Spain Freelance Project Price Calculator
Spain · Self-employedCalculate the recommended price to quote a freelance project based on estimated hours and your rate, with a safety margin for the unexpected. Because invoices from self-employed professionals in Spain usually carry VAT and an IRPF withholding, it also shows the total the client will see on the invoice and what you'll actually get paid into your account — two different figures.
How is it calculated?
Base price = (estimated hours × hourly rate + direct project expenses) × (1 + safety margin/100). The safety margin covers the unexpected, scope changes, or the project running longer than estimated. The invoice total is the base price plus VAT (what the client pays). The IRPF withholding (common on invoices to Spanish companies, usually 15%, or 7% during your first two years as self-employed) is calculated on the base price and subtracted from the total: it's an advance on your annual income tax that the client pays directly to the tax authority on your behalf. The real payment is what actually lands in your account.
Examples
40 hours at 40/hour, 100 in expenses, 15% safety margin, 21% VAT, 15% withholding
Base price: 1,955. Invoice total (with VAT): 2,365.55. Real payment (after withholding): 2,072.30.
80 hours at 55/hour, 300 in expenses, 10% margin, 21% VAT, 7% withholding (new self-employed)
Base price: 5,170. Invoice total (with VAT): 6,255.70. Real payment (after withholding): 5,893.80.
Invoice total and real payment: two different figures
The invoice total is the base price plus VAT; what you actually get paid is that total minus the IRPF withholding, which the client pays to the tax authority on your behalf.
| Item | Who pays or remits it |
|---|---|
| Base price | What your work is billed at |
| VAT | Paid by the client, remitted by you quarterly |
| IRPF withholding (15%; 7% in the first years) | Remitted by the client to the tax authority: an advance on your income tax |
Sources
- Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) — IRPF withholding on professional invoices (7% during the year activity starts and the following two, 15% generally) — in effect since January 2023 · reviewed on September 27, 2026
- Spanish Social Security — self-employed (RETA) contribution brackets by net income — in effect since January 2023 · reviewed on September 27, 2026