Light entrepreneurship: invoice your work without a company

What is light entrepreneurship?

A light entrepreneur works independently, like an entrepreneur: they find their clients, agree on prices and do the work their own way. The difference is that they have no company. Invoicing goes through an invoicing service, which sends the invoice under its own business ID and pays the income to the light entrepreneur as a wage.

Light entrepreneurship sits between employment and running a business. For tax purposes you receive a wage with withholding already deducted. In pension and unemployment security, however, you are treated as an entrepreneur, because you work independently rather than as your client’s employee.

Who does what?

How does light entrepreneurship work in practice?

1. You agree on the work with your client. Agree on the price and whether it includes VAT. An email or text message is enough as an agreement.
2. You do the work and fill in the invoice. Create a free account in our service and fill in the invoicing form: client details, a description of the work and the amount. It takes a few minutes.
3. We send the invoice. Invoicing requests made by 4 pm on a weekday are checked and sent to your client the same day, by email or as an e-invoice.
4. You get paid. When your client’s payment arrives, we deduct the service fee, withhold tax according to your tax card and report the wage to the Incomes Register. When the payment arrives by 4 pm on a weekday, the money is in your account the same day.

So you don’t need to set up a company, keep accounts, or file separate tax returns for your invoicing.

Who is light entrepreneurship for?

Light entrepreneurship suits both a single gig and continuous invoicing. It’s a popular way to work when, for example, you:

• sell your own work as a service and invoice your clients regularly, even full-time, without a company of your own
• do gigs on the side of a day job, studies or retirement
• work as a freelancer and your clients want an invoice rather than a payslip
• want to try entrepreneurship without commitment, set-up costs or risk
• need to invoice just one job and don’t want to set up a company for it.

More than 20,000 professionals from many fields have already invoiced with us, from musicians and photographers to consultants and builders:

• Musician
• Photographer
• Graphic designer
• IT
• Consultant
• Construction
• Cleaning
• Events
• Teaching
• Hair and beauty

You’ll find guidance for your field in our profession guides.

What does light entrepreneurship cost?

With Keikkalasku the service fee is fixed: 5 € for invoices up to 100 € and 10 € for larger ones (VAT 0%). The price doesn’t grow even if you invoice large amounts or invoice often, unlike percentage-based services.

The bigger your invoices, the clearer the difference a flat fee makes:

The only possible extra cost is the statutory health insurance contribution (in 2026, 1.91% of gross wage). It applies only to those with valid YEL insurance or whose entrepreneurial income exceeds 9,423.09 € a year. Some add-on services, such as invoicing abroad, are priced separately. See the full price list or compare invoicing services.

Taxes: you receive a wage with tax already withheld

Income you receive through the invoicing service is paid to you as a wage. We withhold tax according to your tax card, so you don’t need to deal with taxes separately. You can use the same tax card as in your day job.

Good to know: send us your tax card before your first payment. Without a tax card, the law requires 60% withholding.

Travel and other expenses

Travel expenses invoiced from your client, such as mileage, daily allowances, parking and accommodation, can be paid to you tax-free. Material costs are not tax-free, but you can deduct tools, software and other work-related purchases in your own taxation as expenses for the production of income. Keep your receipts.

VAT

Because the invoice is sent under the invoicing service’s business ID, VAT is always added according to the type of work. You don’t need to register for VAT or file VAT returns; we pay the tax on your behalf. The general rate is 25.5%, but performance fees, for example, are VAT-exempt. Always agree with your client whether the price includes VAT.

YEL and social security

Light entrepreneurs fall under the Self-Employed Persons’ Pensions Act (YEL) on the same terms as other entrepreneurs. Most invoicing-service users, however, don’t need to take out YEL insurance.

YEL income doesn’t only affect your pension. It is also the basis for, for example, sickness and parental allowances. Keeping track of your YEL obligation is your responsibility, because we only see the wages paid through us. We’re happy to help if you’re approaching the limit.

In unemployment security a light entrepreneur is treated as an entrepreneur. If you are an unemployed jobseeker, tell your employment services about your light entrepreneurship. Gigs on the side don’t usually prevent unemployment benefit, but the income may affect its amount.

Insurance: Keikkalasku’s service fee doesn’t include voluntary insurance, so you don’t pay for it needlessly. If your work requires liability or accident insurance, you can take it out yourself from an insurance company.

Pros and things to consider

Light entrepreneur or your own company?

Your own trade name or limited company can make sense if your work involves a lot of material purchases, on which you can get VAT deductions as an entrepreneur, or if you want to hire employees or use subcontractors.

Light entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is the lightest and fastest way to start: you can invoice right away, with no set-up costs or administrative hassle. Many start as light entrepreneurs and set up their own company only once their work is established. And there’s always a real person to help if something is on your mind.

Common questions about light entrepreneurship

More answers in our frequently asked questions.

This guide is general information, not personal tax or social security advice. Figures apply to 2026.