Calculating zakaat

Calculating zakaat according to the market value

Q: Regarding zakaah on a business of which +/- R25 000 was due both in 2016 and 2017 each so a total of R50 000 is due.

Unfortunately this business did not have the cash available to discharge the zakaah when it fell due, and is currently trying to settle old debts so the zakaah payments are being held back. The said business would like to distribute stock to discharge zakaah but unfortunately the stock would be useless to a recipient of zakaah.

For example, a business which supplies/sells car batteries or a business that sells mens suits. So this business has the stock to distribute in lieu of zakaah to an organization like the local Darul Ihsaan or the Jamiat, but how does it go about discharging its zakaah by distributing stock, because the said zakaah recipients would require cash for groceries and expenses instead of a car battery.

PS. Points to note

1. Finding a buyer to purchase the zakaat stock in question, doesnt ever get you the correct price. Meaning, if I wish to distribute R25 000 in stock, the buyer generally makes a ridiculous offer of say half that value +/- R12 500 of which I then issue the cash to zakaah recipients.

2. Also note that I value stock not at retail but at cost or a reasonable market value so if an item costs me R100 and retails for R200 I generally value it at R100 of sometimes even at R75, which is way below my cost or what I paid for it but normally value it at a price that I would happily pay to purchase the same item for myself.

Giving zakaat for previous years

Q: My father saves enough money and my mother has jewellery. I know the nisaab for savings, gold and silver. As per the criteria, Zakat is wajib on my parents. Till now, in their entire life they didn't pay zakat. They did toubah (repented) for not paying it. Now how do they pay zakah for all the previous years because they don't know when they became sahib-e-nisaab.

Also determining the savings of my father for all the previous years is quit complicated. How much should they start giving from this year?

Calculating zakaat

Q: I want to know how much zakat I have to give. I have started earning on my own. How much amount after completion of one year I have to give and to whom?

Also, if I use money for construction or buying any property, is Zakat mandatory for that purchased land or home?

How to calculate zakaat

Q: I'd like to know how to calculate zakaat. I am 25 years old and have never paid it as I don't know how to calculate it. I do tutoring for 2 children, I have some shares, I have some money in my bank account and I have money in a money box but I don't know how much money I have in that money box. I also have some gold jewellery of which I wear some of it but not all and I don't know the value of it.

Is it true that you have to also pay zakat on clothing that you have not used in over a year? Please assist.