Who it's for

Care professionals can invoice their work as light entrepreneurs without setting up a company. You agree on visits and prices with your client, and Truster takes care of invoicing, withholding tax according to your tax card, and reporting to the authorities. The account is free, and you only pay when you invoice, so you can start care or nursing work flexibly, even alongside shift work.

#What kind of care work can you do as a light entrepreneur?

The most requested services are home help and care for the elderly: help with everyday tasks, company for walks and errands, escorting to doctor's appointments, and covering for family caregivers on their days off. Home help for families with children and working as a personal assistant also suit light entrepreneurship, when the client or family buys the service directly.

A trained healthcare professional, such as a nurse or practical nurse, can sell care services directly to private clients. Important limitation: work that requires a licence or official notification in social and healthcare services cannot be done as a light entrepreneur without your own Business ID. It is possible with your own Business ID: with Truster's sole trader service you invoice in the same app and Truster handles the bookkeeping. Work without licensing obligations, such as ordinary home help with no care content, suits light entrepreneurship as is. Check your service's requirements with Valvira or the Regional State Administrative Agency before starting.

#Pricing, expenses and VAT in the care sector

Home help and care services are usually priced by the hour, and regular visits can be agreed as a weekly or monthly package. A higher rate can be agreed for evening, weekend and holiday visits. The price should also cover travel, preparation and your own social security contributions, so it's not worth pricing just the time spent at the visit.

Typical expenses include travel to clients, protective equipment and care supplies, and training that maintains your professional skills. Expenses and mileage are logged in the Truster app, and they're automatically taken into account in your pay.

Good to know: care provided by a licensed healthcare professional may be exempt from VAT as healthcare, when the conditions set out in law are met. Other home help is generally subject to VAT. It's worth checking your own situation at vero.fi (the Finnish Tax Administration) before pricing your services.

Care-help clients often get in touch after a relative reaches out: adult children looking for a trustworthy helper for their ageing parent. Local Facebook groups, organizations' notice boards and care-sector platforms are good channels, and a recommendation from a satisfied family brings the next clients. Be clear about your training, experience, and the fact that clients always get an official invoice and receipt for the work.

#Invoicing and pay with Truster

Regular clients are most conveniently invoiced with a consolidated invoice once a month, showing all of the month's visits itemized on a single invoice. One-off help can be invoiced right after the visit. Maksuvahti keeps track of your receivables and sends payment reminders on your behalf for 1.99 € per invoice.

If you need the money quickly, HetiPalkka pays your wages before the invoice's due date for a fee of 5% of the invoice amount. For monthly plan users, Truster Turva is included, so you're insured while working in clients' homes.

In care work, trust is everything, and professional invoicing reinforces it: the client and their relatives receive a clear, itemized invoice for every visit. You, in turn, know that taxes and reporting are handled correctly, without having to run a business alongside your care work.

For many carers, taking on care shifts alongside shift work is a way to boost income on their own terms: you choose the clients, times and prices. As a light entrepreneur, you're not tied to bookkeeping or fixed costs, and you can take a break whenever you need one. The meaningfulness of the work and a direct relationship with clients are, for many, the main reason to get started.

#How much do you take home?

Truster's service fee is 3.99% of invoicing or a flat 55 €/month, which suits those who invoice a lot. The service fee and statutory contributions are deducted from the invoice amount, and withholding tax is applied to your pay according to your own tax card. Depending on the situation, care work may be subject to VAT or exempt, so check your own situation at vero.fi.

Of the service fees, the percentage-based 3.99% suits a few visits a month, while the flat 55 €/month suits regular, high-volume invoicing. Price your visits so the rate covers travel and preparation, not just time spent at the client's home.

The amount you take home depends on how much you invoice, your expenses and your tax rate. On our Calculators page, you can try out your own hourly rates and instantly see how much lands in your account.