What counts as income for maaser kesafim?

Short answer

In general, your net income counts toward maaser — salary, business profit, gifts, dividends, interest, and rental income. Money that is not real gain usually does not: reimbursements, transfers between your own accounts, and loans you receive. Edge cases are common, so your rav has the final word.

Income that generally counts

Most money that represents real gain is subject to maaser. In practice that usually includes:

  • Salary and wages (after taxes)
  • Net profit from a business
  • Gifts and inheritances you receive
  • Dividends and interest
  • Rental income
  • Unexpected windfalls

Money that generally does not count

Some deposits look like income but are not real gain, so they typically fall outside maaser:

  • Reimbursements for money you already spent
  • Transfers between your own accounts
  • Loans you receive (the money is not yours to keep)
  • A tax refund for tax you already gave maaser on

The edge cases — ask your rav

Maaser has real edge cases, and practices differ from person to person. Whether a particular deposit counts, and whether you calculate on gross or net, is a halachic question. Treat this page as general information, not a ruling: your rav has the final word for your situation.

How Maaser Tracker helps

When you import your bank or card activity, Maaser Tracker shows every deposit in a simple inbox. You confirm what is income in one tap, or mark a deposit "Not income" with a note — so your maaser is calculated on the right figures and your audit trail stays clean.

This page is general information, not a halachic ruling. For your own situation, ask your rav.

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