Gross isn't net — and the gap is bigger than it looks
The worked example below shows the size of the drop. A month billed at €2,376 — 12 trips a day, 22 days, €9 a trip — leaves €963.68 after €700 of fuel and other costs, €355.92 of Social Security and a €356.40 IRS set-aside. That is €5.48 an hour over 176 hours, not €2,376. Fuel or energy, maintenance, insurance, Social Security and income tax all come out of the gross figure first; this calculator walks that full path, from what you bill to what actually lands in your pocket.
Social Security for the self-employed
As a self-employed worker (recibos verdes), the contribution is 21.4% applied to 70% of your service income — roughly 15% of what you receive. It's mandatory, which is exactly why it's worth setting aside every month instead of being caught off guard when the quarterly declaration comes due.
The tax set-aside
Portuguese income tax (IRS) depends on your total annual income, household and deductions, so what's shown here is an estimated set-aside, not the exact figure. Under the simplified regime, most drivers are taxed on 35% of their revenue. Setting aside 10–15% a month is usually a safe cushion — always confirm with an accountant.
Worked example: one full month
Take a driver doing 12 trips a day, 22 days a month, at an average fare of €9, with €400 of fuel and €300 of other costs, setting aside 15% for IRS. The calculator works it out in this order. Gross revenue is 12 × 22 × €9 = €2,376. Social Security is €2,376 × 21.4% × 70% = €355.92. The IRS set-aside is €2,376 × 15% = €356.40. Costs are €400 + €300 = €700. Profit before taxes is €2,376 − €700 = €1,676. Net income is €1,676 − €355.92 − €356.40 = €963.68. Hours are 22 × 8 = 176, so net income per hour is €963.68 ÷ 176 = €5.48. The gap between the €2,376 the month appears to pay and the €963.68 that stays is the whole point of the page: gross revenue is not pay, and the difference is made of costs and set-asides that arrive whether the driver plans for them or not.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross revenue (12 × 22 × €9) | €2,376.00 |
| Fuel + other costs | −€700.00 |
| Profit before taxes | €1,676.00 |
| Social Security (21.4% × 70%) | −€355.92 |
| IRS set-aside (15%) | −€356.40 |
| Net income | €963.68 |
| Net per hour (176 hours) | €5.48 |
Same month, better fares
Change one input and watch the whole column move. At an average fare of €12 instead of €9, with everything else identical, gross revenue becomes 12 × 22 × €12 = €3,168. Social Security becomes €3,168 × 21.4% × 70% = €474.57, the IRS set-aside becomes €3,168 × 15% = €475.20, profit before taxes becomes €3,168 − €700 = €2,468, and net income becomes €2,468 − €474.57 − €475.20 = €1,518.23, or €1,518.23 ÷ 176 = €8.63 per hour. A €3 higher average fare lifts net income by €1,518.23 − €963.68 = €554.55 a month, because the fare increase flows through to every line except the fixed €700 of costs. That is why experienced drivers obsess over fare quality — which trips they accept, at what times, in which areas — more than over raw trip count. Ten extra low-fare trips add revenue and costs together; a higher average fare adds almost pure net.
Why net per hour matters more than monthly net
Two drivers can show the same monthly net and live very different months. The calculator assumes 8-hour days, so 22 days means 176 hours — but a driver working 10-hour days puts in 220 hours for the same €963.68, which is €4.38 per hour, not €5.48. The honest comparison between months, drivers and platforms is therefore net per hour, not net per month, and it only works if the hours are honest too. Count the waiting time, the pickup legs and the deadheading between rides, not just the time passengers sit in the car. A month that looks strong on revenue and weak per hour is usually a month full of unpaid waiting, and the fix is not more hours but better hours: the peak windows the Trip Calculator page discusses, weekday early evenings and Friday and Saturday nights, when fares and demand line up. Fuel, the other big input, gets its own treatment on the Fuel Cost page, and the simplified-regime 35% rule behind the tax lines is explained in the questions below.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a TVDE driver earn in Portugal?
It varies with hours, city, fares and costs, so run your own month through the calculator above rather than taking a single figure. As a reference point from the worked example: 12 trips a day, 22 days, at €9 a trip bills €2,376 and leaves €963.68 net, or €5.48 an hour over 176 hours, after €700 of costs, €355.92 of Social Security and a €356.40 IRS set-aside. At €12 a trip instead of €9, the same month bills €3,168 and leaves €1,518.23, or €8.63 an hour.
What is net income under the simplified regime (category B)?
Under the simplified regime, the tax authority assumes 35% of what you bill is real profit for tax purposes — the other 65% is treated as automatic expenses, even if your actual costs differ. That taxable net income is what goes on your tax return, and it isn't the same as the cash you actually have left after paying fuel, insurance and your own contributions.
Is there a difference between driving for Uber or Bolt?
The biggest difference is the commission each platform retains — usually higher on Uber than on Bolt — and request volume, which varies by area and time of day. Many drivers run both apps at once, taking whichever ride comes in first, precisely so they don't depend on just one.
Why is Social Security 21.4% of 70%, not of everything?
Because the calculator applies the 21.4% self-employed rate to 70% of gross revenue, following its own formula: Social Security = gross × 21.4% × 70%. On the €2,376 example that gives €2,376 × 0.214 × 0.70 = €355.92. The 70% factor is part of how the contribution base is set for this activity, and it is why the Social Security line is much smaller than 21.4% of the headline revenue would suggest. Change the gross and the contribution moves with it, which is why a better-fare month also means a higher Social Security line, as the second example shows.
Is the IRS percentage here my final tax bill?
No. The percentage you enter is a set-aside for planning — money held back during the year so the tax bill does not arrive as a surprise. The actual IRS depends on your full annual picture, including the simplified regime's 35% rule, under which the tax authority treats 35% of what you bill as profit for tax purposes and the other 65% as automatic expenses. The set-aside keeps you safe month to month; the annual return settles the real figure.