CeoCult · Freelance Finance

Free tax and rate tools that show you the real money

Free, no-signup calculators for freelancers and small businesses: what your contract rate is really worth, 1099 versus W-2 take-home, the rate to hit a target income, whether an S-corp saves money, and your quarterly tax deadlines.

A big hourly number hides self-employment tax, self-funded benefits, and unpaid time off. These tools strip the illusion and show the real figure.
True-Value 1099 Check
The reverse of every rate calculator: what a 1099 rate is really worth as a W-2 salary.
Example: $75/hr as a 1099 = about a $144,100 W-2 salary in real take-home
Check your rate →
1099 vs W-2 Calculator
Side-by-side take-home for a contract rate versus a salary, after tax and benefits.
Compare 1099 and W-2 take-home for the same work
Compare take-home →
Freelance Rate Calculator
The hourly rate you need to charge to hit a target income after taxes and expenses.
Work backward from a target salary to your rate
Find your rate →
S-Corp Savings Calculator
Whether electing S-corp status saves you money once compliance costs are included.
Find your S-corp breakeven (often near $75k profit)
Should you S-corp →
Quarterly Tax Dashboard
Your estimated-tax deadlines, how much to set aside, and the penalty for missing them.
Deadlines plus set-aside and penalty math
See your deadlines →

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Questions freelancers ask

What W-2 salary is my 1099 rate equivalent to?
Gross annualized rate minus both halves of the 15.3 percent SE tax and self-funded health, solved for the matching salary; usually 8 to 15 percent below gross. The True-Value 1099 Check computes it.
When does an S-corp save money?
Generally once net profit clears about $75,000, when SE-tax savings beat the added payroll and compliance cost. The S-Corp Savings Calculator finds your breakeven.
Estimates using current IRS and BLS figures; not tax advice. Consult a professional. By Vincent Wesley Couey (ORCID 0009-0005-6869-308X), CeoCult, part of the Lattice research network. Also: AI Stack Waste Auditor, creator tools.
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