Freelance Take-Home Calculator (US, After Tax)
Estimate US freelance take-home pay after a tax set-aside: the billable rate you need for a target net income, or the net income from a rate.
Estimate only, not tax advice. The set-aside is a single percentage for tax and social contributions - it does not model brackets, VAT, or deductions, which vary by income, region, and circumstances. Confirm with an accountant.
Rate, costs, tax, and take-home
In the United States, employees are taxed as W-2 workers, while the self-employed file as 1099 sole proprietors and pay self-employment tax on top of income tax. The default set-aside is a rough mid-income average - your real rate depends on your state and deductions.
A freelance rate has to cover more than your target income. Business costs come off the top, and tax and social contributions come out of the profit, so the rate you bill is well above the money you keep. This tool works in both directions: the rate needed for a target take-home, or the take-home implied by a rate.
The set-aside percentage is pre-filled with a rough average for the country you pick (2026) and is yours to change. It is a planning estimate, not a tax return.
Country questions
Does this include self-employment tax?
The self-employed set-aside is meant to cover income tax plus the 15.3% self-employment tax at a rough average. Adjust it for your state and income - it is an estimate, not a filing.
Track the billable hours behind the rate
Sandtime.io records billable and non-billable time as you work, so your real billable share and rate rest on data, not a guess. Free for unlimited users, without surveillance.