Tip
calculator.
Work out the tip and what each person pays. Tip on the full bill or the amount before tax, round up the way your group prefers, and see exactly how the cents divide.
A fair split,
to the cent.
- Tip = tip base × tip % ÷ 100. The tip base is the full bill, or the bill minus the tax if you choose to tip before tax.
- Total = bill + tip. Each share = total ÷ people.
- If the total does not divide evenly, the leftover cents are shown so the group collects the exact amount.
- Rounding options always round up, so the server is never short-changed, and the effective tip rate is shown.
How do you calculate a tip?
Multiply the bill by the tip percentage and divide by 100. An 18% tip on $86.40 is 86.40 × 0.18 = $15.55. A quick mental check for 20%: move the decimal point one place left and double it ($8.64 × 2 = $17.28).
tip = base × tip% ÷ 100
total = bill + tip
per person = total ÷ peopleShould you tip on the amount before or after tax?
Etiquette guides in the U.S. commonly suggest tipping on the pre-tax amount, although many people simply tip on the total. The difference is small but real: 20% of an $80 meal plus $6.40 tax is $16.00 before tax or $17.28 after. Choose The bill before tax and enter the tax from your receipt to tip on the pre-tax amount.
How do you split a bill evenly?
Divide the total by the number of people. Totals rarely divide exactly: $101.95 between three people is $33.983… each. Paying $33.98 each would leave the table one cent short, so the calculator shows that one person pays $33.99 and two pay $33.98. If you would rather use round numbers, choose to round each share up to a whole unit.
Tips and service charges are different
A tip is voluntary: the customer chooses whether to pay and how much. A service charge added by the restaurant is part of the bill. The IRS uses the same distinction for tax purposes. Check the receipt before adding a tip on top of an existing service charge.
Worked examples.
Splitting dinner three ways
An $86.40 bill, an 18% tip, split between 3 people.
A $15.55 tip and a $101.95 total. One person pays $33.99 and two pay $33.98.
Load this exampleTipping before tax
The same $86.40 bill includes $6.40 of tax. Tip 18% on the $80.00 before tax.
A $14.40 tip, a $100.80 total, and $33.60 each.
Load this exampleRounding each share up
An $86.40 bill with a 20% tip between 3 people, rounding each share up to a whole dollar.
$35 each, so $105.00 in total. The tip becomes $18.60, about 21.5%.
Load this exampleOne person, round total
A $42.30 bill with a 15% tip, rounding the total up to a whole dollar.
$49.00 in total: a $6.70 tip, about 15.8%.
Load this exampleWhat this calculator
does not do.
- It does not tell you how much to tip. Customs vary widely between countries and types of service.
- It splits the bill evenly. For itemized splits, calculate each person's items separately.
- Currency choice only changes the symbol. All currencies are shown with two decimals except where the currency normally has none (such as the yen).
Common questions.
How much is a 20% tip on $50?
$10, so $60 in total.
Should I tip on tax?
It is your choice. Many U.S. etiquette guides suggest tipping on the pre-tax amount. Choose “The bill before tax” and enter the tax shown on your receipt.
Why does one person pay a cent more?
Some totals cannot be divided exactly into cents. The calculator shows which shares are one cent higher so that the total collected is exact.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
No. A service charge is set by the business and is part of the bill. A tip is the amount the customer chooses to give.
- IRS — Tip recordkeeping and reporting — defines a tip as voluntary and set by the customer, unlike a service charge
Calculations run in your browser at full precision. The per-person split is calculated in whole cents so that the shares always add up to the exact total. Tests cover zero bills, pre-tax tipping, each rounding option, large groups and the cent-exact split property (shares always sum to the total).