The figures once tax and contributions are counted, the thresholds to watch, and when not to quit your job.
The real calculation
That is where most projections break.
The announced turnover is not the income. Between the two sit tax, contributions, equipment costs, travel and the quiet periods.
Three lines beginners systematically forget.
The contributions, which often arrive with a lag and hit the following year.
The equipment and its replacement, which come round faster than expected.
And the weak months: August and the holidays resemble no other month.
The honest calculation starts from the net you must take home every month, works back to the turnover required, then divides by a realistic average price. The number of jobs you get is the real question, and it is checked with an accountant, never on a spreadsheet found online.
The three conditions before leaving the other job
They add up, none is enough on its own.
Three clients who have each come back at least twice, not three clients tried once.
Six months of expenses set aside, available, in an account you do not touch.
And an order book filled for the next two months, known in advance, not hoped for.
A fourth point, often decisive: health cover and provision change when you leave salaried work, and their real cost is checked before resigning, not after.
The threshold to watch
That is the country's own tax subject, and it is handled with a professional.
The simplified regime applicable to small independent activities carries a revenue ceiling and access conditions. Exceeding it during the year cannot be undone retroactively, and the effects are not the same depending on when it happens.
Three practical reflexes. Follow your receipts month by month, not your invoicing. Ask your accountant, at the start of the year, from what amount you must warn them. And anticipate the effect of moving to the ordinary regime on your prices, because it changes what you invoice, not only what you declare.
The amounts, conditions and exact consequences are checked with an accountant and the competent administration, and they change.
What really changes
Three things, and none of them is the income.
The rhythm: nobody structures your days any more, and structure becomes your first job.
The relationship with clients: you can no longer refuse by saying you work elsewhere, you have to learn to refuse plainly.
And the solitude of deciding: prices, deadlines, refusals, everything is settled alone.
What must be in place before switching
| Marker | Comfort threshold | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Regular clients | Three at minimum | One departure does not sink the month |
| Cash ahead | Four months of costs | Payment terms stretch out |
| Visible pipeline | One month ahead | The next month has started |
What is set up in the same month
The invoicing number, a contract template, a dedicated account and a tracking table. Those four are prepared in an evening and serve for years.
What to ask a professional
The applicable regime, the contributions, the filing deadlines and the treatment of foreign clients, to be confirmed with an accountant.
When not to leave
Three situations, very common.
One client represents more than half your income: that is not a business, it is a disguised job, with the risks of independence and none of its advantages.
Your income rests on a platform or a trend less than a year old.
And you have never had two full consecutive months. An isolated good month is pleasant news, not a signal.
One last marker, more reliable than turnover: leave when turning work down has become your main problem, not while finding it still is.
Sources
Checked on 4 September 2026. Thresholds and rates change: where this guide and the official source disagree, the official source is right.
