Use this EU gross-to-net salary calculator to understand your true take-home pay. Enter your gross salary, select your country, and see the breakdown of income tax, social security contributions, and net salary instantly.
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Guides & Resources
4 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
Employee vs Freelancer Net Income in Germany 2026: Which Pays More?
The freelancer premium in Germany is real but smaller than most people expect. A freelancer invoicing €100,000 per year takes home roughly €56,000 after tax and health insurance — while a salaried employee on the same gross earns about €52,000 net, with their employer covering another €19,600 in social contributions they never see. Factor in 35 non-billable days per year and the gap effectively closes. Here is the full 2026 breakdown, the hidden employer costs, and the break-even hourly rate for every income level.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
EU Gross to Net Salary by Country 2026 — Full Comparison Table
The same €60,000 gross salary produces wildly different take-home pay depending on where you live in the EU — a gap of over €9,000 between the best and worst cases. Income tax rates, social security contributions, health levies, and pension mandates all stack up differently in each country. This guide gives you every number, a country-by-country table, and what it all means if you're a remote worker choosing where to base yourself in 2026.
Read guide →4 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
Freelancer Health Insurance in Germany 2026: GKV vs PKV
Germany's health insurance choice is one of the most consequential financial decisions a freelancer will make — and it cannot easily be undone. Public GKV offers predictability and family coverage; private PKV can save you €150-200 a month when you're young and healthy. But PKV premiums rise steeply with age, exit routes are limited, and a bad income year doesn't reduce your bill by a single euro. This guide gives you the real 2026 numbers and a framework for making the right call.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideMar 2026
Freelancer Tax Germany 2026: The Complete Guide
Germany taxes freelancers hard — but only if you don't know the rules. Miss your quarterly Vorauszahlungen, miscalculate Gewerbesteuer, or pick the wrong health insurance and you can easily overpay by €5,000 or more a year. This guide covers every tax obligation a German freelancer faces in 2026 with exact rates, worked examples, and a net income table so you know precisely what you keep.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
German Income Tax Brackets 2026: What You Actually Pay
Germany's income tax has five brackets, a top rate of 45%, and a reputation for complexity — but the system is more logical than it looks once you understand how marginal rates work. Almost no one pays 45%; the question is what you actually pay on your specific income. Here are the exact 2026 brackets, worked examples for four income levels, and the deductions that can meaningfully reduce your bill.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideFeb 2026
Gross vs Net Salary in Germany: What You Actually Take Home
Germany has one of the highest tax wedges in the EU. Accept a €70,000 gross offer without understanding the deductions and you'll budget for €70k but live on €42k. The gap is not hidden — it's just not explained clearly enough at the offer stage. This guide breaks down every deduction, provides a complete net salary table for 2026, and shows you the legal ways to keep more of what you earn.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
French Net Salary Calculator 2026: Gross to Net Guide
France has some of the highest employer social charges in the EU — a €50,000 gross salary actually costs an employer around €71,000. For the employee, those same cotisations sociales shave roughly 21% off gross before income tax even touches the remainder. Understanding the two-stage deduction — social charges first, then progressive income tax — is the key to reading a French payslip.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
Dutch Net Salary 2026: Gross to Net Calculator Guide
The Netherlands has a two-rate income tax system that looks simple — 36.97% up to €75,518, then 49.5% above — but the reality for most employees is far friendlier thanks to two major tax credits that dramatically reduce the effective rate. At €40,000 gross, the effective rate after credits is around 22%, not 37%. Understanding the heffingskortingen is the key to reading Dutch net salary calculations correctly.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
Pension Planning for German Freelancers 2026: Your Options
A German employee on €60,000 gross automatically accumulates roughly €9,240 per year in combined pension contributions — employer and employee split 50/50, no decision required. A freelancer on the same income accumulates exactly €0 in pension entitlement unless they take explicit action. This gap compounds relentlessly over a career, and the German pension system offers several vehicles to close it — each with different tax advantages, flexibility constraints, and inheritance implications.
Read guide →3 MIN READ·GuideApr 2026
Quarterly Tax Prepayments in Germany: Freelancer Guide (2026)
German freelancers don't have an employer withholding tax at source — instead, the Finanzamt expects you to pay income tax in four quarterly instalments throughout the year. Miss a payment or underpay significantly and you'll owe interest at 1.8% per year under §233a AO. Overpay and you get it back — without interest. This guide covers every aspect of Vorauszahlungen so you don't face an unexpected five-figure tax bill in spring.
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