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Freelance rate calculator

Start from the income you want in hand and work back to the hourly and day rate you need to charge.

Nothing leaves your browser. This tool works on your device. What you type is never sent to us or anyone else, and no sign-up is needed.

After tax and business costs: what you actually live on.

Software, internet, equipment, co-working, CA fees.

Your rough average rate. Ask your CA if unsure.

Not all hours are billable: 4 to 6 is typical.

Holidays, festivals, sick days and gaps between projects.

Hourly rate₹1,400exactly ₹1,385
Day rate₹7,000exactly ₹6,921
To bill each month, on average
₹1,32,648
To bill in a year
₹15,91,765
Billable time in a year
230 days · 1150 hours

These rates are before GST. If you are GST-registered, GST is added on top and passed to the government; it isn’t part of your income. This is an estimate to start from, not tax advice.

How the rate is worked out

  1. Your monthly income in hand, grossed up for income tax, plus your monthly business costs, gives what you must bill each month.
  2. Twelve months of that is your yearly billing target.
  3. 52 weeks minus your weeks off, times working days per week, gives your billable days.
  4. The yearly target divided by billable days is your day rate; divided by billable hours, your hourly rate.

The large figure is rounded up to a number you could quote; the exact figure is shown beneath it.

Questions

Why is the rate higher than a salary divided by hours?
A salaried person is paid for holidays, sick days, meetings and idle time. A freelancer is paid only for billable hours, and pays for their own software, equipment and tax. The rate has to cover all of that.
How many billable hours a day is realistic?
For most freelancers, 4 to 6. The rest of the day goes to finding clients, emails, calls, invoicing and learning.
Should I charge by the hour or by the project?
Use the hourly figure to check your project quotes: estimate the hours, multiply, and add a margin for revisions. Many freelancers quote a project price but calculate it this way.
Does the rate include GST?
No. If you are GST-registered, GST is added on top of your rate and paid to the government. It is not part of your income.

Do this for every client, without retyping

Agency CRM turns your rate into invoices and retainers, and shows what you’ve billed and collected each month.

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