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EVERY BUSINESS & FREELANCE DECISION · WITH THE MATH SHOWN

Business & Freelance Calculators

Free calculators for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and self-employed professionals. From startup runway to SaaS pricing — make smarter business decisions.

Start with Startup Runway Calculator →

  • Startup Runway Calculator

    Popular

    Calculate how many months your startup can operate before running out of cash based on burn rate.

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  • Freelance Rate Calculator

    Calculate the minimum hourly rate you may want to charge to meet your income and expense goals.

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  • Profit Margin Calculator

    Calculate gross, operating, and net profit margins for your business or products.

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  • Break-Even Calculator

    Find the sales volume you need to cover all your costs and start making a profit.

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  • Business Loan Calculator

    Calculate monthly payments and total interest on a business loan or line of credit.

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  • Business Loan Affordability Calculator

    Find out how much business financing you can afford based on your revenue and cash flow.

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  • Invoice Factoring Calculator

    Calculate the cost and net proceeds of factoring your invoices for immediate cash flow.

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  • Markup vs Margin Calculator

    Understand the difference between markup and margin and set the right prices for your products.

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  • LLC vs S-Corp Calculator

    Compare the tax advantages of an LLC versus an S-Corp election based on your self-employment income.

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  • Employee vs Contractor Calculator

    Calculate the true cost difference between hiring an employee versus a contractor.

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  • SaaS Pricing Calculator

    Model MRR, ARR, and unit economics for your SaaS pricing tiers and customer acquisition.

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  • Home Office Deduction Calculator

    Calculate your home office tax deduction using the simplified or regular method.

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  • Gig Tax Deductions Calculator

    Estimate self-employment tax deductions for rideshare drivers, delivery workers, and gig economy workers.

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  • Side Hustle Income Calculator

    Estimate your take-home pay from side hustle income after taxes and expenses.

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  • Amazon FBA Calculator

    Calculate Amazon FBA fees, profit margins, and ROI for your products.

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  • Customer LTV Calculator

    Calculate customer lifetime value to optimize acquisition spending and retention strategies.

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  • eBay Fee Calculator

    Calculate eBay selling fees, PayPal fees, and net profit for your listings.

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  • Etsy Fee Calculator

    Estimate Etsy listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing costs.

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  • LLC Cost Calculator

    Estimate the cost of forming and maintaining an LLC in your state.

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  • SaaS MRR Calculator

    Track and forecast Monthly Recurring Revenue with churn, expansion, and new customer metrics.

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  • Shopify Profit Calculator

    Calculate Shopify fees, shipping costs, and net profit for your e-commerce store.

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  • Startup Burn Rate Calculator

    Calculate your startup gross and net burn rate and see how long your funding will last.

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Business & freelance — deep-dive guides, FAQs, examples, sources

Long-form content kept collapsed by default so the calculator grid stays front-and-center. Expand any section below for primary-source analysis, worked examples, and category FAQs.

Guides (6 articles)▾

Complete small business calculator guide 2026

11 min read

Starting or running a business: the math that matters. Freelance Rate for solopreneurs, Break-Even for product businesses, Startup Runway for venture-backed.

LLC vs S-Corp

S-Corp election saves self-employment tax above ~$60k net. Requires reasonable salary + payroll. Use LLC vs S-Corp.

Freelance pricing

Employer-equivalent hourly = desired salary ÷ 1500 billable hours × 1.5 overhead multiplier. $150k target = $150/hr.

Margins and break-even

Gross margin = (revenue - COGS) / revenue. Must cover fixed costs + profit. Break-even units = fixed costs / contribution margin per unit.

LLC vs S-Corp deep math

8 min read

S-Corp saves 15.3% SE tax on distributions above salary. Requires payroll, reasonable comp, separate returns. Generally worth it above $60k net SE income.

Startup runway planning

7 min read

Runway = cash / monthly burn. Target 18+ months post-fundraise. Gross burn vs net burn (after revenue) — track both.

SaaS pricing frameworks

8 min read

Value-based (% of customer value captured) vs usage-based vs seat-based. Unit economics: LTV/CAC > 3, payback < 18 months.

Business decision framework

6 min read

Pricing: Freelance Rate. Break-even: Break-Even. Structure: LLC vs S-Corp. Runway: Startup Runway.

Common business mistakes

7 min read

Under-pricing services, mixing personal/business finances, skipping quarterly estimated taxes, ignoring S-Corp threshold, failing to track billable ratio.

