Invoicing Thread poster: TB CommuniCAT
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Hi,
I have several questions regarding invoicing and hope someone can assist.
1) Client is a company in US and wishes to make payment in USD currency. I am in Canada. Do I still charge HST (harmonized sales taxes)
2) If client says The total document is 1000 words. 700 of those words are no matches, the rest are fuzzy’s and repetitions. How do you usually bill? Your rate x total words or do you have diffrent rate for fuzzy ones?
Thank you!
| | | | La Mi 
China
Local time: 17:39
Member (2013)
English to Chinese
+ ...
| For your reference | May 6, 2014 |
Payment for work done using translation memories:
ICE Matches: no charge
100% matches: 20% of normal word rate
Internal Repetition: 20% of normal word rate
Fuzzy matches: 50% of normal word rate
Less than 75% matches: normal word rate
| | | | TB CommuniCAT
Canada
Local time: 05:39
English to French
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks Mi La!
Does this also apply to proofreading and editing?
Also, would you happen to know the answer to the tax question?
| | | | La Mi
China
Local time: 17:39
Member (2013)
English to Chinese
+ ...
no ideas on proofreading and editing yet.
Unfortunately, I have no answer for your tax question.
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| Fuzzy matches? | May 6, 2014 |
Personally, I may not charge for perfect matches. But that is all.
A bus driver wouldn't accept not being paid for the very same route he did the day before, would he? Or a teacher repeating the very same thing over and over.
Never ever heard that proofreading or editing had special fuzzy rates! But who knows these days
No clue for the tax thing.
| | | | Niina Lahokoski
Finland
Local time: 12:39
Member (2008)
English to Finnish
+ ...
| In the future, confirm before the project | May 6, 2014 |
Some people give discounts for fuzzy matches, others don't, and sometimes the clients insist on applying their own discount schemes. In any case, this should really be agreed on before starting the project.
I personally would charge the full rate in your case, but of course, if you want to be extra nice, you can offer a discount.
[Edited at 2014-05-06 17:17 GMT]
| | | | | A new sign of the times, maybe? | May 6, 2014 |
[quote]Christophe Delaunay wrote:
Never ever heard that proofreading or editing had special fuzzy rates! But who knows these days
A couple of weeks ago, I got a request very similar to that posted by TB. Needless to say, I kindly refused and, consequently, got turned down by that prospective client -- what a relief! I just don't offer that kind of discount. Ever. Period.
Regards, -M
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 10:39
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Whose percentages? | May 6, 2014 |
The percentages you give may be what you're used to, Mi La, but they are just one possibility. Personally, there's no way I'd accept 50% of my normal rate for a 76% match - I could well spend longer on it than translating it from scratch. These things must be negotiated with the client - other translators cannot tell you what's "right".
As for tax, I can't say either, but I think it's very unlikely that tax rules will differ with currency - they certainly don't in the countries I've... See more The percentages you give may be what you're used to, Mi La, but they are just one possibility. Personally, there's no way I'd accept 50% of my normal rate for a 76% match - I could well spend longer on it than translating it from scratch. These things must be negotiated with the client - other translators cannot tell you what's "right".
As for tax, I can't say either, but I think it's very unlikely that tax rules will differ with currency - they certainly don't in the countries I've worked in. So I expect that if you normally include tax on a bill to the US, then you'll need to include it on this one. But it's really a question for your accountant. ▲ Collapse
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TB CommuniCAT
Canada
Local time: 05:39
English to French
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks to all for your valuable opinions!
| | | | Jean Chao
United States
Local time: 02:39
English to Chinese
+ ...
| Set your pricing after surveying your language pair market | May 6, 2014 |
I'm based in US, but I have a Canadian client whom I charge my usual rates without considering too much about US taxes. I do, however, ask them to mail me a check in US dollars so I can make a deposit in my bank. My bank is kind enough to waive a processing fee for this type of transaction.
As for your pricing, I'd suggest that you check out your peer's pricing range and make a decision about how you'd like to position your service based on the competition. Fuzzy matches are tric... See more I'm based in US, but I have a Canadian client whom I charge my usual rates without considering too much about US taxes. I do, however, ask them to mail me a check in US dollars so I can make a deposit in my bank. My bank is kind enough to waive a processing fee for this type of transaction.
As for your pricing, I'd suggest that you check out your peer's pricing range and make a decision about how you'd like to position your service based on the competition. Fuzzy matches are tricky business. I don't usually offer this unless it's brought up by the client. Even if this is the case, it'd be better for you to set your pricing for that too.
I agree with Shiela that Mi La's pricing for fuzzy matches is a little low, even for English/Chinese language pair. You should get a better idea after you do more research for your language pair. ▲ Collapse
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TB Communicate wrote:
...2) If client says The total document is 1000 words. 700 of those words are no matches, the rest are fuzzy’s and repetitions. How do you usually bill? Your rate x total words or do you have diffrent rate for fuzzy ones?
This should be agreed beforehand, with a base (full) source word rate AND a "discount matrix" if you/the agency use(s) one, to avoid any later dispute.
More about discount grids: http://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/268387-rates_for_weighted_words.html#2291899
TB Communicate wrote:
Does this also apply to proofreading and editing?
You don't proofread or edit xx% of a segment because it is a fuzzy match. Unless there are mental processes I am not trained in, you reread/edit/proofread a text piece as a whole, not as a succession of segments, and you cannot just discard rereading a sentence because it is an unpaid 100% match.
If you accept a per-word rate for editing, proofreading and editing should always be based on the FULL wordcount and not the weighted wordcount.
After complying with companies requiring per-word rates for editing and getting all upset with the mess I sometimes had to face, I now charge a per-hour rate, which is fairer for both parties: editing a good 1000-word translation requires less time than editing a horrible or PEMTed 1000-word translation.
A good practice is to always work out how much you earn per hour on each project, in order to compare with unqualified/minimum/sollicitor/mechanic/conferencer/etc. hourly rates in your country.
Philippe
| | | | | On hourly rates | May 7, 2014 |
Philippe Etienne wrote:
A good practice is to always work out how much you earn per hour on each project, in order to compare with unqualified/minimum/sollicitor/mechanic/conferencer/etc. hourly rates in your country.
Philippe
This is good for our comparison on whether we should go on translating, or perhaps switch our career to flipping burgers.
We sell our working hours, however our clients buy translated/revised/proofread words. If we charge on a per-word basis, the burden of productivity is on us: if we are slow workers, we'll make little money. If we charge on a per-hour basis, the burden is on the client: if we are slow, they'll be overcharged for the value they get.
This is why I avoid at all costs charging by the hour. When clients insist, I give them a DTP example.
If they request a certain DTP job to be done with PageMaker, I've been a power user of it for 20+ years, I can do anything - no matter how complex - in a snap. I'll be grossly underpaid by the hour, since this fails to consider the years I invested in mastering PM.
On the other hand, if they request the very same job to be done with, say, QuarkXPress or FrameMaker, the client will be grossly overcharged for the hours I'll spend reading manuals & help screens, as well as in trial-and-error attempts.
Either way, it's unfair.
No prospect so far has found this rationale incorrect.
I only charge per hour when the job requires me to be "available" during a specific period of time. Most typical case is interpreting. I have to be "there" during that time, doing my best as always.
If the interpretee talks like spitfire, if s/he drags each word out, or if they simply fail to show up, I charge exactly the same for the hours I remained at their disposal.
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Tom Ellett (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:39
Norwegian to English
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| TB CommuniCAT
Canada
Local time: 05:39
English to French
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Tom for clarifying!
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