🇬🇧 United Kingdom Freelancer Tax Calculator
Estimate your after-tax income as a self-employed worker in the UK.
Estimated after-tax income
£28,720
≈ £6,280 in tax & contributions
Approximated as income tax plus National Insurance; the self-employed Class 4 rate and allowable expenses are not separately modelled.
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 the UK
Self-employed workers file a Self Assessment tax return and pay income tax plus Class 4 National Insurance on profits, with different thresholds and the ability to deduct allowable expenses. It's a separate system from PAYE — see the freelancer calculator.
Freelance taxation in the UK differs from United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom estimate — for anything beyond a ballpark, especially around deductible expenses and the special regimes the UK, speak to a qualified accountant.
Want the employee picture instead? Use the United Kingdom salary calculator.
Employee or freelancer, on the same money
On the same £35,000 of United Kingdom income, our estimate leaves a freelancer about £0 a year ahead of an employee — roughly £0 a month, against employee take-home of £2,393. That £0 advantage narrows once unpaid holiday, unpaid sickness and the gaps between contracts are priced in, none of which a United Kingdom employee carries.
Deductible business expenses are the largest omission from the United Kingdom 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 £5,250of genuine costs is comparing a much smaller taxable figure than the table shows. Approximated as income tax plus National Insurance; the self-employed Class 4 rate and allowable expenses are not separately modelled.
| Annual profit | As an employee | As a freelancer | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| £26,250 | £22,420 | £22,420 | +£0 |
| £35,000 | £28,720 | £28,720 | +£0 |
| £52,500 | £41,007 | £41,007 | +£0 |
| £70,000 | £51,157 | £51,157 | +£0 |
Frequently Asked Questions
+How are freelancers taxed in the UK?
Self-employment the UK is assessed on profit rather than gross pay, and you carry the contributions an employer would otherwise share. On £35,000 of profit our estimate leaves £28,720 after tax and contributions, before any deductible business expenses. The section above sets out how the United Kingdom rules work in detail.
+Is freelance tax higher than employee tax in the UK?
On the same £35,000, our estimate leaves a freelancer about £0 a year better off than an employee — roughly £0 a month. Deductible United Kingdom 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 the UK?
To match the £35,000 median as a United Kingdom 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 £167 a day as a floor, not a target.
+How much should I set aside for tax as a freelancer in the UK?
At £35,000 of profit our estimate puts total tax and contributions near 18%. Setting aside that share of every United Kingdom invoice into a separate account, plus a margin, is the habit that prevents the annual scramble — on £35,000 of profit that is roughly £523 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.