islamic Relief's stock field is the most direct, but a spreadsheet following Household 3 above will be more accurate than any of the three. If you are within a few hundred dollars of nisab, ignore all three displayed figures and compute 595 grams of silver at today's price yourself. Whichever tool you use, pay to a DGR and keep the receipt; the complete Australian zakat guide covers recipients and timing. Facts checked against nzf.org.au, islamicrelief.org.au, humanappeal.org.au, ato.gov.au on 24 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much zakat do I pay on $10,000 of savings?
$250, which is 2.5% of $10,000, provided the $10,000 is your net zakatable wealth after deducting debts due now and it has been at or above nisab for a lunar year. Islamic Relief's page uses the same example. If part of the $10,000 is interest credited by a bank, remove it first and give it away separately; it is not zakat and not yours.
What is the nisab in Australia today?
It depends on which site you read and when it last updated. NZF Australia showed $16,257.10 for 85 grams of gold and $1,671.95 for 595 grams of silver, stamped 24 September 2026. Islamic Relief showed $17,489.27 and $2,368.06 dated March 2026, and Human Appeal $19,328.71 and $2,584.04 undated. If you are near the threshold, calculate it from today's metal prices yourself.
Do I pay zakat on my superannuation in Australia?
On NZF Australia's published view, not annually while the balance is inaccessible; zakat becomes due on the zakatable portion once you reach preservation age or take early release, and on the released amount in the year of release. Some scholars hold that super is owned wealth and zakatable every year. Choose one position, record it, and apply it consistently.
Which debts can I deduct when calculating zakat?
Deduct only what is due now or within the coming period: the credit card bill, this month's rent or finance instalment, tax or BAS owed, and supplier invoices due. Do not deduct the full outstanding balance of a long-term home finance contract or car finance; that would wipe out zakat for most households and is not the mainstream Australian practice.
Is zakat tax deductible in Australia?
Yes, when paid to an organisation with deductible gift recipient status, which NZF Australia states it holds. The ATO's gifts and donations page says the $2 minimum has been removed from 1 July 2026, backdated to 1 July 2024, so the whole amount is claimable with a receipt showing the organisation's name and ABN. Check any charity's DGR status on ABN Lookup before claiming.
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Should I use the gold or silver nisab?
NZF, Islamic Relief and Human Appeal all recommend silver, because it is the lower threshold and brings more wealth within zakat for the benefit of recipients. Silver is also the historically dominant standard for cash. Using gold is a valid opinion and only changes the result for people whose net wealth falls between the two figures, which in Australia today is a gap of roughly $14,500.
