Floor first, platform cut second
Set the number you need to keep using the hourly calculator or the profitable-rate tool. That floor already has a tax buffer you choose — this page does not invent US or UK tax tables. After you have the floor, divide by what you keep after the marketplace fee:
List price = take-home ÷ (1 − platform fee). If the fee is unknown, paste the percent from the offer, proposal, or earnings screen into the card above. Do not guess from a blog.
Worked example: keep $50
- Upwork at 10%: $50 ÷ 0.90 = $55.56 on the contract (Upwork’s own help uses this same 10% walkthrough at a $20 floor).
- Upwork at 15% (top of the published range): $50 ÷ 0.85 = $58.82.
- Upwork at 0%: list = take-home. Still confirm the live percent; 0% is in the official range, not a promise.
- Fiverr at 20% (you are credited 80%): $50 ÷ 0.80 = $62.50 gig / extra / tip total.
Same math on a $2,000 fixed job: 10% Upwork → list $2,222.22; Fiverr 20% → list $2,500. Tax set-aside stays on the hub slider, not in this division.
Upwork freelancer service fee (official)
Fetched 2026-08-27 from Upwork Help: the Freelancer Service Fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract. You see the percent when a client sends an offer or you submit a proposal; once a proposal, offer, or contract is sent, that fee is locked for the life of that contract and can differ on the next one. Source: Learn about the Freelancer Service Fee.
Upwork’s fee calculator page says the same range on all earnings including bonuses, hourly, fixed-price, and Project Catalog: variable 0–15%. Example they publish: 10% on a $500 bill → $450 payout. Source: Upwork Fee Calculator.
If the offer screen shows a percent this page does not list, use that percent. Direct Contracts, Enterprise, Payroll, and Any Hire can differ — Upwork’s article lists those exceptions; this is not a substitute for the contract terms.
Fiverr seller cut (official)
Fetched 2026-08-27 from Fiverr Help: for every order you complete, you earn 80% of the purchase amount, including Gig extras and tips. That is a 20% seller cut on the purchase amount. Source: Your earnings page (Fiverr also points from there to its Payment Terms). Confirm the live credit in your seller dashboard; if it is not 80%, paste the percent you see into the math.
Do not mix the buyer checkout fee into this gross-up. That is charged to the client. Your 80% is on the purchase amount. Grossing up twice will overprice the gig.
What this page is not
- Not a US/UK tax engine. Tax/VAT/self-employment is the buffer you already set on the hub.
- Not Connects, boosts, Promoted Gigs, or withdrawal rail costs. Those sit on top; add them as expenses on the profitable-rate tool if they are material.
- Not affiliated with Upwork or Fiverr. No referral codes. Figures change — last checked 2026-08-27.
Set the hourly floor Add expenses + margin Quote a project PayPal invoice fees Stripe vs Wise
Product marketplaces (Etsy, Shopee, TikTok Shop) use a different fee stack — see the seller-fee calculator. This guide is freelance platform take-home only.
FAQ
How much does Upwork take in 2026?
Official range is 0% to 15% per contract, shown on the proposal or offer and then locked. Last checked 2026-08-27 on Upwork Help. Confirm the live percent before you bid.
How much does Fiverr take from sellers?
Fiverr Help states you earn 80% of the purchase amount (extras and tips included), so the seller cut is 20% on that amount. Last checked 2026-08-27 on the earnings-page article.
Should I add tax on top of the platform fee?
Not in this formula. Build tax into the floor on the rate calculator with your own buffer. Then divide that floor by (1 − platform fee). This is a planning model, not tax or legal advice.