Annual wealth Zakat is normally paid when it becomes due on your lunar anniversary. Ramadan is a popular time to give, but an earlier liability should not be delayed solely to reach Ramadan. Advance payment and genuine inability to pay require their own guidance.
Find your own anniversary
Use your wealth history to establish the relevant date and record its Hijri equivalent. A lunar year can be 354 or 355 days, so repeatedly adding a fixed 354 days does not produce a guaranteed exact anniversary.
Calculate before paying
Gather asset balances and valuations for the assessment date, check permitted deductions and compare net eligible wealth with nisab. Reconcile valid advance payments against the resulting obligation. If the advance total is short, address the difference.
Paying early or in instalments
Advance payments are accepted under some approaches subject to conditions. They do not make it appropriate to postpone an amount already due without justification. If immediate payment is genuinely difficult, seek guidance and keep a record of the outstanding amount.
Use a reminder as a prompt
The calendar download on this site records one date you select. It is a reminder to assess your circumstances, not proof of liability. Recheck the corresponding local Hijri date each year and retain evidence of payments.
Sources & calculation method
These sources inform this guide. A linked source does not endorse this site, and its publication date may differ from this page’s update date.
Scholarly methods can produce different results. See the method choices that affect a Zakat estimate and our editorial policy. This is educational guidance, not a personal ruling or a claim of named scholarly review.
To cite this guide: “When to pay Zakat: your annual date”, World Aid Network, updated 8 September 2026, https://zakat-calculator.org.uk/when-to-pay-zakat