Inputs start empty. Placeholders show example values only. They do not represent official caps or market advice.
Enter your numbers to see your comparison.
This uses only the numbers you entered. It is not a forecast or a promise of income. Rates and costs differ for every worker.
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Want your admin and client intake automated?
DNA builds custom websites, instant enquiry replies, shift note drafting, and invoicing systems for independent carers.
Explore AI systems for NDIS workers →How the independent versus agency models compare
Independent support workers bill participants or plan managers directly up to official price limits. Care agencies bill the same funding source but pay support workers an hourly award wage. The agency keeps a portion of every invoiced hour to cover corporate administration and company margins.
Working independently allows you to retain the full invoiced rate. However, independent sole traders carry their own business expenses. You must set aside money for income tax, superannuation, insurance policies, vehicle travel, and administration software.
How to use this calculator
Follow these simple steps to compare your potential income across both arrangements:
- Step 1: Enter your billed hourly rate. This is the rate you invoice per hour under participant funding plans.
- Step 2: Enter your weekly support hours. This represents your active client delivery time each week.
- Step 3: Enter your agency hourly wage. This is the gross rate an agency pays you as an employee.
- Step 4: Enter your estimated yearly costs. Add up your annual business expenses including insurance, tax set aside, travel, and practice tools.
The calculator computes your gross agency earnings, your independent revenue after costs, and the net difference. All yearly calculations use fifty-two weeks per year.
What expenses an independent support worker carries
Independent care workers must manage several operating overheads that agencies traditionally handle:
- Income tax: Sole traders must set aside income tax from each payment for Australian Taxation Office obligations.
- Superannuation: Independent carers must fund their own retirement savings through voluntary super contributions.
- Insurance: Professional indemnity and public liability cover are essential legal protections for direct client work.
- Vehicle and travel: Fuel, car servicing, and travel time between appointments represent recurring out-of-pocket costs.
- Practice administration: Scheduling shifts, writing shift notes, following up invoices, and answering new client enquiries require time and tools.
How DNA reduces unpaid administrative hours
Operating as an independent sole trader provides financial freedom, but administrative paperwork can consume your personal evenings. Daily Needs Association engineers practical AI operating systems for independent care workers.
We build professional personal websites, rapid enquiry reply workflows, self-service booking calendars, voice to shift note drafting, and automated invoice delivery. DNA does not reduce your statutory tax rates or insurance costs. Instead, DNA removes unpaid operational grind so you can focus on direct client care.
Frequently asked questions
Does this calculator include tax and superannuation automatically?
No. You must enter your own estimated tax set aside, superannuation, and operational costs in the yearly costs field. The calculator uses only the numbers you provide.
What business expenses must an independent support worker pay?
Independent carers pay for public liability and professional indemnity insurance, income tax set aside, superannuation, vehicle travel, and practice management tools.
Can independent support workers charge any rate they choose?
For plan-managed participants, rates cannot exceed official NDIS price caps. Self-managed participants can negotiate rates directly. Check ndis.gov.au for current price limits.
Does Daily Needs Association reduce my tax or insurance costs?
No. DNA builds software automation for websites, client intake, shift notes, and invoices. DNA does not lower statutory tax rates or third party insurance premiums.
How does DNA help independent support workers?
DNA builds custom websites, instant enquiry replies, booking calendars, shift note drafting, and automated invoicing. This removes unpaid administrative hours from your week.