FAQ (15 questions)▾
When should I elect S-Corp?
Around $60k+ net SE income. Breaks even vs LLC-only payroll cost around there.
What is a reasonable salary for S-Corp?
IRS requires "reasonable compensation" — typically 30-60% of total distributions. Industry salary surveys benchmarks.
How much cash runway?
18+ months post-fundraise. 12 months minimum. Under 6 = urgent fundraise or cut.
What LTV/CAC ratio is healthy?
>3× typical benchmark for SaaS. Payback period <18 months. Higher = capital-efficient growth.
Freelance hourly rate?
Target salary ÷ 1500 billable hours × 1.5 overhead. Accounts for benefits, taxes, admin, gap time.
Do I need an LLC?
Yes for liability protection once revenue starts. Sole proprietorship commingles personal assets with business liability.
What is QBI deduction?
20% pass-through deduction for most small businesses. Subject to income thresholds and SSTB limits. Sunsets end 2027.
Home office deduction?
Simplified: $5/sq ft up to 300 sq ft. Regular method: actual cost allocation. Requires exclusive and regular use.
When do I pay quarterly taxes?
Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15, Jan 15. 90% current year OR 100% prior year safe harbor (110% if AGI>$150k).
Cash vs accrual accounting?
Cash for most service businesses <$27M revenue. Accrual required for inventory-heavy or C-Corps.
Should I hire employees or contractors?
IRS 20-factor test. Misclassification penalties steep. Employees cost 1.25-1.4× base salary; contractors 1.0×.
How much should I save for taxes?
25-35% of net SE income for federal + state + SE tax. Pay into separate account quarterly.
Can I deduct startup costs?
Up to $5,000 first year; remainder amortized 15 years. Organizational costs same treatment.
What is a reasonable profit margin?
Service 15-25% net. Product 5-15%. SaaS 20-40%. Industry-specific benchmarks vary.
Should I factor invoices?
Only if cash flow crisis — factoring costs 1-5% per 30 days = 12-60% annualized. Line of credit usually cheaper.
Real Examples (7 scenarios)▾

Freelance developer rate

Target Salary
$150,000
Billable Hours
1,400/yr
Overhead Multiplier
1.5

Result: $160/hr

Includes self-employment tax, benefits self-paid, PTO, admin time, gap time.

S-Corp election at $120k SE

Net SE Income
$120,000
Reasonable Salary
$60,000
Distribution
$60,000

Result: Saves $9,180 FICA vs LLC-only

15.3% SE tax on distributions eliminated. Minus payroll costs ~$800.

SaaS unit economics

MRR per customer
$99
Gross Margin
80%
CAC
$450
Churn
3%/mo

Result: LTV $2,640 / LTV/CAC 5.9× / Payback 6mo

Healthy SaaS metrics. 33-month average customer lifetime at 3% churn.

Break-even bakery

Fixed Costs
$8k/mo
Avg Ticket
$12
Contribution Margin
$7 (58%)

Result: 1,143 tickets/month to break even

Below 1,143 = loss. At 1,500 tickets: $2,499/mo profit. Capacity planning matters.

Startup runway

Cash
$1.2M
Monthly Burn
$85k gross, $75k net
Revenue
$10k/mo

Result: 16 months net runway

Track both gross and net. Net accounts for revenue. Target 18+ months post-raise.

Home office deduction

Office Sq Ft
150
Home Sq Ft
1,800
Total Home Cost
$32k/yr

Result: Simplified: $750 / Regular: $2,667

Regular method usually wins for larger spaces. Mortgage interest, utilities, depreciation allocated.

Invoice factoring cost

Invoice
$25,000
Factor Rate
3% per 30 days
Term
45 days

Result: Cost $1,125 / APR ~36%

Expensive short-term cash. LOC usually 7-15% better option if available.

Sources (6 primary citations)▾
  1. [1]Internal Revenue Service — federal individual income tax brackets and standard deductions
  2. [2]Social Security Administration — OASDI / Medicare benefit + contribution rules
  3. [3]State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below)
  4. [4]BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages
  5. [5]FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state
  6. [6]FDIC — National Deposit Rates (savings, checking, CD)

All data points cited to primary U.S. government, regulatory, and industry sources. Methodology published at /about/editorial.

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Written and maintained by Jere Salmisto, Founder, CalcFi. Updated May 19, 2026.

Formulas cited to primary US government and regulatory sources. Methodology at /about/editorial. Published by CalcFi Editorial.