How to calculate a tip
A tip is a percentage of an amount, so the work is one multiplication and one addition. The calculator above does both and shows the steps; this is the same arithmetic by hand.
Doing it in your head
Ten percent is the bill with its decimal point moved one place left, and every other common tip is built from it. On a bill of $64.00, 10% is $6.40. Double it for 20%: $12.80. Add half of it for 15%: $6.40 plus $3.20 is $9.60. Round the bill to the nearest $5 or $10 first if you are doing this standing at a counter; being a dollar off on a tip is fine, being a decimal place off is not.
Tip chart: 15%, 18%, 20%, 22% and 25%
The tip for common bills at the percentages people use most. Find the bill in the first column, then read across. On a $85.00 bill the tip is $12.75 at 15%, $15.30 at 18% and $17.00 at 20%; on $50 it is $7.50, $9.00 and $10.00. For a bill that is not on the chart, add two rows together (the tip on $60 plus the tip on $15 is the tip on $75) or use the calculator.
| Bill | 15% | 18% | 20% | 22% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.50 | $1.80 | $2.00 | $2.20 | $2.50 |
| $15 | $2.25 | $2.70 | $3.00 | $3.30 | $3.75 |
| $20 | $3.00 | $3.60 | $4.00 | $4.40 | $5.00 |
| $25 | $3.75 | $4.50 | $5.00 | $5.50 | $6.25 |
| $30 | $4.50 | $5.40 | $6.00 | $6.60 | $7.50 |
| $40 | $6.00 | $7.20 | $8.00 | $8.80 | $10.00 |
| $50 | $7.50 | $9.00 | $10.00 | $11.00 | $12.50 |
| $60 | $9.00 | $10.80 | $12.00 | $13.20 | $15.00 |
| $75 | $11.25 | $13.50 | $15.00 | $16.50 | $18.75 |
| $100 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| $150 | $22.50 | $27.00 | $30.00 | $33.00 | $37.50 |
| $200 | $30.00 | $36.00 | $40.00 | $44.00 | $50.00 |
Tip on the bill before tax or after?
Both are common, and neither is a rule. The check shows a subtotal, the sales tax and a total, and the tip can be a percentage of the subtotal (the food and drink) or of the total. When the guideline is quoted as a range of 15% to 20%, it is usually quoted on the amount before tax: NerdWallet's tipping guide advises tipping servers in sit-down restaurants "at least 15% to 20% pretax".3 Tipping on the whole bill is a little more generous and a little easier to do on the total shown on a card terminal.
The difference is the tip on the tax itself. On a bill of $87.10 that includes $7.10 of tax, a 20% tip is $16.00 on the $80.00 before tax and $17.42 on the whole bill, $1.42 more:
| Tip worked out on | Tip | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Before tax ($80.00) | $16.00 | $103.10 |
| The whole bill ($87.10) | $17.42 | $104.52 |
To tip before tax in the calculator, enter the tax in the Tax box and leave "Tip on" at "Before tax". To tip on the whole bill, choose "Whole bill". If you do not know the tax, leave the box empty and the tip is worked out on the bill you entered.
Splitting a bill: equal shares, and by what each person ordered
Equal shares, to the exact cent
Most calculators divide the total by the number of people and show one figure. That figure is often a cent out. A $100.00 check with an 18% tip comes to $118.00. Three people each paying $39.33 hand over $117.99, one cent short. This calculator shares the cents out instead: one person pays $39.34 and two pay $39.33, and the three amounts add up to $118.00 exactly. When the total does divide evenly, everyone pays the same.
By what each person ordered
When one person had a salad and another had a steak and two cocktails, an equal split is not fair. Choose "Split by what each person ordered", enter each person's items, anything everyone shared (a starter, a bottle of wine), the tax on the check and the tip percentage. The shared items are split equally; the tax and the tip are shared in proportion to what each person ordered, so the person who ordered more pays more of both. Here is Alex ($28.50), Sam ($17.25) and Jordan ($22.00) sharing a $14.00 starter on a check with $6.40 of tax and a 20% tip before tax:
| Person | Ordered | Shared item | Tax | Tip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | $28.50 | $4.67 | $2.60 | $6.64 | $42.41 |
| Sam | $17.25 | $4.67 | $1.71 | $4.38 | $28.01 |
| Jordan | $22.00 | $4.66 | $2.09 | $5.33 | $34.08 |
| Table | $67.75 | $14.00 | $6.40 | $16.35 | $104.50 |
The table pays $104.50 in all: $81.75 of food and drink, $6.40 of tax and a $16.35 tip. Alex pays $42.41, Sam $28.01 and Jordan $34.08, where an equal split would have charged everyone $34.83. Each share is in whole cents and the odd cents go to the people whose exact share had the largest fraction (ties go to the first person listed), so the column always adds up to the check.
