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Tax calculator for freelancers in Germany
What is left of your profit in 2026? Estimate German income tax, solidarity surcharge and health insurance as a freelancer or self-employed person.
Prepare your estimate
Tax calculator for the self-employed: estimate your 2026 income tax
Use the native calculator directly on this page to model income, expenses, and family status for a rough income-tax estimate in Germany.
Your Situation
Disclaimer: This calculation is based on a series of assumptions and uses average rates. The results should be considered as estimates and not as definitive figures.
Estimated Tax and Profit
💼 Total taxable income
- Annual Income€50,000
- Expenses€5,000
€45,000
💸 To pay
- Public Health Insurance (21.10%)€9,495
- Income tax (12.94%)€5,821
- Solidarity tax (0.00%)€0
€15,316
💰 Your take-home pay
€29,684
Income tax for the self-employed: examples for €30,000, €60,000 and €90,000 profit
Single, no children, statutory health insurance, no church tax. The figures come from the calculator above, 2026 rates.
| €30,000 profit | €60,000 profit | €90,000 profit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and long-term care insurance | €6,330 | €12,660 | €14,717 |
| Income tax | €2,501 | €9,626 | €20,483 |
| Solidarity surcharge | €0 | €0 | €16 |
| Total | €8,831 | €22,286 | €35,216 |
| You keep | €21,169 | €37,714 | €54,784 |
Who this page helps most
The focus is intentionally on self-employed tax planning in Germany, not on a broad salary-tax calculator.
Freelancers with uneven profit
If your income moves from month to month, you need an annual view instead of rough intuition. This page is designed for that planning mode.
Solo operators with real business expenses
If you track software, equipment, travel, and other deductible costs properly, your estimate becomes materially more useful.
Founders still planning ahead
Even before your setup is final, the structure helps you understand which figures you need for a realistic tax view.
Which numbers to gather before calculating
Most weak estimates fail because the inputs are unclear, not because the formula is missing. This order keeps the live calculation cleaner.
Separate deductible expenses
You only get to a useful profit figure once business expenses are separated cleanly from private spending.
Add other income and special factors
Additional income, insurance, and special personal circumstances can materially change the eventual tax result.
Check prepayments
If tax prepayments already exist, they belong in the full picture so your planning is not distorted twice.
How to interpret the estimate
A useful calculator should not only output a number, it should also show how trustworthy that number is.
Estimate, not assessment
The output is meant for planning. It will not replace an official assessment or the interpretation of complex edge cases.
Profit matters more than cash in the bank
Self-employed operators often see uneven cash movement. For tax planning, what matters is the profit that remains after deductible costs.
Official sources remain the reference point
Before making final decisions, you should still validate the estimate against current official rules, your own notices, and professional advice where needed.
FAQ
How much tax do I pay as a self-employed person on €60,000 profit?
Single and without children, you pay about €9,626 income tax on €60,000 profit, with no solidarity surcharge yet. With statutory insurance, about €12,660 goes to health and long-term care insurance. About €37,714 is left. Church tax and trade tax are not included.
How do I calculate my income tax as a freelancer in Germany?
Subtract your business expenses from your revenue to get your profit. Deduct health and long-term care insurance from it. Apply the 2026 income tax tariff to the rest: income up to €12,348 stays tax-free, then the rate rises from 14% to 42%, and from €277,826 it is 45%. If your income tax exceeds €20,350 (€40,700 for married couples), the solidarity surcharge applies on top.
Do I have to pay trade tax as a self-employed person?
Only if you run a trade (Gewerbe), freelancers pay none. Sole traders have an allowance of €24,500 of trade income, and a large part of the trade tax is credited against income tax (§ 35 EStG). This calculator does not include it; the trade tax calculator does.
Who is this tax calculator page for?
This page is designed for freelancers, solo self-employed operators, and other independent workers in Germany who want a practical estimate of their likely income tax exposure.
Does the estimate replace an official assessment?
No. The interactive calculator supports planning, not an official tax assessment or individual review against official guidance and professional advice.
Which figures should I gather first?
The most useful inputs are annual revenue, deductible business expenses, any other income, tax prepayments already made, and personal factors such as insurance or allowances.
Why does profit matter more than revenue?
For self-employed taxpayers, taxable income is not the same as top-line revenue. The more accurately you separate revenue from deductible expenses, the more meaningful the estimate becomes.
Which taxes and contributions does the calculator deduct?
Income tax under the 2026 tariff, the solidarity surcharge, and statutory health and long-term care insurance: 14% reduced contribution rate, 2.9% average additional contribution and 3.6% long-term care insurance, 4.2% without children. Church tax, trade tax, pension insurance and private health insurance are not included.
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