Zakat on stocks, ETFs and investments
A practical guide to calculating zakat on your portfolio, with a free calculator. Shares, ETFs, gold, crypto and sukuk, explained simply.
Zakat calculator
Enter today’s values in euros (or any single currency). Everything is calculated in your browser: nothing is saved or sent.
Indicative gold and silver prices as of 02/11/2026 (Yahoo Finance), editable.
The basics
- Rate: 2.5% of your zakatable wealth, once a lunar year (2.577% if you use a solar year).
- Nisab: zakat is due only if your zakatable wealth is at least the value of 85 g of gold (or 595 g of silver, a lower threshold that some prefer because it benefits more people in need).
- Hawl: the wealth must have been held for a full lunar year. Most people pick a fixed zakat date and calculate everything they own on that day.
Shares: trading or long term?
The intention behind the holding matters. Shares held for trading are treated like trade goods: zakat is due on their full market value on your zakat date. Shares held long term, for dividends and growth, are treated by many scholars as a stake in a business: zakat is due on your share of the company’s zakatable assets (cash, receivables, inventory), not on buildings and equipment. This is the approach of the AAOIFI Shari’ah standard on zakah.
In practice, few investors have that figure for every company. Some scholars and zakat organisations accept an estimate of about 25–30% of the market value; others recommend paying on the full value to be safe. The calculator lets you choose.
ETFs and funds
An ETF is treated like what it holds. An equity ETF kept long term can follow the long-term shares approach; an ETF you trade, the full market value. Islamic ETFs, such as those that follow the MSCI World Islamic index, only hold companies that pass Shari’ah screens, but they are still subject to zakat. Dividends you have received are part of your cash.
Gold, crypto, sukuk and cash
| Asset | Usual treatment |
|---|---|
| Cash, bank balances | Full amount |
| Gold and silver, physical gold ETCs | Full market value (jewellery for personal use: views differ) |
| Cryptocurrencies | Market value, for those considered permissible |
| Sukuk and bonds | Market value, or according to the underlying assets |
| Money owed to you | Included if you expect it to be repaid |
| Debts due now | Usually deducted |
An example
Cash €10,000, a gold ETC worth €15,000 and an equity ETF held long term worth €80,000, with a 30% estimate for the ETF: 10,000 + 15,000 + (80,000 × 30%) = €49,000 of zakatable wealth. That is above the nisab, so zakat is 49,000 × 2.5% = €1,225. Paying on the full value of the ETF instead, it would be 105,000 × 2.5% = €2,625.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay zakat on the full value of my shares?
If you hold shares to trade them, most scholars say zakat is due on their full market value. If you hold them long term for dividends and growth, many scholars (including the AAOIFI standard on zakah) say zakat is due only on your share of the company’s zakatable assets, such as cash, receivables and inventory. When that figure is not available, some use an estimate of about 25–30% of the market value; paying on the full value is the cautious option.
How is zakat calculated on ETFs?
An ETF is treated like the shares or bonds it holds. For an equity ETF held long term you can use the same approach as for long-term shares; for an ETF you trade, the full market value. A physically backed gold ETC is usually treated like gold.
What is the nisab in 2026?
The nisab is the value of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver. Its value changes with metal prices: the calculator on this page uses recent prices, which you can edit.
Why 2.5% or 2.577%?
Zakat is 2.5% of zakatable wealth held for one lunar year (about 354 days). If you calculate on a solar year (365 days), the rate is adjusted to about 2.577%.
Is zakat due on crypto?
Many contemporary scholars consider cryptocurrencies that are permissible to hold as wealth subject to zakat at their market value on your zakat date.
Can I deduct debts?
Views differ. A common approach is to deduct debts that are due now or within the coming year, such as bills and instalments, but not the full balance of a long-term mortgage.
Calculate zakat on your real portfolio, every year
Rootfolio tracks your accounts and investments with automatically updated prices. Its zakat page takes the current value of each asset class, your cash and your loans, lets you set the zakatable percentage for each one, and calculates the zakat due. You can also compare your portfolio with the MSCI World Islamic index.
Try Rootfolio freeThis page is for information only and is not a religious ruling. Schools of thought differ on several points: for your situation, ask a qualified scholar or a zakat organisation you trust.