Portugal Freelance Salary Calculator
See what a US-dollar rate leaves a Portuguese trabalhador independente on the simplified regime after 2026 IRS and Segurança Social.
Updated · By Niraj Kumar · 3 sources
https://checkpre.com/finance/freelance-salary-calculator-portugal
Your rate
Leave out holidays and gaps between clients.
Equipment, software, coworking, accountant, bank and payment fees.
Tax setup
Trabalhador independente (simplified regime). IRS on 75% of service income, with Segurança Social at 21.4% of 70% of income.
- Equivalent salary (trabalho dependente)
- €76,445
- The salary an employee needs to take home the same; €36.75 an hour over 2,080 paid hours
- Purchasing power
- $80,272
- What your take-home buys, priced in the US (World Bank PPP 0.57 EUR per $)
- Tax and social contributions
- 38% of revenue
- 48% of each extra unit you bill
- Revenue
- €80,936
- $92,000 at 1 USD = €0.88 (snapshot, 2026-09-24)
- Take-home57%
- Social contributions15%
- Income tax23%
- Business costs5%
Where the money goes, a year
- Revenue
- €80,936
- Business costs
- −€4,047
- Segurança Social
- −€12,124
- IRS
- −€18,631
- Take-home
- €46,134
- Social security is waived for your first 12 months of activity; the model assumes you are past that.
- IRS Jovem can exempt part of the income of workers under 35 in their first ten years; not modelled.
- The 75% coefficient assumes the activity is listed in the art. 151 table, as software development and consulting are.
The same $50/hour in 15 countriesShowHide
| Country | Take-home, local | In USD | PPP $ | Tax + social |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndiaPresumptive, section 44ADA | ₹7,446,471 | $77,600 | $375,347 | 11% |
| Philippines8% flat rate | ₱4,517,315 | $71,989 | $219,997 | 17% |
| BrazilPJ on Simples Nacional (Anexo III) | R$395,121 | $76,267 | $153,059 | 12% |
| RomaniaPFA (real system) | RON 317,118 | $68,298 | $145,432 | 21% |
| MexicoRESICO (régimen simplificado de confianza) | MX$1,504,492 | $85,560 | $133,038 | 2.0% |
| ColombiaTrabajador independiente | COP 209,899,528 | $64,300 | $126,021 | 25% |
| PolandRyczałt 12% (IT services) | PLN 256,979 | $66,656 | $124,556 | 23% |
| SpainAutónomo (estimación directa) | €50,042 | $56,883 | $82,326 | 33% |
| PortugalTrabalhador independente (simplified regime) | €46,134 | $52,440 | $80,272 | 38% |
| United KingdomSole trader | £49,658 | $65,645 | $70,785 | 24% |
| NetherlandsZZP'er (eenmanszaak) | €54,007 | $61,390 | $70,382 | 28% |
| CanadaSole proprietor (Ontario) | CA$87,296 | $61,836 | $69,256 | 28% |
| United States1099 sole proprietor | $68,877 | $68,877 | $68,877 | 20% |
| GermanyFreiberufler (voluntary GKV) | €46,647 | $53,024 | $64,889 | 37% |
| AustraliaSole trader | A$94,061 | $66,093 | $64,223 | 23% |
How is freelance income taxed in Portugal?
Revenue = Rate × Hours × Weeks × FX, Take-home = Revenue − Expenses − Social − Tax, Salary* : Net_employee(Salary*) = Take-home, PPP $ = Take-home ÷ PPPThis page uses the same method as the Freelance Hourly Rate to Salary Calculator, which explains each term and assumption in full.
Worked example
A freelancer in Portugal bills a US client $50 an hour for 40 hours a week, 46 weeks a year, with 5% in business costs, as a Trabalhador independente (simplified regime).
- 1Revenue: $50 × 40 × 46 = $92,000, or €80,936 at €0.88 per dollar (ECB, 2026-09-24)
- 2Social contributions: €12,124; income tax: €18,631; together 38% of revenue
- 3Take-home after €4,047 of costs: €46,134 a year, €3,844 a month ($52,440)
- 4An employee in Portugal would need to earn €76,445 (salary (trabalho dependente)) to take home the same
- 5At purchasing power parity that take-home buys what $80,272 would in the US
$50 an hour is worth about the same as a €76,445 salary (trabalho dependente) in Portugal.
Frequently asked questions
How much tax does a freelancer pay in Portugal in 2026?
On $50 an hour (€80,936 a year), about 38% of revenue goes to social contributions and income tax as a Trabalhador independente (simplified regime), leaving €46,134 after 5% of costs. IRS on 75% of service income, with Segurança Social at 21.4% of 70% of income.
What is the simplified regime for recibos verdes?
Instead of keeping accounts, you are taxed on a fixed share of income: 75% for most professional services, so a quarter is treated as expenses automatically. To keep the full 25%, you need to show expenses of at least 15% of income through e-fatura, or the missing part is added back. It is open while annual income stays under €200,000.
How much Segurança Social does a freelancer pay?
21.4% of 70% of the average income you declare each quarter, about 15% of revenue, capped at 12 times the IAS (€6,445.56 a month) of relevant income. You are exempt for the first 12 months after opening activity.
Do clients abroad withhold tax from a freelancer in Portugal?
Services to foreign business clients are invoiced without IVA (reverse charge). Foreign clients do not withhold IRS; you settle it in the annual return.
Sources
Related calculators
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