# Does paying taxes count as paying zakat?

*Can paying taxes cover the obligation of zakat?*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/16/
- Date: 2020-08-24 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #179 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (58:11–1:00:09)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=3491s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/

**Topics:** Zakat and charity

**Question as asked:** Could paying taxes cover the obligation of zakat?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Yes, he believes paying taxes suffices for zakat today, provided the person also gives charity at various points in the year.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that, in his understanding, if a person pays taxes and makes a personal practice of giving charity through the year, it suffices for zakat.

**Evidence, his words at 59:30:** “they do have an art of giving to them that is in my understanding and if you pay taxes it would suffice for zakat” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmtt2TQAO0&t=3570s)

## Longer summary

A superchat asks whether paying taxes could cover the obligation of zakat. Mufti Abu Layth says he believes it could today, if the person who pays taxes also makes a personal practice of giving charity on different occasions through the year. If a person gives no charity at all, he says there is an obligation to be involved in charity at some points in the year, not necessarily monthly or in large amounts, but as an art of giving. He then answers a chat remark that his sore throat is not coronavirus.

## Sources and names cited

- zakat
- sadaqah

## Transcript (machine tier, 58:11–1:00:09)

[57:33] this is going to be like this you've got camels you've got wheat we're going to do it like this we're going to do this we're going to take it from here we're going to do that if you've got gold we're going to do this this is what triggers the circuit there's complete systems in place fully developed systems i'm not saying the systems are problematic i'm just saying we must remember that a lot a lot of these systematization part is really man-made it's just done by scholars to set a system because not having a system meant they couldn't control things whereas if you have a system you know exactly what to ask and you know exactly what to record

[58:11] so that's what i'm saying okay so based on that making adjustments with zakat uh like somebody saying look shouldn't it be more regional shouldn't it be like this that makes sense to me i'm just saying it does make sense to me okay cool let's see that's my had this throat sore throat people so could paying taxes cover the obligation of zakat yeah and sami shukran for the super chat i i do believe that paying taxes could today

[58:50] if a person paid taxes and throughout a year made it a practice a personal practice to give charity sporadically on different occasions just in life that they do give charity they make it a personal aim i feel that suffices for zakat but if a person doesn't give any charity um then i would um i think now i think the person should there is an obligation to give uh be involved in chat at some points throughout the year it doesn't have to be like every week every month every month if

[59:30] it'd be nice if it's every month but it doesn't have to be a soul huge but they could give a certain amount certain amount here but they are they do have an art of giving to them that is in my understanding and if you pay taxes it would suffice for zakat sore throat is there a fever loss of taste and smell no no no i've had my coronavirus in the beginning right so right what's going on what's going on people people people what's the

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment KWmtt2TQAO0/s/16. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/kwmtt2tqao0/s/16/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.