A person has a business that has been operating for 5 years, dealing with manufacturing equipment. They have not paid the religious tax (khums) because they believed that this equipment does not require it, and their profits were very minimal, often spent on necessities and debts incurred to start the business.
[AR_ID:1575]
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may God protect him):
Khums is obligatory on the capital of trade if this capital is derived from profits, and it is also obligatory on the equipment needed for your work. If the individual is unable to pay the khums in one go, they can pay it gradually after consulting the religious authority and transferring the khums to their debt.
It is advisable for the individual to inventory their possessions and finances, and consult the religious authority or their representative to settle their accounts and negotiate on the disputed amounts, as well as to arrange installments for what they cannot pay all at once.
Source: Al-Minhaj Al-Salih, Vol. 1, Issue 1219 + Al-Wajiz in Worship Rulings, Issue 157.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may God protect him):
Khums is obligatory on the capital of trade if this capital is derived from profits, and it is also obligatory on the equipment needed for your work. However, if paying the khums would leave you without enough for your livelihood, then it is not obligatory. It is advisable to consult the office of His Eminence Sayyid Khamenei after inventorying your possessions to settle the finances regarding khums.
Source: Answers to Inquiries, Q952, Q972.
May you be successful in all good.