Freelancer vs Employee Calculator: Germany Take-Home
Compare freelancer (Freiberufler) and employee (Angestellter) take-home on the same gross in Germany. A free estimate - not tax advice.
Compare the same gross
Enter an annual gross and a country to estimate what you keep as an employee versus as a self-employed contractor.
Estimate only, not tax advice. Each side uses one average tax-and-social percentage for 2026, not real brackets, and ignores employer costs, VAT, benefits, and deductions. A company form (GmbH) is not modelled because its take-home depends on a salary and dividend split. Confirm with an accountant.
Employee or contractor?
In Germany, an employee (Angestellter) has income tax and social contributions withheld from gross (brutto) pay, while a Freiberufler or sole trader pays income tax and usually funds their own health and pension. The default is a rough average and does not reflect your tax class or Land.
On the same headline pay, an employee and a self-employed contractor rarely keep the same amount. Employees usually have tax and social contributions withheld at source, while the self-employed pay their own, often at different rates, and can deduct business costs. The gap decides how much a day rate really needs to be.
This is a rough, country-level estimate for planning, not a tax return, and it does not cover company structures or your personal deductions. Use it to frame the question, then confirm the numbers with an accountant.
Country questions
Does the default reflect my tax class?
No. The default is a single average that ignores your Steuerklasse, church tax, and Land. Change the percentage to match your situation.
Whichever way you work, track the time
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