To calculate a tip, multiply the bill by the tip percentage: a 20% tip on a $32.47 bill is $32.47 × 0.20 = $6.49, making the total $38.96. This tip calculator works out the tip and the total for any rate, lets you tip on the amount before or after tax, splits the bill evenly between any number of people, and can round each person's share or the whole total up to the next dollar. The 15%, 18% and 20% buttons are shortcuts for rates people often choose; type any other rate you like.
It is for diners, delivery and rideshare customers, and anyone splitting a group check. A tip is your decision: the IRS defines a tip by the fact that the customer freely chooses the amount, and no federal agency sets a "correct" percentage.
How to use the tip calculator
- Enter the bill before tax, the subtotal printed above the tax line on most receipts.
- Optionally enter the tax amount in dollars. It is added to the total and, if you choose, included in the amount the tip is calculated on.
- Type a tip percent or tap 15%, 18% or 20%.
- Enter how many people are paying and pick a rounding option. "Each share to $1" is easiest for cash; "Total to $1" gives a round card total.
- Read each person's share, the tip, and, when rounding is on, the effective tip rate you actually leave.
Tip formula
- Tip = bill × tip % ÷ 100
- Total = bill + tax + tip
- Each person = total ÷ number of people
- Effective tip rate = (total paid − bill − tax) ÷ bill × 100
The tip is an ordinary percent-of-a-number problem. OpenStax Prealgebra uses it as a textbook example: a group with an $80 bill that wants to leave 20% multiplies 0.20 × 80 for a $16.00 tip. Converting the percent to a decimal first (20% = 0.20, 18% = 0.18) is the step most people skip when they get a wrong answer. The percentage calculator explains the general method.
Tip on $32.47
On a $32.47 bill, the tip is $4.87 at 15%, $5.84 at 18% and $6.49 at 20%, for totals of $37.34, $38.31 and $38.96. Rounding the total up to the next dollar gives $39.00, which is a 20.1% tip. Exact cents: 32.47 × 0.20 = 6.494, which rounds to $6.49.
Tip on $32.00
On $32, a 15% tip is $4.80, 18% is $5.76 and 20% is $6.40. The 10% shortcut makes this easy: $3.20 is 10%, double it for $6.40, or add half of it for $4.80.
Tip chart: $10 to $200 at 10% to 25%
Tip amounts for common bills, rounded to the cent. Find the bill on the left and the rate along the top; the total is the bill plus the tip.
| Bill | 10% | 12% | 15% | 18% | 20% | 22% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.00 | $1.20 | $1.50 | $1.80 | $2.00 | $2.20 | $2.50 |
| $15.00 | $1.50 | $1.80 | $2.25 | $2.70 | $3.00 | $3.30 | $3.75 |
| $20.00 | $2.00 | $2.40 | $3.00 | $3.60 | $4.00 | $4.40 | $5.00 |
| $25.00 | $2.50 | $3.00 | $3.75 | $4.50 | $5.00 | $5.50 | $6.25 |
| $30.00 | $3.00 | $3.60 | $4.50 | $5.40 | $6.00 | $6.60 | $7.50 |
| $32.00 | $3.20 | $3.84 | $4.80 | $5.76 | $6.40 | $7.04 | $8.00 |
| $32.47 | $3.25 | $3.90 | $4.87 | $5.84 | $6.49 | $7.14 | $8.12 |
| $35.00 | $3.50 | $4.20 | $5.25 | $6.30 | $7.00 | $7.70 | $8.75 |
| $40.00 | $4.00 | $4.80 | $6.00 | $7.20 | $8.00 | $8.80 | $10.00 |
| $45.00 | $4.50 | $5.40 | $6.75 | $8.10 | $9.00 | $9.90 | $11.25 |
| $50.00 | $5.00 | $6.00 | $7.50 | $9.00 | $10.00 | $11.00 | $12.50 |
| $60.00 | $6.00 | $7.20 | $9.00 | $10.80 | $12.00 | $13.20 | $15.00 |
| $70.00 | $7.00 | $8.40 | $10.50 | $12.60 | $14.00 | $15.40 | $17.50 |
| $75.00 | $7.50 | $9.00 | $11.25 | $13.50 | $15.00 | $16.50 | $18.75 |
| $80.00 | $8.00 | $9.60 | $12.00 | $14.40 | $16.00 | $17.60 | $20.00 |
| $90.00 | $9.00 | $10.80 | $13.50 | $16.20 | $18.00 | $19.80 | $22.50 |
| $100.00 | $10.00 | $12.00 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| $120.00 | $12.00 | $14.40 | $18.00 | $21.60 | $24.00 | $26.40 | $30.00 |
| $125.00 | $12.50 | $15.00 | $18.75 | $22.50 | $25.00 | $27.50 | $31.25 |
| $150.00 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $22.50 | $27.00 | $30.00 | $33.00 | $37.50 |
| $175.00 | $17.50 | $21.00 | $26.25 | $31.50 | $35.00 | $38.50 | $43.75 |
| $200.00 | $20.00 | $24.00 | $30.00 | $36.00 | $40.00 | $44.00 | $50.00 |
Tipping before tax or after tax
Whether to tip on the subtotal or on the total including tax is a personal choice; neither the IRS nor the Department of Labor sets a rule for customers. The calculator supports both. Tipping on the pre-tax amount ties the tip to the food and service; tipping on the receipt total is simpler when the subtotal isn't shown. The difference is always the tip rate times the tax. On a $120 meal with $9.90 tax, a 20% tip is $24.00 before tax and $25.98 after, a difference of $1.98.
