Work out the day rate you actually need to charge to take home what you want.
For sole proprietors and small firms pricing their time. Covers van costs, tools, insurance, tax, pension, sickness cover and the days you're not working.
Sound familiar?
- “You priced a job on what feels normal for your area, not on what your costs actually need.”
- “After tax, fuel, tools and the days you cannot bill, there is less left than you thought.”
- “You want to put your rate up but you are not sure what number actually covers you.”
What this tool does
Takes your desired take-home, fixed costs, tax position and realistic working days per year, and calculates the minimum day rate that leaves you with that take-home after everything. Shows the gap between your current rate and what you actually need.
What do you want to take home?
What you actually want in your pocket after everything. Not turnover. Not gross. The number that hits your bank account.
After tax, NI, pension, and all business costs.
Why this matters
Most tradespeople set their day rate by looking at what everyone else charges and picking a number. That's how you end up working 50 weeks a year and still not knowing where the money went.
This tool works backwards from what you actually want to earn, adds your real costs, accounts for holidays and sick days and tax, and tells you the minimum you need to charge per day to make it work.
It takes 2 minutes. It might change what you quote tomorrow.
What the law actually says
- •No law sets what you can charge - your rate is yours to decide. But the figure has to cover income tax, CPP contributions and GST/HST once you pass the $30,000 small-supplier threshold, plus the costs and unpaid days the headline rate hides. This tool builds the rate up from those.