Zakaat

Q: I would like to know if a person can pay zakaat for 3 years in advance. If it is permissible then how would one work out the amount for zakaat?

Q: 

1. Is there zakaat on crops and fruit trees? 
2. Which crops and fruits trees? 
3. Is there zakaat on honey? 
4. Is there zakaat on flowers? 
5. What amount for each of above?

Q: If a person is in a personal debt exceeding 800k and on his monthly income he does not meet his monthly expenses. Can he be assisted with zakaat to pay is debt, and what is the reward of this action of assisting an individual of clearing his debt wether it is zakaat or on his personal strength?

Q: Consider a home business... Now and then I bake and sell some cakes etc. Please advise on zakaat. I don't have "stock" on hand...I only have ingredients, the product I am selling needs to be "made". 

1.Can I pay zakaat from my cash earnings only or do I have to calculate the value of any of my ingredients and pay as well? 

2. If I also have to pay on the value of any ingredients, how do I go about it? It will be very hard to calculate as I use these ingredients for my normal household use as well, it is only some of it that is used in the cakes I will sell.

Q: I have a chick hatchery and have a question regarding the eggs being incubated. Are they regarded as stock such that zakaat is necessary on them? 

Q: I have a question regarding zakaat. 

I follow the Hanafi madhab. I have an Islamic home loan and car loan (Musharakah Agreement) via an Islamic bank. The home loan is 15 years for the house and 6 years for the car. I also have a savings account for investment purposes and I intend to use some of the funds for Hajj. 

I have read via the an Islamic newsletter on zakaat that for long term loans such as home loans and car installments, which does not require immediate payment, we must deduct the money owed for a year and not the full amount. If I deduct the full debt amount I won't be liable for zakaat. If I deduct the 1 year payment only, I will be liable to pay zakaat. 

Please confirm if my understanding is correct and I must only deduct 1 years payment? Please advise if I must proceed with deducting the 1 year debt and not the full debt. 

Q: If a person has been paying zakaat on a certain date every year since before they became baaligh, do they have to change the zakaat date to the date they became baaligh? 

The date they have been paying is about 6 months early, so it would probably be a shortfall in the amount.

Q: Someone owes me R5000. If I tell him, “Give the money which you owe me to the poor on my behalf as my zakaat”, will my zakaat be discharged?