How to find freelance jobs in Ireland

Freelancing has become more popular as people no longer wish to work the 9 to 5 jobs. With the pandemic, many people lost jobs and relied on remote work to earn money, most of which came through freelancing.

Many people work only as freelancers and consider it their profession, while for others it is a side gig and a way to earn extra money. Where before only a few jobs were considered to be feasible for freelancing, nowadays even lawyers, doctors and assistants can find a job as a freelancer.

This article looks into what exactly freelancing is and how to start your freelancing career if you live in Ireland. Let’s get started!

What is freelancing?

Freelancing is a form of entrepreneurship where the freelancer offers their expertise and the buyer of the service pays them for it. The freelancer is either paid a set amount for one task, or paid for the number of hours that they put into the role.

They are self-employed and are often referred to as independent contractors. They are statistically paid less than a full-time employee and do not offer the same level of commitment as an employee would, because the contract can be terminated at any time.

They can also go into a contract-to-hire situation, where a freelancer who is interested in getting a full-time job in a company works for a while as a freelancer, to prove their capabilities to the company. Now you know the freelance meaning, let’s have a look at whether or not it’s for you.

Is it for you?

Freelancing is not for everyone. The following points need to be kept in mind before starting work as a freelancer.

• You may search for a role for a while before getting one, i.e. you could go weeks without earning a single thing

• You need to be self-disciple, manage your own time and keep track of deadlines to make sure that all projects are completed on time and you get the most from your working day

• You need good communications skill via email and messages. With freelancing, most communication talk occurs through messages and emails, with very little human interaction

• You need to be able to convey issues to your client and incorporate their opinions as well

How to start freelancing in Ireland

If you are from Ireland, then there are a few things that you need to keep in mind when starting a career as a freelancer. A freelancer falls in a different tax bracket, so you first need to register yourself as a self-employed person, and second, you need to assess yourself to calculate the taxes you have to pay.

Register as a self-employed person

This is the most important thing to do when you want to start working as a freelancer. A sole trader working as a freelancer falls under a different tax bracket compared to those who work as employees.

Depending on the country you live in, you could be paying less tax than an employee, more or even no tax at all. In countries like the UK or Ireland, a freelancer is considered as a self-employed individual.

You do not need to register a company but are required to pay taxes and complete tax returns. It makes it vital to register yourself as a self-employed person if you do not want to become under scrutiny for tax evasion.

Self-assessment taxes

In Ireland a self-employed person pays taxes under the self-assessment tax system. It is important to know the features of this tax system so you don’t have any issues when you have to pay tax for the previous year.

• These taxes are paid once a year, so make sure you properly document your tax year

• You need to access the taxes that are due on you by yourself

• Preliminary tax – You need to pay a preliminary tax which is an estimate for the tax that you are liable for in the current trading year, before or on 31st October. There is different way preliminary tax can be calculated

• If you earn more or less in the year, as compared to what you paid the tax on, then you are liable to reconcile the amount that you have paid for tax

Where can you find work as a freelancer

There are many ways you can start work as a freelancer. Before we explain websites where you can easily create a profile and start working as a freelancer, it is important to know the difference between freelance work and other types of part-time work.

There are dedicated remote platforms, work from home positions on LinkedIn and even local businesses offering work from home. In all these jobs, you are working as an employee, but are working from home and are paid monthly as set by a company. In freelance jobs, you are given a task and you can set your own time.

Best websites to find work

There are platforms created whose primary purpose is to be a meeting point for freelancers and clients. You can make a profile on these online accounts and they are a source of meeting clients for you and you can arrange your own price and hours limit.

Here we have covered the major freelancing websites. Whether you want the best freelance writing jobs or any other type of freelance work, these sites have you covered.