Article
Freelance tax snapshots by country (15 calculators)
Self-employment social charges + income tax + health reconstruction—compared across every live calculator on Salary2Freelance.
Use this page as a **map**, not a filing guide. Each country below links to a calculator that encodes simplified brackets and social rules; VERIFY with a local professional before you move.
Americas
| Country | Freelance headline taxes & charges | Live tool | | --- | --- | --- | | United States | Self-employment tax (SS+Med), federal, state bands | [US calculator](/us/) | | Canada | Federal + provincial (ON default), double CPP, EI optional | [CA calculator](/ca/) |
Europe
| Country | Freelance headline taxes & charges | Live tool | | --- | --- | --- | | United Kingdom | Income tax + Class 2/4 NI, student loans | [UK](/uk/) | | Ireland | Income tax + USC + PRSI Class S | [IE](/ie/) | | France | Micro charges or SASU IS + flat dividend tax | [FR](/fr/) | | Germany | Income tax + Kranken/Renten (self-payer) | [DE](/de/) | | Netherlands | Box 1 + ZZP premies + BTW pass-through | [NL](/nl/) | | Spain | IRPF + cuota autónomos + IVA | [ES](/es/) | | Italy | Forfettario (substitute tax + INPS) or ordinario | [IT](/it/) | | Sweden | Kommunal skatt + egenavgifter + moms | [SE](/se/) | | Portugal | IRS + TSU independente + IVA | [PT](/pt/) | | Switzerland | Federal + canton factor + OASI (higher for self) | [CH](/ch/) |
Asia-Pacific & Middle East
| Country | Freelance headline taxes & charges | Live tool | | --- | --- | --- | | Australia | PAYG + Medicare Levy + voluntary super | [AU](/au/) | | Singapore | Resident progressive tax + optional CPF/Medisave | [SG](/sg/) | | UAE | 0% personal income tax, visa/medical/admin as cash drains | [AE](/ae/) |
Three quick numeric anchors (modelled)
- $100k US 1099 often trails $100k W-2 by ~$8k–$12k net unless retirement deductions differ. - €55k NL employee vs €55k ZZP omzet commonly shows €3k–€5k net gap at equal lifestyle inputs. - 300k AED employment cash vs freelance revenue with visa+medical lines can diverge >50k AED in the same year.
Re-run with your health and pension fields—defaults are not universal.
Deep dives
Read [freelance tax guide 2026](/freelance-tax-guide-2026) and [cost of freelancing by country](/cost-of-freelancing-by-country) for narrative context, then open the country pair you actually pay tax in.
FAQ
Depends on income, family structure, healthcare needs, and treaty positions—there is no universal winner.
Often yes for turnover registration; exclude or add them deliberately depending on your quote style.