Tool 02

Rate & take-home calculator

A salary number lies once you’re self-employed. Set your target, and see the rate you actually need after self-employment tax, income tax, health cover, retirement, and the hours you can’t bill. Everything stays in your browser.

Target take-home pay (per year)

The after-tax cash you want to live on — like a salary.

Filing statusState income tax

Rough flat add-on. Leave 0 for no-tax states.

Business expenses / yr

Health insurance / yr

Retirement / yr

Billable hours

You can’t bill every hour you work. Be honest about admin, sales, and downtime.

Weeks worked / yr

Hours / week

Billable %

≈ 1,248 billable hours a year. Why utilization matters

Apply the 20% QBI deductionMost full-time freelancers under the income threshold qualify for the Section 199A pass-through deduction. Learn more

The rate you need

$90/ hr

$718 / day$112,005 / yr billed

Where the money goes

Gross revenue (billed)$112,005

− Business expenses$4,000

− Self-employment taxexplain$15,261

− Federal income taxexplain$9,544

− Health insuranceguide$7,200

− Retirementguide$6,000

Take-home to live on$70,000

Estimate using 2026 US federal figures (self-employment tax, single brackets and standard deduction). State tax is a flat approximation. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice.