Q: Is the responsibility of Zakāt a strictly individual responsibility or can it be joint say in the case of husbands and wives? Most spouses would have joint finances and liabilities or would treat theirs as such.
الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب
A: Zakāt is strictly a personal obligation. Even in jointly owned wealth the obligation of zakat remains personal. Thus, if a husband and wife jointly own a zakatable asset, zakat will only be payable for each if his/her ownership proportion reaches the level of nisāb, either of itself or in conjunction with his/her other zakatable asset/s if any. However, the husband and wife may agree to pay the Zakāt of each other.