Free tool
Irregular income smoother
Turn lumpy months into a steady salary.
Your result is an estimate based on the answers you enter. It is not filed or stored anywhere.
Method
How this calculator works
The two-account system: all client income lands in a business holding account, and you pay yourself a fixed "salary" transfer each month. Good months build the buffer; lean months draw on it. Your personal budget sees a paycheck; the volatility stays on the business side where it belongs.
This tool takes your recent monthly income, suggests a sustainable salary (anchored below your trailing average so the buffer trends upward), and sizes the buffer that protects it. When the buffer exceeds its target, the surplus becomes a raise, a tax top-up, or a retirement contribution — deliberately, not by accident.
Estimates, not advice
Every figure this tool produces is a planning estimate built from the numbers you enter and simplified assumptions documented above. It is educational content, not individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. Rates, limits, and thresholds change — annual constants are reviewed each January, and you should confirm anything decision-critical against primary sources or a professional.
Questions
FAQ
Why set salary below my average?
Averages include your best months. Paying yourself ~80–85% of the trailing average makes lean months survivable and ratchets the buffer up instead of down.
How big should the buffer be?
Two months of salary is the working minimum; the tool scales the suggestion to your income volatility.
Is this before or after tax set-aside?
After. Tax money exits to its own account on payment day; the smoother operates on what remains.