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Hourly rate calculator

Work out the hourly rate you need to cover your income and your costs, with the hours you can actually bill. Your numbers stay in your browser.

The fields hold an example. Replace them with your own numbers.

Your income
This amount is

For income tax: a percentage you choose yourself, for example with your accountant. We do not calculate tax. Help choosing: the Wijzer in geldzaken helper (in Dutch)

Your hours

Admin, quotes, travel, fetching materials and finding customers.

Your costs
I enter costs

Such as disability and liability insurance.

What you do not charge on to customers.

Such as your accountant, workspace, workwear and courses.

Only on this device. Untick to erase it.

How to work out your hourly rate

An hourly rate has to cover three things: what you want to earn, what your business costs and the hours you cannot bill. The calculator does this in four steps.

  1. Income

    Gross is what you want to earn per year before income tax. If you prefer to work from a net amount, choose a percentage you set aside for tax yourself. Your net amount is divided by what is left after that reserve: at 30%, that is net ÷ 0.7.

  2. Costs

    Add up what your business costs and what you do not charge on to customers: insurance, tools, your van, software and your pension savings. Per month or per year; the calculator turns them into yearly amounts.

  3. Billable hours

    A year counts 52 weeks here. Your weeks off, public holidays and sick days come off, and then the share of your time spent on admin, quotes and travel.

  4. Hourly rate

    Income plus costs is the revenue you need. Divide it by your billable hours and you have your hourly rate, excl. VAT. The result is rounded up to whole cents.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good hourly rate for a freelancer?

A rate that covers your income, your costs and your non-billable hours. That differs per person, so this calculator only works with your own numbers. We deliberately show no average rates or other people’s prices.

Does the calculator work out my tax?

No. You work from a gross amount, or you choose a percentage you set aside for income tax yourself. How much tax you pay depends on your own situation. Wijzer in geldzaken, an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Finance, has a helper for that percentage (see the sources). If in doubt, check with your accountant.

Does the hourly rate include VAT?

No, the result is excl. VAT (btw). Which VAT goes on your invoice depends on your work and your customer.

What does the presumption at a low hourly rate mean?

From 31 December 2026, article 7:610aa of the Dutch Civil Code applies (Act of 18 June 2026, Staatsblad 2026, 158; entry into force Staatsblad 2026, 207): someone who works for another party for at most a set amount per hour is presumed to do so under an employment contract. The Act says € 36; the amount rises with the minimum wage and, according to the government, has been € 38 since 1 January 2026 (reference date). For the first application a ministerial regulation sets the amount. It is not a minimum rate and it does not apply when your client is a private person. A rate above that amount does not make you self-employed by itself: that depends on the whole working relationship. Check the current status in the sources below.

Do you keep what I enter?

No. The calculator works in your browser and what you enter is never sent. There are no cookies. We only count anonymously how the page is used (no IP address). If you turn on ‘Remember my input’, only your own browser keeps your numbers, until you untick it.

Sources (in Dutch)

Consulted on 12 October 2026. According to the Act (article III), a ministerial regulation sets the amount for the first application. Until then, € 38 is indicative.

Making quotes at your own hourly rate?

Describe the job. Briefbee writes the quote in your words and at your prices; you check it and send it.

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