Calculate your day rate
Start from what you want to keep and work back to the rate you need to charge. Excluding VAT, and your figures never leave your browser.
What is left after income tax and social contributions are paid.
Together, as a percentage of your profit: revenue minus business expenses. For many Belgian freelancers this is around half; your accountant knows your number.
Accountant, insurance, laptop, travel, subscriptions.
Of the roughly 260 weekdays in a year, public holidays, leave, illness and admin rarely leave more than 210.
What your hourly rate is based on.
What you need to charge
- Day rate
- €371
- Hourly rate
- €46
- Revenue needed per year
- €78,000
Indicative, not tax advice. Your real contributions depend on your status, your company form and your expenses.
How your day rate adds up
From net to revenue
As a self-employed freelancer you pay social contributions and income tax on your profit: your revenue minus your business expenses. Social contributions are 20.5% of your net taxable professional income; above a threshold the rate drops, and above a ceiling you pay nothing more. Income tax is progressive and rises to 50%, plus the municipal surcharge. For many IT freelancers the two together come to around half. If you work through a company, the proportions differ; your accountant knows your number.
Your business expenses
Your accountant, insurance, laptop, travel and subscriptions are paid out of your revenue. Because they are largely deductible, the calculator adds them after tax and social contributions.
Billable days
2027 has 261 weekdays. Of those, 7 are public holidays, which leaves 254 working days. Take off your leave, a few days of illness and the days you spend on admin, finding clients or between two assignments, and you rarely get above 210.
From day rate to hourly rate
Your hourly rate is your day rate divided by the hours you bill per day. Count the hours you actually bill.
An example
With the values the calculator opens with: to keep €3,000 net per month with 50% in tax and social contributions and €500 in expenses per month, you need €78,000 in revenue per year. Over 210 billable days that is €371 per day, or €46 per hour at 8 hours per day.
And then the invoice itself
Hopfact turns your worked days into a signed timesheet and a Peppol invoice. We are building it now; join the waiting list to be among the first.
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