MTD-ready spreadsheet
Freelance Day-Rate & Profit Calculator
Most rate calculators ask what you charge. This one asks what you want to keep.
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Enter your target take-home, your costs, pension, holiday and realistic billable days. It returns the day rate and hourly rate that actually gets you there — after tax, NI and the weeks you won't be working.
- Works backwards from take-home pay to the required rate
- Accounts for holiday, sick days and non-billable time honestly
- Includes pension contributions and business costs
- Shows the tax and NI you'll owe, and what to set aside
- Works in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers
Made by Fableworks HQ. Designed and built by us using spreadsheet tools with AI assistance, and every calculation is human-checked and unit-tested.
Secure checkout by Paddle · instant download · VAT handled for you · 14-day money-back guarantee
A look inside — worked backwards from take-home
| What you want | Figure |
|---|---|
| Take-home you want | £46,000 |
| Business costs + pension | £6,000 |
| Realistic billable days / year | 200 |
| Tax & NI to cover | £13,900 |
| Day rate you need | £330 |
| Equivalent hourly (7.5h) | £44 |
Illustrative example. Most calculators ask what you charge; this one starts from what you want to keep and works back.
Why buy this when AI is free?
A chatbot will happily tell you what to charge. It is guessing at the two numbers that actually decide your rate: how many days you will really bill this year, and what the taxman takes off the top. This works backwards from the take-home you want, through holiday, sick days, non-billable time, pension, business costs, tax and NI, to the rate that gets you there.
The point is that you re-run it. Every time a client asks for a discount, or you add a cost, or you want to know what dropping to four days a week does to your year — you open the file and change a cell. You cannot re-open last month's chat and trust it still holds.
And you do not have to take our word for the arithmetic. The tax logic behind our free calculators is covered by 81 unit tests that run before anything ships — the 2026/27 bands, Class 4 National Insurance, Payments on Account and Section 24. Check our maths for free first, then decide whether the £9 version is worth it to you.
Straight answer on the limits: this is a pricing and planning tool, not HMRC-recognised software, and it does not submit anything to HMRC on your behalf. If you need to send quarterly updates, our free list of recognised software shows which products do that, and which are free.
Questions before you buy
What exactly do I get, and how?
One spreadsheet file, downloaded the instant your payment clears (Paddle also emails you a secure link). It opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers. No account, no subscription and nothing to install.
How is this different from a free rate calculator?
Free calculators start from a rate and tell you the annual figure. This one starts from the take-home you actually want and works backwards through tax, National Insurance, pension, holiday and the days you won't be billing — so the rate it gives you is one that genuinely gets you there.
Can I edit it, or is it locked?
Nothing is locked or password-protected. Every formula is visible and editable — change the billable days, add costs, adjust the pension. It's yours to keep.
Is this tax advice?
No. It's an estimate and planning tool, not tax or financial advice. Always confirm your own position with GOV.UK or your accountant.
What if it's not right for me?
There's a 14-day money-back guarantee. If it isn't useful, email us within 14 days for a full refund.
Secure checkout by Paddle · instant download · VAT handled for you · 14-day money-back guarantee