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    <title>FreelanceTally</title>
    <description>Free, no-signup calculators for freelancers and the self-employed — price your work, invoice clients, and understand your numbers, right in your browser.</description>
    <link>https://freelancetally.com</link>
    <language>en</language>
    <item><title>Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2025-2026)</title><description>Estimate U.S. self-employment tax on your 1099/freelance profit for 2025 or 2026 - Social Security, Medicare, the deductible half and your quarterly share.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/tools/self-employment-tax-calculator/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/tools/self-employment-tax-calculator/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How Much Higher Should a 1099 Rate Be Than a W-2 Salary to Break Even</title><description>How much higher should a 1099 rate be than a W-2 salary to break even? Worked add-backs on an $80k job: FICA, health, 401k, PTO, SE tax, and the multiplier.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/1099-vs-w2-how-much-more-to-charge/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/1099-vs-w2-how-much-more-to-charge/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Do Freelancers Charge Sales Tax on Services? A State-by-State Reality Check</title><description>Should freelancers charge sales tax on services, and which states tax them? The default rule, the broad-base exceptions, the digital trap, and the invoice line.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/do-freelancers-charge-sales-tax-on-services/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/do-freelancers-charge-sales-tax-on-services/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Your First Year Freelancing: Do You Actually Owe Quarterly Taxes Yet?</title><description>First year freelancer, unsure if you owe quarterly estimated taxes yet? The $1,000 trigger and the prior-year safe harbor that can drop required payments to $0.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/first-year-freelancer-quarterly-taxes/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/first-year-freelancer-quarterly-taxes/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Freelance Day Rate: How to Convert From Hourly (Without Underpricing)</title><description>How to calculate a freelance day rate from your hourly rate without underpricing — with worked numbers, a billable-days table, and when day beats hourly.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-day-rate-vs-hourly-conversion/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-day-rate-vs-hourly-conversion/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Freelance Hourly Rate: Real Take-Home vs Advertised (The Rate Reality Index)</title><description>Freelance hourly rate vs real take-home: I ran 2026 advertised rates for 5 trades through SE tax and overhead. Your real number is ~40% lower. Full math inside.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-rate-reality-index/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-rate-reality-index/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Freelance Rush Fee: How Much to Charge (With Worked Examples)</title><description>How much should I charge for a rush job? A tiered freelance rush fee on a $1,200 base, with opportunity-cost math, an effective-hourly check, and a clause.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-rush-fee-how-much-to-charge/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-rush-fee-how-much-to-charge/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Per-Word, Per-Hour, Per-Project: Converting Freelance Writing Rates</title><description>Convert freelance writing rates between per-word, per-hour, and per-project — with worked numbers, a writing-speed table, and when to refuse per-word.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-writing-rate-conversion/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-writing-rate-conversion/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What Is a Good Profit Margin for a Freelancer Running Solo?</title><description>What is a good profit margin for a freelancer? Real benchmark bands, a worked $90k P&amp;L, the owner&apos;s-pay trap, and how 5 points becomes real take-home.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/good-profit-margin-for-freelancers/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/good-profit-margin-for-freelancers/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Standard Mileage Rate vs Actual Expenses: Which Is Better Self-Employed (The Break-Even Miles)</title><description>Standard mileage rate vs actual expenses, which is better self-employed? The break-even miles, worked with real numbers and the first-year lock-in rule.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/mileage-vs-actual-car-expenses-freelance/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/mileage-vs-actual-car-expenses-freelance/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>From Salary to Freelance Rate: The Multiplier That Actually Keeps You Whole</title><description>Convert salary to freelance hourly rate with a multiplier that survives reality: employer FICA, benefits load, and the billable hours you&apos;ll never get back.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/salary-to-freelance-rate-multiplier/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/salary-to-freelance-rate-multiplier/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Do I Pay Self-Employment Tax on a Small Side Hustle? The $400 Rule</title><description>Do you pay self-employment tax on small side hustle income? The $400 net-profit rule, worked at $700 and $2,000, and why a 1099-K changes nothing.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/side-hustle-self-employment-tax-threshold/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/side-hustle-self-employment-tax-threshold/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What’s My Real Tax Rate as a Freelancer? Adding Up SE Tax, Federal, and State</title><description>Your total tax rate as a freelancer is self-employment tax plus federal plus state income tax — worked on $80k net profit, no-tax vs high-tax state.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/total-freelancer-tax-rate-explained/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/total-freelancer-tax-rate-explained/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How Much Should a Virtual Assistant Charge Per Hour? Setting Your Floor</title><description>How much should a virtual assistant charge per hour? Work backward from a real take-home floor, factor in utilization and SE tax, then price retainers right.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/virtual-assistant-rate-what-to-charge/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/virtual-assistant-rate-what-to-charge/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Break-Even Calculator</title><description>Find the number of sales, projects or billable hours you need to cover your costs - plus the volume to hit a target profit. Free break-even calculator.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/tools/break-even-calculator/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/tools/break-even-calculator/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Finding Your Freelance Break-Even Point</title><description>How to work out the break-even point for a freelance or one-person business — what contribution margin is, why your own pay belongs in fixed costs, and how much cushion to aim for.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-break-even-point/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/freelance-break-even-point/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Quarterly Estimated Taxes for Freelancers</title><description>How U.S. estimated taxes work for the self-employed — the four payment dates, the safe-harbor rule that protects you from penalties, and a habit that makes it painless.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/quarterly-estimated-taxes-for-freelancers/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/quarterly-estimated-taxes-for-freelancers/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Self-Employment Tax, Explained (Without the Jargon)</title><description>What U.S. self-employment tax is, why it&apos;s 15.3%, where the money goes, and why half of it comes back — written for freelancers seeing it for the first time.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/self-employment-tax-explained/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/self-employment-tax-explained/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Free Invoice Generator</title><description>Create and download a clean, professional invoice as a PDF - free, no sign-up, no watermark. Your draft stays on your device; nothing is uploaded.