Tip Calculator
Calculate a tip at restaurants, bars, and for services — and split the bill evenly among any number of people.
Or use the standard form below
What is a tip calculator?
A tip calculator works out the gratuity on a bill from a percentage you choose, adds it to the total, and splits the result evenly among your party. Tap the bill amount into the keypad, pick a tip percentage and the number of people, and the Tip, Total and Per person update instantly; the standard form below the keypad does the same calculation with typed values.
In the United States, tips are a large part of many service workers' pay. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer may pay a tipped worker a cash wage of as little as $2.13 an hour and count up to $5.12 an hour of tips toward the $7.25 federal minimum wage (many states set higher minimums). That is why tipping in a sit-down restaurant is customary rather than a bonus for exceptional service.
Quick tip chart
| Bill | 15% | 18% | 20% | 22% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $24.75 | $3.71 | $4.46 | $4.95 | $5.45 |
| $50.00 | $7.50 | $9.00 | $10.00 | $11.00 |
| $64.50 | $9.68 | $11.61 | $12.90 | $14.19 |
| $120.00 | $18.00 | $21.60 | $24.00 | $26.40 |
| $200.00 | $30.00 | $36.00 | $40.00 | $44.00 |
Amounts are rounded half up to the cent, so 15% of $64.50 ($9.675) shows as $9.68.
Common U.S. tipping rules of thumb, by service
These are customs, not rules — they vary by region, venue and the service you received, and no law sets them.
| Service | Common rule of thumb |
|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 15%–20%, more for large groups or very good service |
| Buffet | About 10% |
| Bar | $1–$2 per drink or 15%–20% of the tab |
| Food delivery | 15%–20%, with a few dollars minimum on small orders |
| Takeout / counter service | Optional |
| Taxi / rideshare | 10%–20% |
| Hairdresser / barber | 15%–20% |
| Hotel housekeeping | A few dollars per night |
| Massage / spa | 15%–20%; check whether a gratuity is already added |
Pre-tax or after-tax?
Some people tip on the pre-tax subtotal, on the view that tax is not part of the service; others tip on the total. The difference is small: on a $60 subtotal with 8% sales tax ($64.80 total), a 20% tip is $12.00 on the subtotal and $12.96 on the total, a difference of $0.96. Enter whichever amount you want to tip on.
Automatic gratuity and "service charges"
Some restaurants add a mandatory charge to the bill, especially for large parties. Under federal law a compulsory service charge — for example, 15 percent of the bill — is not a tip, while tips belong to the employees: the law bars employers from keeping any part of them. If the bill shows a service charge, ask whether it goes to the staff before deciding whether to add more.
Formula
- Tip = bill × tip percentage ÷ 100
- Total = bill + tip
- Per person = total ÷ number of people
To do it in your head: 10% is the bill with the decimal point moved one place left; 20% is double that; 15% is 10% plus half of 10%. On $64.50, 10% is $6.45, so 20% is $12.90 and 15% is $9.675, or $9.68.
In the standard form, a blank bill counts as $0, a blank or 0 number of people counts as 1, and a fractional number of people is cut to a whole number (2.5 becomes 2). A negative bill or a negative tip percentage gives no result.
Worked example
Example 1: four friends, 20%
Four friends share a $120 dinner and want to leave 20%:
- Tip = 120 × 20 ÷ 100 = $24.00
- Total = 120 + 24 = $144.00
- Per person = 144 ÷ 4 = $36.00
Example 2: two people, 18%
A $64.50 bill for two at 18%: tip $11.61, total $76.11, and 76.11 ÷ 2 = $38.055, shown as $38.06 each on both the keypad and the form. Two payments of $38.06 come to $76.12, one cent more than the total.
Example 3: a split that does not come out to the cent
A $100 bill at 18% for three people: tip $18.00, total $118.00, and 118 ÷ 3 = 39.333…, shown as $39.33 each. Three payments of $39.33 come to $117.99, so one person needs to add a cent.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the bill amount — the pre-tax subtotal if you prefer to tip on that, or the total. On the keypad, each digit shifts in from the right, so typing 6, 4, 5, 0 gives $64.50.
- Pick a tip percentage: the keypad offers 10%, 15%, 18%, 20% and 25%, or Custom… for any other value; the form's Tip percentage field is set for 0% to 100%.
- Set how many people are splitting the bill with the − and + buttons, or type it into the form.
- Read the tip, the total and the per-person share.
What this calculator does not do
- It splits only evenly; it cannot give different shares for different orders (run it once per person instead).
- It does not add sales tax or remove it — it tips on whatever amount you enter.
- It does not round the per-person share up to whole dollars, and the rounded shares can add up to a cent more or less than the total.
- The keypad goes up to $999,999.99 and 50 people; the form's Number of people field is set for 1 to 100.
Splitting fairly when orders differ
An even split is fine when everyone ordered similarly. When one person had three cocktails and another had a salad, split the food by what each person ordered, then apply the same tip percentage to each share — run the calculator once per person with their own subtotal and 1 person.
Related tools
- Sales tax calculator — find the pre-tax subtotal from a receipt total
- Percentage calculator — any percentage problem
- How much to tip, by service type
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor — Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- U.S. Department of Labor — Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees
- IRS — Topic no. 761, Tips: withholding and reporting
- IRS — One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act: tax deductions for working Americans and seniors
Frequently asked questions
What is a standard tip in U.S. restaurants?
The usual rule of thumb is 15% to 20% of the bill for table service, with more for very good service or a large or demanding table. It is a custom, not a rule, and it varies by city and venue. If service was genuinely poor, telling a manager says more than a small tip.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or after-tax amount?
Either is common. On a $60 subtotal with 8% sales tax, a 20% tip is $12.00 on the subtotal and $12.96 on the $64.80 total — a difference of $0.96. Tipping on the total is the more generous choice. To find the subtotal from a receipt total, use the sales tax calculator's "Remove tax from total" mode.
How much should I tip a delivery driver?
A common rule of thumb is 15% to 20% of the food cost, with a few dollars minimum on small orders and more for bad weather, long distances, large orders or stairs. Delivery and service fees shown in an app are not necessarily tips, so check what the app says about who receives each charge.
Is it rude not to tip in the U.S.?
In a sit-down restaurant, a bar or for a delivery, not tipping is generally taken as a comment on the service, because tips make up much of these workers' pay — federal law lets employers pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 an hour in cash wages. Tipping is optional at counters and for takeout, and in restaurants that advertise a service-included model.
Do I tip on top of an automatic gratuity?
If the check shows a gratuity already added, the tip has been included and nothing further is expected, though you can add more for outstanding service. A "service charge" can be different: under federal law a compulsory service charge is not a tip, so ask whether it goes to the staff.
Are tips taxable income?
Yes. Employees who receive $20 or more in cash tips in a month must report them to their employer by the 10th of the following month, and employers use those reports to withhold Social Security, Medicare and income tax. For tax years 2025 through 2028, people in occupations that customarily receive tips can deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips a year from federal taxable income; the deduction phases out above $150,000 of modified adjusted gross income ($300,000 for joint filers).
How do I split a bill with tip between people?
Add the tip to the bill, then divide by the number of people: on a $120 bill with a 20% tip the total is $144, or $36 each for four. If people ordered very different amounts, split the subtotal by what each person had and apply the same tip percentage to each share.