# About the Freelance Rate Calculator

A free calculator for US freelancers, independent contractors and consultants that works backward from the take-home pay you want to the hourly rate you need.

## Who is behind it

The Freelance Rate Calculator is built and maintained by Tobias Nösel, an independent operator based in Hannover, Germany. Provider details are in the [Legal Notice](#); you can reach the operator through the [Contact](#) page.

## What it does

The calculator reverses the usual pricing question. Instead of guessing a rate, you enter the take-home pay you want, your expenses, your time and your other income. It solves for the profit that leaves that take-home pay after federal income tax, self-employment tax, state tax, health insurance and retirement savings, adds your expenses and divides by your billable hours.

It runs entirely in your browser. Your inputs are not sent to a server, and the site uses no advertising, affiliate links or tracking.

## Where the numbers come from

Tax values for 2026 come from IRS publications: the inflation adjustments announced for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), the self-employment tax rules and the estimated tax guidance. The tax functions are tested against reference values from an independent exact-fraction calculation, and the reverse calculation is verified by running its result forward again. Every topic page lists its sources, and the full method is described on [How the Freelance Rate Calculator works](#).

## How and when it is updated

Tax values are reviewed once a year when the IRS publishes the new inflation adjustments, and whenever a rule used by the calculator changes. Each page shows the month of its last content change, and the sitemap carries the same date.

## Change log

| Date | Change |
| --- | --- |
| October 15, 2026 | First release: calculator with tax year 2026 values, guide, ten topic pages, backup and import of inputs, light and dark mode. |
| October 15, 2026 | Added the method page, this page, Markdown versions of all pages and per-page dates. |

## What it is not

The calculator is a simplified estimate for planning prices. It is not tax, legal or financial advice and it does not replace a CPA or an enrolled agent. It does not model tax credits, dependents, itemized deductions, state-specific rules or special situations; the [method page](#) lists everything that is left out.

## Found an error?

If a number, a source or a statement looks wrong, please write through the [Contact](#) page. Corrections are made as soon as they are verified, and the change log above records them.

Updated October 2026.