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/tools/free-invoice-generator/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/tools/free-invoice-generator/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator</title><description>Work out the freelance hourly rate you actually need to charge - from your target take-home pay, business costs, tax set-aside and realistic billable hours.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/tools/freelance-hourly-rate-calculator/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/tools/freelance-hourly-rate-calculator/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Profit Margin &amp; Markup Calculator</title><description>Work out profit margin and markup from a cost and price, or set your price from a target margin. Free, instant, with a margin-vs-markup explainer.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/tools/profit-margin-calculator/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/tools/profit-margin-calculator/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>The Hidden Costs of Freelancing You Must Price In</title><description>The costs new freelancers forget — and that quietly turn a &quot;good&quot; rate into barely breaking even. A specific, itemised reality check.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/hidden-costs-of-freelancing/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/hidden-costs-of-freelancing/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Hourly vs. Project-Based Pricing: Which Should You Use?</title><description>The real trade-offs between charging by the hour and charging per project — with a simple rule for choosing on each job.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/hourly-vs-project-pricing/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/hourly-vs-project-pricing/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How Many Hours Can a Freelancer Actually Bill in a Week?</title><description>Why your billable hours are far below 40 — and how the gap quietly wrecks underpriced freelancers. With a worked example.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-many-hours-can-a-freelancer-bill/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-many-hours-can-a-freelancer-bill/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How Much Should Freelancers Set Aside for Tax?</title><description>A sensible way to estimate a tax set-aside on freelance income, why a separate account helps, and why the exact number depends on where you live.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-much-to-set-aside-for-tax/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-much-to-set-aside-for-tax/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Chase a Late Invoice Without Burning the Relationship</title><description>A calm, escalating sequence for chasing overdue freelance invoices — including the exact emails to send at 1, 7 and 30 days late.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-chase-a-late-invoice/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-chase-a-late-invoice/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Get Clients to Pay Your Invoices on Time</title><description>Practical, relationship-friendly tactics that get freelance invoices paid faster — terms, timing, and the small wording changes that work.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-get-clients-to-pay-on-time/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-get-clients-to-pay-on-time/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Pay Yourself a Steady &apos;Salary&apos; on Irregular Income</title><description>A simple system for turning lumpy freelance income into a predictable monthly paycheck to yourself — buffers, percentages, and accounts.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-pay-yourself-as-a-freelancer/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-pay-yourself-as-a-freelancer/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Price a Project (Not Just an Hour)</title><description>A repeatable way to turn a vague project into a confident fixed price — estimating hours, adding a buffer, and protecting your margin.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-price-a-project/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-price-a-project/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Raise Your Freelance Rates (With Scripts)</title><description>When and how to raise your rates with existing and new clients — including the exact wording to use, without losing the work.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-raise-your-freelance-rates/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-raise-your-freelance-rates/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Set Your Freelance Rate When You&apos;re Just Starting Out</title><description>A practical, numbers-first way to set your first freelance rate — working backwards from the income you need, not from what a stranger on Reddit charges.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-set-your-freelance-rate/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/how-to-set-your-freelance-rate/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Invoice Numbering: Simple Systems That Keep You Organised</title><description>Why invoice numbers matter, the simple numbering systems that work, and the mistakes that cause messy records and tax-time headaches.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/invoice-numbering-systems/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/invoice-numbering-systems/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Managing Irregular Income: Smoothing the Freelance Roller Coaster</title><description>How to live on income that arrives in lumps — buffers, baseline budgets, and a simple system so a slow month is not a crisis.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/managing-irregular-freelance-income/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/managing-irregular-freelance-income/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Margin vs. Markup: The Difference That Quietly Costs You Money</title><description>Margin and markup are not the same number — confusing them eats your profit. A clear, example-led explanation for freelancers.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/margin-vs-markup-explained/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/margin-vs-markup-explained/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Protect Your Profit Margin from Scope Creep</title><description>Scope creep is where freelance profit goes to die. How to spot it early, word your quotes to prevent it, and reprice gracefully.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/protect-your-margin-from-scope-creep/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/protect-your-margin-from-scope-creep/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Why (and How) to Separate Business and Personal Money</title><description>A separate business account is the single highest-leverage admin habit for freelancers. Why it matters and how to set it up simply.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/separating-business-and-personal-finances/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/separating-business-and-personal-finances/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Should You Ask for a Deposit? Milestone Payments for Freelancers</title><description>When to take a deposit, how big it should be, and how milestone payments protect your cash flow on bigger freelance projects.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/should-you-ask-for-a-deposit/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/should-you-ask-for-a-deposit/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>A 15-Minute Weekly Bookkeeping Routine for Freelancers</title><description>A dead-simple weekly money routine that keeps you organised and makes tax time painless — no accounting background needed.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/simple-bookkeeping-for-freelancers/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/simple-bookkeeping-for-freelancers/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What to Put on a Freelance Invoice (With a Real Example)</title><description>Exactly what every freelance invoice needs, what is optional, and a worked example — so you get paid without back-and-forth.</description><link>https://freelancetally.com/guides/what-to-put-on-a-freelance-invoice/</link><guid>https://freelancetally.com/guides/what-to-put-on-a-freelance-invoice/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item>
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