Set your target income
Enter the annual gross income you want the business to support before your personal tax.
Business
Freelance Day-Rate Calculator UK
Estimate the day rate needed to cover a target annual income, business costs, time off and non-billable working time.
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HOW IT WORKS
How the Freelance Day-Rate Calculator UK works
Allow for costs and downtime
Add annual business costs, weeks off and the percentage of working time you expect to bill.
Calculate a day rate
The target revenue is spread across the estimated number of billable days.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Does this calculate take-home pay?
No. It estimates business revenue and day rate before personal tax. Use the Take Home Pay Calculator separately for PAYE-style estimates.
Why does billable utilisation matter?
Freelancers often spend time on marketing, administration, training and gaps between contracts, so not every available working day can be invoiced.
Should I include VAT?
Do not treat VAT collected on behalf of HMRC as your income. Use net-of-VAT business figures when appropriate.
What does the contingency percentage do?
It adds a buffer to the revenue target for uncertainty, downtime or profit.
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