Freelance rate calculator

What you need to charge so a take-home goal still survives expenses and a tax sleeve. Desk hours × utilization × weeks actually billed is the denominator most quotes skip. This is not Schedule SE and not a filing — run net profit through the self-employment tax calculator after you have a rate. Optional: tip / support.

Target take-home (after tax sleeve) Monthly business expenses Tax sleeve % (example — type yours) Desk hours / week Utilization % billed Unpaid weeks / year Quoted hourly (optional check)

Needed billable rate

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2026 self-employment tax is still 15.3% on 92.35% of Schedule C net (SSA wage base $184,500). That is about 14.13% of net before income tax — not a frozen “30%.” Type a sleeve that includes SE + federal + state, or size the tax piece on the 1099 primer. Ordinary and necessary expenses: IRS Publication 334. Not advice.

Optional

Tip / Support

This freelance calculator is free. A voluntary tip supports this classroom — not a paywall, not tax software, not ads.

WhatIfInLearing

Optional classroom tip

$4.99 USD

Processed by PayPal as a WhatIfInLearing tip. Optional — never required to use the calculator. More free tip tools: tip index.