Splitting the bill and rounding
For an even split, add tax and tip first and divide once. Example: a dinner for three with an $84.60 subtotal, $6.98 tax, 18% tip on the pre-tax bill. The tip is $15.23, the total $106.81, and each person owes $35.61. When a total doesn't divide into whole cents, the calculator rounds each share up to the cent so the shares always cover the bill; in this case the three shares collect $106.83.
Rounding each share up to the next dollar gives $36.00 each and $108.00 in total. The extra goes to the tip, raising it to $16.42, an effective 19.4% instead of 18%. The "Effective tip rate" line shows this so you know what you're really leaving. If people ordered very different amounts, split the items first and then apply the same tip percent to each person's subtotal.
Service charges and automatic gratuities
Many restaurants add a fixed percentage for large groups. That charge is not a tip under federal rules. IRS Publication 531 says a payment is a tip only when it is made free from compulsion, the customer has the right to determine the amount, it isn't subject to negotiation or dictated by employer policy, and the customer generally decides who gets it. Its own example is an 18% charge added to bills for parties of six or more; the IRS treats it as a service charge, paid to workers as wages. The IRS tip-recordkeeping page lists similar service charges, including required gratuities in a contract and digital payment prompts that force the customer to pick a tip greater than zero. The Department of Labor's Fact Sheet #15 also says a compulsory service charge is not a tip under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Read the receipt before adding a tip so you don't pay twice by accident; any amount you write on a blank tip line is a tip.
How tips are treated for the worker
Knowing the rules helps explain why tips matter to the person serving you. Under the FLSA, a tipped employee is one who customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. The DOL says an employer may pay such a worker as little as $2.13 an hour in cash wages and count up to $5.12 an hour of tips toward the $7.25 federal minimum wage (the tip credit). Tips received are to be kept by the employee, except through a valid tip pool. On the tax side, IRS Publication 531 says employees report cash, check, debit and credit card tips to their employer; tips under $20 in a month from one job don't have to be reported to that employer, and otherwise the report is due by the 10th of the following month. These are federal figures; state law may differ.
Common mistakes
- Tipping on a discounted total. If a coupon cut the bill, you may prefer to tip on the pre-discount amount, since the service didn't change. The discount calculator shows the original price.
- Double-tipping on an automatic gratuity. Check for a service charge line first.
- Splitting before adding the tip. Divide the final total, or each share will be short.
- Forgetting the decimal. 18% is 0.18, not 1.8: 18% of $50 is $9.00.
- Assuming rounding is free. Rounding up four shares by up to $0.99 each can add almost $4 to the tip.
For other everyday money maths, see the money counter for counting a cash tip jar, the percentage increase calculator for menu price changes, and the hourly to salary calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a tip?
Multiply the bill by the tip percent divided by 100. A 20% tip on $80 is 0.20 × $80 = $16.00, the worked example in OpenStax Prealgebra. Add it to the bill for the total: $96.00.
What is a 20% tip on $32.47?
$6.49, for a total of $38.96. At 15% the tip is $4.87 and at 18% it is $5.84.
How much is the tip on a $32 bill?
At 15%, $4.80; at 18%, $5.76; at 20%, $6.40. The total at 20% is $38.40.
What is the quickest way to work out a tip in my head?
Move the decimal point one place to get 10%, then scale it. On $64: 10% is $6.40, so 20% is $12.80 and 15% is $6.40 + $3.20 = $9.60.
Should I tip on the amount before or after tax?
It is your choice; there is no official rule. The difference is the tip rate times the tax. On a $120 meal with $9.90 tax, 20% before tax is $24.00 and 20% after tax is $25.98, a gap of $1.98.
How do I split a bill with tip between several people?
Add the tip to the bill, then divide by the number of people. A $84.60 bill with $6.98 tax and an 18% pre-tax tip comes to $106.81; split three ways that is $35.61 each.
Is an automatic 18% gratuity a tip?
For tax purposes, no. IRS Publication 531 gives the example of a restaurant that adds an 18% charge for parties of six or more: because the customer didn't have an unrestricted right to set the amount, it is a service charge, which is paid to workers as wages. The DOL also says a compulsory service charge is not a tip under the FLSA.
What makes a payment a tip rather than a service charge?
IRS Publication 531 lists four factors: the payment is made free from compulsion; the customer has the right to determine the amount; it isn't subject to negotiation or dictated by employer policy; and the customer generally has the right to determine who receives it.
Do servers have to report card tips?
Yes. IRS Publication 531 says employees report cash, check, debit and credit card tips to their employer. Tips totaling less than $20 in a month from one job don't have to be reported to that employer; otherwise the monthly report is due by the 10th of the next month.
What is the federal minimum cash wage for tipped workers?
Under the FLSA, an employer may pay a tipped employee at least $2.13 an hour in cash wages and take a tip credit of up to $5.12 an hour toward the $7.25 federal minimum wage, according to the DOL's Fact Sheet #15. A tipped employee is one who customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips. These are federal figures; state law can set different ones.
Sources & method
- IRS Publication 531, Reporting Tip Income — what counts as a tip, service charges, the $20-a-month reporting rule
- IRS — Tip recordkeeping and reporting (tips vs. service charges)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division — Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the FLSA
- OpenStax Prealgebra 2e, §6.2 Solve General Applications of Percent — tip as percent × bill
Results are estimates for general information. Found an error? It helps everyone — see our methodology.