🇪🇸 Spain Freelancer Tax Calculator
Estimate your after-tax income as a self-employed worker in Spain.
Estimated after-tax income
21.955 €
≈ 8046 € in tax & contributions
Approximated using employee contribution rates; real Freiberufler vs Gewerbe treatment, trade tax and voluntary/private insurance differ significantly.
Estimate only — not tax advice. Figures are estimates based on publicly available tax rules and may not reflect your full circumstances. See our methodology & sources. Always confirm with an official tax authority or a licensed adviser before making decisions.
Self-employment tax in Spain
Spanish autónomos pay IRPF on profit plus a monthly social-security quota that has moved to an income-based scale, and can deduct business expenses. It's a distinct, often complex regime — use the freelancer calculator.
Freelance taxation in Spain differs from Spain employee payroll in three ways: who pays the social contributions, how and when you file, and which expenses you can deduct. The calculator above gives a simplified Spain estimate — for anything beyond a ballpark, especially around deductible expenses and the special regimes Spain, speak to a qualified accountant.
Want the employee picture instead? Use the Spain salary calculator.
Employee or freelancer, on the same money
On the same 30.000 € of Spain income, our estimate leaves a freelancer about 0 € a year ahead of an employee — roughly 0 € a month, against employee take-home of 1830 €. That 0 € advantage narrows once unpaid holiday, unpaid sickness and the gaps between contracts are priced in, none of which a Spain employee carries.
Deductible business expenses are the largest omission from the Spain freelance column, and they work in your favour: equipment, software, professional insurance, an accountant and a legitimate share of home-office costs all come off profit before this arithmetic starts, so a freelancer with 4500 €of genuine costs is comparing a much smaller taxable figure than the table shows. Approximated using employee contribution rates; real Freiberufler vs Gewerbe treatment, trade tax and voluntary/private insurance differ significantly.
| Annual profit | As an employee | As a freelancer | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22.500 € | 17.188 € | 17.188 € | +0 € |
| 30.000 € | 21.955 € | 21.955 € | +0 € |
| 45.000 € | 30.801 € | 30.801 € | +0 € |
| 60.000 € | 39.284 € | 39.284 € | +0 € |
Frequently Asked Questions
+How are freelancers taxed in Spain?
Self-employment Spain is assessed on profit rather than gross pay, and you carry the contributions an employer would otherwise share. On 30.000 € of profit our estimate leaves 21.955 € after tax and contributions, before any deductible business expenses. The section above sets out how the Spain rules work in detail.
+Is freelance tax higher than employee tax in Spain?
On the same 30.000 €, our estimate leaves a freelancer about 0 € a year better off than an employee — roughly 0 € a month. Deductible Spain business expenses are not modelled here and can move that 0 € materially in your favour.
+What day rate do I need to match a salary in Spain?
To match the 30.000 € median as a Spain freelancer you need profit of roughly that figure before expenses, then divide by the days you can realistically bill — 200 to 220 after holiday, sickness, admin and gaps, not 260. On 210 days that is about 143 € a day as a floor, not a target.
+How much should I set aside for tax as a freelancer in Spain?
At 30.000 € of profit our estimate puts total tax and contributions near 27%. Setting aside that share of every Spain invoice into a separate account, plus a margin, is the habit that prevents the annual scramble — on 30.000 € of profit that is roughly 670 € a month put aside.
Estimate only — not tax advice. Figures are estimates based on publicly available tax rules and may not reflect your full circumstances. See our methodology & sources (last reviewed June 2026). Always confirm with an official tax authority or a licensed adviser before making decisions.