Tools for parents working from home
Each of our tools for parents answers one real question using your own numbers. They’re free, need no sign-up and run entirely in your browser, so your information never leaves your device.
Popular
Remote Work Matcher
Not sure what kind of work-from-home job suits you? Answer a few questions about your hours, schedule and skills and see your best matches.
- Your top 3 matches out of 9 genuine work types
- Realistic pay and time to first payment for your country
- The honest downside of each, plus a full guide
New
Freelance Rate Calculator
What should you charge per hour? Work it out from the money you want to keep and the hours you really have.
- Minimum and recommended hourly rate
- Allows for unpaid admin, school holidays, tax and fees
- Compares your rate with typical prices for your work
New
School-Hours Planner
How many hours can you really work around school runs, naps and evenings? See your week on a timetable.
- Focused hours in term time and in the holidays
- A visual weekly timetable
- Work types that fit your week
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Your salary after tax per month, for single people, married couples and single parents.
- Monthly, weekly and yearly take-home pay
- Joint tax for couples, single-parent credits
- Line-by-line breakdown of every deduction
Childcare vs. Work Calculator
Is going back to work worth it? See what you’d really keep after tax, childcare, commuting and lost credits.
- Money left over per month after childcare
- Includes NCS, Tax-Free Childcare and US credits
- Your effective hourly rate after costs
Side Income Tax Checker
Do you need to declare what you earn from home? Get the rule that applies to you and the deadlines.
- Whether you need to tell Revenue, HMRC or the IRS
- Which form to file and by when
- Covers freelancing, crafts and reselling
Work-From-Home Scam Checker
Got a job offer that seems too good to be true? Tick the warning signs and get a risk rating.
- A clear risk rating with next steps
- The red flags explained in plain English
- Where to report it in your country
Which tools should you use first?
Each of our tools answers one real question with your own numbers. Start with the one that matches the decision in front of you, then use the others to check the details.
Thinking about going back to work
Start with the childcare vs. work calculator. It shows what you’d really keep each month after tax, childcare and travel, which is the number most parents never see written down. If you only want your salary after tax, the take-home pay calculator is quicker.
Starting freelance or side work
Use the school-hours planner first to see how many hours you really have, then the freelance rate calculator to work out what to charge for them. Finish with the side income tax checker, so you know when your earnings need to be declared. The three tools are designed to work together.
Not sure what kind of work suits you
The remote work matcher asks eight quick questions about your hours, skills and how soon you need money, then suggests three types of work with honest pay figures and a guide for each.
Checking a job offer
If someone has offered you work from home and something feels off, run it through the scam checker before you reply, pay anything or share your bank details.
How our tools work
All of our tools run entirely in your browser. There’s no sign-up, no email address to give, and the numbers you type are never sent to us or stored. Close the page and they’re gone.
The tax and childcare figures come from official sources: Revenue and Citizens Information in Ireland, GOV.UK in the UK and the IRS in the US. Every tool shows the tax year it uses and when we last checked it, and we update the tools after each budget.
Questions about our tools
Are the tools really free?
Yes. All seven tools are free to use as often as you like, with no trial, no account and no paid upgrade.
How accurate are the tools?
They use the official rates for the tax year shown, but they simplify some rules so they stay quick to use. Treat the results as a reliable estimate for planning, and check big decisions with the official source. Our disclaimer lists what the tools leave out.
Do the tools work on a phone?
Yes. Every tool is built to work on phones, tablets and computers, and most take under two minutes to fill in.
Can I save my results?
Because nothing is stored, the easiest way to keep a result is to take a screenshot or write the main figures down. That also means nobody else using your device can see what you entered once the page is closed.
Which countries do the tools cover?
Ireland, the UK (including Scotland’s income tax bands) and the US. If you live somewhere else, the matcher and scam checker still work, but the tax figures in the other tools won’t apply to you.
What tools for parents should we build next?
Tell us which tool would help you most and we’ll add it to the list. Every tool goes through the same accuracy checks before it goes live. Send us an idea.
How we keep the numbers right
Tax and childcare rules change every year. Each tool shows the tax year it uses and when we last checked it against official sources such as Revenue, GOV.UK and the IRS. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.