Rounding the tip
Paying a round number is easier than paying $55.61. Pick how you like to round and the calculator shows what the tip becomes. Rounding the total or each share up raises the tip; rounding the tip itself goes to the nearest dollar, up or down. For a $47.13 bill, an 18% tip and four people:
| Rounding | Tip | Total | Each pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| No rounding | $8.48 | $55.61 | $13.90 or $13.91 |
| Tip to the nearest $1 | $8.00 | $55.13 | $13.78 or $13.79 |
| Total up to the next $1 | $8.87 | $56.00 | $14.00 |
| Total up to the next $5 | $12.87 | $60.00 | $15.00 |
| Each share up to the next $1 | $8.87 | $56.00 | $14.00 |
| Each share up to the next $5 | $12.87 | $60.00 | $15.00 |
Rounding each share up to the next $5 lifts the tip to $12.87 on this bill, so everyone hands over $15.00; that is a tip of 27.31%, which is worth knowing before you choose it. The calculator always shows the tip rate after rounding.
What percent did I tip?
If you already paid, choose "What percent did I tip?" and enter the bill before the tip and either the tip you left or the total you paid. A $64.20 bill paid with $77.00 in all means a tip of $12.80, which is 19.94%: the tip divided by the bill.
How much to tip in the US
There is no law that sets a tip, only custom, and the custom differs by service. These are the ranges quoted by the etiquette experts in NerdWallet's tipping guide (last updated September 17, 2025); treat them as starting points.3
| Service | Guideline | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant server | 15% to 20% before tax | More for service that went above and beyond |
| Takeout order | A few dollars, up to 15% | Discretionary |
| Counter service, barista | $2 to $3, up to 20% | Discretionary |
| Bartender | $1 to $2 a drink, or 15% to 20% of the tab | Quoting The Emily Post Institute |
| Food or grocery delivery | At least 15% | Pizza, groceries and other delivered orders |
| Rideshare driver | 15% to 20% | A little extra for help or a very clean car |
| Valet | $2 to $5, or 15% to 20% of the cost | Quoting The Emily Post Institute |
| Hair, skin and nails | 15% to 20% | Haircuts and styling, makeup, waxes, manicures, pedicures |
| Massage therapist | 15% to 20% | Customary at spas and resorts, not at clinics |
| Hotel housekeeping | About $4 or $5 a night | Per night of the stay |
| Hotel bellhop | About $2 a bag | Carry small bills |
Look at the check first: some restaurants add a service charge or an automatic gratuity. If one is there you are already tipping, and anything more is up to you. If you cannot afford to tip, the guide notes that experts' opinions vary: one says restaurant servers are the only professionals for whom tipping is a staple in the US, and that for other services it is fine to pay only the base price if you must.3
Where the tip goes, and what the law says
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act the minimum direct wage for a tipped employee is $2.13 an hour, with an employer allowed a tip credit of up to $5.12 an hour against the $7.25 federal minimum wage, provided tips bring the worker to the full minimum. The Department of Labor also says employers may not keep any part of employees' tips, and that a manager or supervisor may keep only the tips a customer gives them directly for service they provide themselves.1 Where state law differs, the employer must follow whichever is more protective of the employee: some states require a higher cash wage than $2.13 or do not allow a tip credit at all.1 Tips are taxable income: the IRS says an employee who gets $20 or more in cash tips in a month must report them to the employer, and tips under that still count as income on the tax return.2
Tipping outside the US
Custom changes from country to country, and in some countries the law does the work a tip does elsewhere. These are the three places where an official source was read for this page; nothing else is listed, because a table of fifty countries copied from other tip pages would carry the same unchecked figures.
| Country | What the source says |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | The UK government defines a tip as an uncalled-for, spontaneous payment by a customer and a service charge as an amount added to the bill before it is presented. A service charge presented as entirely optional is discretionary. Since 1 October 2024 employers must pass all tips, gratuities and service charges on to their employees.4 |
| Japan | The Japan National Tourism Organization says it is not common to tip in bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis and hotels. A private guide or interpreter who is used to overseas practice may accept a tip, given discreetly in an envelope.5 |
| Australia | Tourism Australia says hotels and restaurants do not add service charges to your bill and tipping is always your choice; in upmarket restaurants it is common to tip waiters 10 per cent of the bill for good service.6 |
The calculator works in any currency: choose the symbol under the form and every figure, and the rounding options ("Total up to the next £5"), follow it. Only the symbol changes; the arithmetic does not care what the money is called.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a tip?
