Is it permissible to give Zakat al-Fitr on the 20th of Ramadan, and what should one do if it is not permissible?

The obligatory time for giving out Zakat al-Fitr begins from the sunset of the last day of Ramadan until the Eid prayer. It is preferable to give it out between the dawn prayer and the Eid prayer. It is permissible to give it out a day or two in advance, or by an amount sufficient for it to reach eligible recipients outside the country. Zakat al-Fitr does not lapse by delay; it must be given out even after Eid as long as it remains an obligation, because it is a fixed debt to the poor, and because a time-bound act of worship is not valid if performed before its prescribed time, unless there is a necessity for its delivery.