US freelancer take-home checklist (2026)
If you invoice in USD, your “rate” is not what lands in the bank. Processors take a cut, marketplaces take a cut, and self-employment tax is real. This checklist walks the money path in the order most freelancers actually hit it — and links every step to a free TakeHome calculator.
1. Know what a card payment actually nets
Start with the payment rail you already use. For a typical US domestic online card charge, Stripe’s published online rate is still the familiar 2.9% + $0.30 shape. On a $1,000 invoice that is about $29.30 in fees — you keep roughly $970.70 before tax.
Run your own numbers in the Stripe Fee calculator. If clients prefer PayPal, check the PayPal Fee (US) tool — commercial card defaults often look like 2.99% + $0.49, so the fixed fee bites harder on smaller invoices.
Cross-border payouts are a different product. When you send USD out through Wise, corridor and funding method matter more than a single percent. Use the Wise Fee presets, then confirm the live quote in the Wise app before you commit.
2. Invoice for the net you need, not the net you hope for
A common mistake: “I need $100 after Stripe, so I’ll add 3%.” The percent applies to the gross. If you want to keep $100 after 2.9% + $0.30, you must charge:
charge = (targetNet + 0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029)
That is exactly what the Stripe Reverse Invoice tool solves. Use it when a client asks for an all-in price and you still need a specific take-home. For a longer walkthrough of why reverse math matters, see How Stripe fees work (US).
3. Price marketplace work after the platform cut
Marketplace gigs are not “your rate minus processor fees.” The platform fee hits first.
- Upwork Take-Home — model the contract fee % on the amount the client pays before you celebrate the headline rate.
- Fiverr Take-Home — the common seller commission assumption is 20%; know what a $500 gig actually deposits.
- Gumroad Take-Home — direct sales often look like 10% + $0.50 (Discover can be higher); add optional processing if you pass card fees through.
If you sell the same offer on a marketplace and on your own Stripe checkout, run both tools side by side. The “higher listed price” on a marketplace can still lose after fees.
4. Set an hourly rate from the year you want, not vibes
Calendar hours ≠ billable hours. Holidays, sales, admin, and revisions eat the week. Work backwards from an annual income goal with the Hourly Rate Planner, then stress-test the weekly and monthly picture with Hourly → Weekly / Monthly.
Once you have a billable target, fold payment and marketplace fees back in. A $120/hr Upwork rate is not a $120/hr bank deposit — and a Stripe client who pays net-30 still has card fees on day one of the payout.
5. Put a rough SE tax line on the same sheet
US sole proprietors and many single-member LLCs owe self-employment tax on net earnings from self-employment, on top of income tax. You do not need a perfect CPA model to avoid a January surprise — you need a ballpark reserve.
Use the US Self-Employment Tax estimator as a rough check only. It is not tax advice, does not replace quarterly estimated payments, and does not model every credit or deduction. If numbers get material, talk to a licensed tax professional.
6. Keep a simple “what I kept” habit
Freelancer money fails quietly when you only track invoices sent. Once a week, jot: gross charged, processor/marketplace fees, and estimated tax reserve. The tools above make each line a 30-second calculation instead of a spreadsheet archaeology project.
When you want a light public pulse of who else is checking the same math, peek at the Visitor meter — a fun last-7-days snapshot, not a KPI dashboard.
Quick checklist (save this)
- Estimate card/rail fees: Stripe · PayPal · Wise
- If you need a specific net, reverse the invoice: Stripe Reverse
- Subtract marketplace cuts: Upwork · Fiverr · Gumroad
- Back into billable rate and weekly capacity: Hourly Rate · Hourly Take-Home
- Park a rough SE tax reserve: SE Tax
- Revisit after any fee schedule change — providers update pricing.
Where TakeHome fits
TakeHome is building toward a US one-stop finance and accounting tools platform for freelancers and indie builders. Today the sharpest edge is take-home math: fees, marketplace net, rates, and a rough SE tax line — all client-side, no signup. Partner offers may appear later with clear disclosure; until tracking is live, treat any “open account” buttons as placeholders.