Multiply the amount you are tipping on by the percentage, then divide by 100. A 20% tip on $85.00 is $85.00 × 20 ÷ 100 = $17.00. Add it to the bill for the total, and divide the total by the number of people for each share.
What is 15%, 18% and 20% of a $50 bill?
15% of $50 is $7.50, 18% is $9.00 and 20% is $10.00.
What is the easiest way to work out 15% or 20% in my head?
Move the decimal point one place left to get 10%. Double that for 20%, or add half of it for 15%. On a $64.00 bill, 10% is $6.40, 20% is $12.80 and 15% is $9.60.
Should I tip on the total with tax or before tax?
Either is acceptable. Tipping on the amount before tax is the more common way to quote the 15% to 20% guideline, and tipping on the whole bill is slightly more generous. On a $87.10 bill that includes $7.10 of tax, a 20% tip is $16.00 before tax and $17.42 on the whole bill.
How do I split a bill with a tip evenly?
Add the tip to the bill, then divide the total by the number of people. When the total does not divide into whole cents, the shares cannot all be equal: this calculator has one person pay a cent more instead of leaving the table a cent short. A $118.00 total between three is $39.34 for one person and $39.33 for two.
How do I split a bill when we ordered different amounts?
Use "Split by what each person ordered". Enter each person's items and anything shared. Shared items are split equally, and the tax and tip are shared in proportion to what each person ordered, so the shares add up to the check exactly.
How much should I tip at a restaurant?
NerdWallet's etiquette experts suggest at least 15% to 20% before tax for servers in sit-down restaurants, and more for service that went above and beyond. For takeout, a few dollars up to 15% is standard; counter service and baristas are discretionary, from $2 or $3 up to 20%.
What if the bill already includes a service charge?
Then you are already tipping, and anything more is up to you. Check how the bill describes it. The UK government's guidance, for example, treats a tip as a spontaneous payment by the customer and a service charge as an amount the business adds to the bill; when a service charge is presented as optional, you are not obliged to pay it.
Do servers keep their tips?
Under US federal law an employer may not keep any part of employees' tips, whether directly or through a tip pool. A manager or supervisor may keep only tips a customer gives them directly for service they provide themselves. In the UK, since 1 October 2024, employers must pass all tips, gratuities and service charges on to their employees.
Are tips taxable?
In the US, yes. The IRS requires an employee who receives $20 or more in cash tips in a month to report them to the employer by the 10th of the following month, and tips under $20 still have to be reported as income on the tax return.
What percent did I tip?
Divide the tip by the bill before the tip. If you paid $77.00 on a $64.20 bill, the tip was $12.80, and $12.80 ÷ $64.20 is 19.94%. The "What percent did I tip?" mode does it for you.
Do I tip in Japan or Australia?
Not usually. The Japan National Tourism Organization says tipping is not common in bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis and hotels. Tourism Australia says tipping is always your choice and hotels and restaurants do not add service charges, though in upmarket restaurants it is common to tip waiters 10 per cent for good service.
Is what I type sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and the amounts you enter are not sent to a server. We count page visits with our own analytics on our own server, and those events carry no amounts, names or inputs.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (read October 4, 2026): the $2.13 direct wage, the $5.12 maximum tip credit and the $7.25 federal minimum wage; employers may not keep tips; the manager and supervisor rule.
- Internal Revenue Service, Topic no. 761, Tips: withholding and reporting (page last reviewed or updated September 24, 2026): the $20-a-month reporting threshold and tips as taxable income.
- NerdWallet, How Much to Tip Just About Everyone (updated September 17, 2025): the customary ranges by service, as quoted from etiquette experts including The Emily Post Institute.
- GOV.UK, Guidance on tips, gratuities, service charges and troncs (last updated July 18, 2025): the definitions of a tip and a service charge and the rule that employers pass all tips on from October 1, 2024.
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Tipping in Japan (no date shown; read October 4, 2026).
- Tourism Australia, Travel tips and Australian currency (no date shown; read October 4, 2026): "Is tipping customary in Australia?"
The calculations and tables on this page are done by this page's own code, which is checked against an independent implementation in the site's test suite. The tipping guidelines are custom, not law, and customs differ by place and by venue.