Can zakat charities keep a cut for admin costs?

The Quran allows collectors to be paid

One of the eight groups that may receive zakat is the people who collect and distribute it.

In the early Muslim state, these were officials appointed by the ruler. They were paid from zakat for their work, even if they were not poor themselves. Classical scholars said their pay should match a fair wage for the job, and some, especially in the Shafi'i school, linked it to about one eighth of the collection.

Where scholars differ today

• Charities as collectors. Some contemporary scholars and fiqh councils treat registered zakat organisations as the modern "collectors", so a modest admin share from zakat is acceptable, as long as it is reasonable and spent on zakat work.
• Charities as your agent. Others say a private charity is only your agent (wakil), not an official collector. In that view, your full zakat must reach eligible recipients, and running costs must come from separate donations or Gift Aid.

Both views are held by serious scholars. If you want to be on the safest side, choose a charity that passes on 100% of zakat.

What to check before you give

• Does the charity have a written zakat policy, and is it published on its website?
• Does it keep zakat in a separate fund from general donations?
• If it takes a share, how much, and what is it used for?
• Does it reach recipients in the eight Quranic categories? See Who can receive zakat?

For a fuller checklist, see How do I choose a trustworthy charity for my zakat?

Gift Aid, transfer fees and the rest

In the UK, Gift Aid adds 25% from the government on top of your donation. Many charities use that extra money for overheads, which keeps your zakat itself untouched. Bank and card fees are a small grey area; to be careful, you can pay a little extra as sadaqah to cover them. If you'd rather avoid middlemen entirely, you can give directly to a person you know is eligible. See Should I give zakat locally or abroad?