Freelance RateCosts freelancers forget to add to their rate
When the rate is too low, it is usually because a few costs were never counted. Go through this list once a year.
Equipment and its replacement
A laptop that lasts three years costs a third of its price every year. Add a phone, headset, camera, chair, desk, a backup drive and a spare charger. If you use a personal device for work, count the share that is for work.
Software and subscriptions
Monthly payments add up: design or writing tools, cloud storage, a password manager, video calls, email on your own domain, an invoicing tool, antivirus. Multiply each by 12 and add them.
Internet, phone and a backup plan
Work-related internet and phone use is a cost. A second connection or a mobile hotspot for deadline days is cheap insurance.
Insurance and protection
Health, equipment, professional liability where your work can cause loss to a client, and income protection if it is available to you. Check what applies to your trade and country.
Accounting, tax and legal help
An accountant, a bookkeeping tool, the fee for registering a business or a trademark and a lawyer who reviews your contract once.
Payment and platform fees
Marketplaces, card payments, bank transfers and currency conversion each take a share. Look at the last six months of payments and work out the average percentage lost.
Training and professional membership
Courses, books, a conference, a professional body. If you must keep learning to keep earning, the cost belongs in your rate.
Marketing and finding clients
A portfolio site, domain name, hosting, business cards, ads, a profile on a job platform and the time you spend on all of it. The time is already counted in your billable share; the money is a cost.
Workspace and travel
A desk in a co-working space, a share of home rent or electricity, tea and coffee for clients, local travel to meetings. Record these in a notebook or an app for a month to see the real amount.
Bad debts and late payments
Some clients pay late and a few never pay. Add a small percentage as a cushion, or use deposits and written payment terms to reduce it. See the quote wording page for example payment lines.
Total these items for a year and enter the yearly total as costs in the rate calculator.
Common questions
Should I include costs I pay for personal use too?
Only the work share. If your phone is used half for work, count half of its cost and half of its plan.
Are all of these costs tax deductible?
That depends on your country and your situation. The calculator treats costs as paid before tax. If some of yours are not deductible, raise the tax percentage a little, and ask an accountant.
Keep going
Example figures on this site are made up to show the working. They are not market rates or averages. Tax, social-insurance, sales-tax and holiday rules differ by country and change, so this site does not state them: ask the tax authority of your country or an accountant. Checked 14 November 2026.