Freelance income calculator
Gross freelance income and money you keep are different numbers, usually by more than people expect. This walks a year of billings down to what actually lands in your account.
Estimate only. Figures update as you type. Not tax advice — see the note at the bottom of this page.
Where freelance income goes
Three things stand between gross billings and money you keep. Business expenses come out first and are the one deduction fully in your control. Self-employment tax comes next, at 15.3% of net profit before income tax is even calculated. Income tax comes last, on what remains after the deductible half of self-employment tax.
Why take-home feels lower than a salary
A salaried worker at the same headline number keeps more, because their employer pays half their payroll tax and often subsidises benefits. A freelancer earning $90,000 gross is not equivalent to a $90,000 salary. Understanding that gap is the first step to pricing work so the comparison actually favours freelancing.
Expenses are the lever
Every legitimate business expense reduces both self-employment tax and income tax, which means diligent tracking is worth more to your take-home than to almost anything else you could do. The write-off calculator shows the real after-tax cost of a purchase.
Common questions
How much of freelance income goes to taxes?
It varies with income and deductions, but many freelancers see roughly a quarter to a third of net profit go to combined federal self-employment and income tax. State tax adds more where it applies.
Is this before or after expenses?
It starts from gross and subtracts your expenses to reach net profit, then taxes that. Higher tracked expenses mean lower tax and higher take-home.
Does this include health insurance?
Only if you entered it as a business expense. Self-employed health insurance has its own tax treatment worth discussing with a professional, but at a basic level premiums reduce taxable income.