How Much Should I Charge Per Hour Self-Employed?
An hourly rate only matters if it leaves enough after the costs of doing the work. Use TradeTake to work backwards from the hourly amount you actually want left.
WORK OUT MY RATEThink in take-home, not headline rate
A £30 headline rate is not £30 in your pocket if you are paying for products, fuel, tools, travel or other job costs. Price from the amount you want left, then build the costs and reserve back in.
Allow for non-billable time
Your job-hour price may also need to support quoting, admin, collecting materials, maintenance and gaps between jobs. Not every working hour can necessarily be charged to a customer.
Tax reserve
Choose a percentage to put aside as a planning reserve for tax and National Insurance. It is a budgeting input rather than a calculation of your final Self Assessment liability.
TradeTake provides estimates for planning purposes. It is not tax, accounting, employment-status or VAT advice. Check your circumstances and current HMRC guidance where relevant.