Event profit calculator

Take the price before tax, then subtract every cost of that event: materials, labour (including your own time), subcontractors and rentals, travel, other costs and the card or platform fees on what the client pays. What is left is your profit. Divide it by the price before tax for your margin.

It depends on the trade and how much of the work you do yourself. Material-heavy services such as balloons and decor often aim for 50–65% after paying for time; service-heavy work with subcontractors usually runs lower. The important thing is that your own time is a cost — a margin that only exists because you work for free is not a margin.

Tax you collect (VAT, GST or sales tax) is not income — you pass it on. This calculator always works out profit on the price before tax. Choose “including tax” if you quote consumers tax-inclusive prices, and it removes the tax first.

The price at which you neither make nor lose money on the event: it covers every cost, including card fees on the amount the client pays. Never quote below it, and treat anything close to it as a favour, not a job.

Many event businesses take 25–50% to confirm a date, with the balance due a set number of days before the event. A useful rule: the deposit should at least cover what you spend upfront — materials, rentals and subcontractors — so you never fund a client’s event with your own money. The calculator tells you the percentage that does.

Yes. A 3% fee on the full amount the client pays — including tax — can be a tenth or more of your profit on a tight job. Include it in your costs, or price it in.