Methodology

We publish the formula and the assumptions behind every tool so you can trust (and check) the math.

Taxes

Self-employment tax uses 92.35% of net earnings × 15.3% (12.4% Social Security up to the annual wage base + 2.9% Medicare). Income-tax estimates use the current-year federal brackets and standard deduction for the selected filing status. We exclude state tax, credits, and the QBI deduction unless stated. Source: IRS.

Marketplace & payment fees

Fee calculators use each platform's published fee schedule as editable defaults (e.g. Etsy 6.5% transaction + ~3% + $0.25 processing; Stripe 2.9% + $0.30). Because platforms change fees, the percentages are inputs you can override.

Rates & pricing

Rate tools spread a target take-home (grossed up for taxes and expenses) across genuinely billable hours; pricing tools solve for the price that yields a target margin after fees. Formulas are shown on each page.

Updates

Tax-year tools carry a visible "updated" label. When rates change, we update the defaults and the date.