You have never owned a business or participated in the billing process, have you.
I have.
What you sketch is true for one-person companies with no employees, an insignificant minority of all plumbers.
When I started working many years ago, the "multiplier", for billing purposes was 2.2; when I stopped being involved directly with the billing process, that multiplier was approaching 3.
This was due entirely to "benefits" and other costs directly mandated by government. Do I need to repeat that?
OK; that was due entirely to costs, mostly mandated by government.
So, reasonably, using a more likely multiplier of 3, your $156,000 instantly shrinks to $52,000, a most likely figure applicable to my experience here in California.
A little learning is a dangerous thing.
Exactly! I have a one person LLC that grosses $300,000 but nets under $90,000
See post 91.