BoekBrug

Freelance hourly rate calculator

What should you charge per hour as a freelancer in the Netherlands? Work it out from your income, costs and hours.

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Desired annual income
The profit you want to keep before tax
€
Business costs per year
Insurance, tools, admin, etc.
€
Billable hours per year
Hours you can invoice — often about 1,200 of 1,800 worked hours
hrs
Buffer for tax, pension and downtime%
Recommended hourly rate
€48.75
Base rate (without buffer)€37.50
Buffer (30%)€11.25
Required annual revenue€58,500.00
Rate set? Create your account.
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How do you set your hourly rate?

A good hourly rate covers more than just your desired income. The formula: (desired annual income + business costs) ÷ the hours you can invoice. On top of that you add a buffer for tax, pension, insurance and hours you cannot invoice.

Don't forget the hours you cannot invoice. Finding clients, admin, illness and holidays all come off your billable time. So plan with about 1,200 rather than 1,800 hours.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my hourly rate as a freelancer?
Add your desired annual income to your business costs. Divide that by the hours you can invoice per year. Then add a buffer on top for tax, pension and downtime.
How many billable hours does a freelancer have per year?
From a full-time year of about 1,800 working hours you can often only really invoice about 1,200. The rest goes to finding clients, admin and time off.
Why a buffer on top of my rate?
As a freelancer you pay your own income tax, pension and insurance. You also have hours you cannot invoice. A buffer of, say, 30% accounts for this.
Invoice your rate?
Put your hourly rate straight onto a tidy invoice with BoekBrug. The VAT is calculated automatically.
Create a free accountVAT calculator

BoekBrug — the bridge between you and your accountant. This is an estimate; not tax advice.