Tip Calculator

Q: How much should I tip in the US?

20% is the current norm for sit-down restaurant service; 15% was the old standard and is still acceptable for limited service; 25%+ for exceptional service. Many printed check guides suggest 18%. Tipping on the pre-tax amount is the common etiquette advice.

Q: Should I tip before or after tax?

Most guidance says before tax — the tax isn't the server's doing. On the default $85 check with $7 of tax, 20% pre-tax is $15.60 versus $17.00 on the total, a $1.40 difference.

Q: What does rounding up do?

It raises the total to the next whole dollar and gives the difference to the tip. Here, $100.60 → $101, so the tip goes from $15.60 to $16.00 and the effective rate on the pre-tax amount from 20.0% to 20.5%.

Bill total

Split between

people

Tip

Bill includes sales taxRound the total up to the next dollar

Tax on the bill

Tipping is usually calculated on the pre-tax amount.

Each person pays

$50.30

Tip: $15.60
Bill: $85.00
Grand total: $100.60
Bill per person: $42.50
Tip per person: $7.80

Common tip rates on a $85.00 bill

Tip %	Tip	Total	Per person
0%	$0.00	$85.00	$42.50
10%	$7.80	$92.80	$46.40
15%	$11.70	$96.70	$48.35
18%	$14.04	$99.04	$49.52
20%	$15.60	$100.60	$50.30
25%	$19.50	$104.50	$52.25

Tip ranges are customs, not rules — 15-20% before tax is the usual US baseline, higher for large parties or exceptional service. Taxes and service charges shown here are your own input; the calculator doesn't know your state's rate.

On the default check — $85 with $7 of tax already included, split two ways — a 20% tip is $15.60, because the tip is calculated on the $78 pre-tax amount. The total is $100.60, or $50.30 each. Turn off the pre-tax setting and the same 20% becomes $17 on the full $85. Flip on rounding and the total snaps up to $101, so the tip becomes $16 and the effective rate on the pre-tax $78 rises to 20.5%.

Tip on the pre-tax amount or the total?

This is the one setting that actually moves the money, and etiquette guidance in the US generally lands on the pre-tax amount — you're tipping the service, not the sales tax:

tip base   = tax included ? bill − tax : bill
tip        = tip base × tip%
total      = bill + tip
per person = total ÷ people

Worked example — the page default:

Bill $85, tax $7 included → tip base $78
20% of $78 = $15.60 tip
Total $85 + $15.60 = $100.60
Two ways: $50.30 each ($42.50 of food and $7.80 of tip per person)

On the full $85 instead, the same 20% is $17 — a $1.40 difference on one check, and a meaningful one if you're tipping 20% on a large tab.

Splitting the same check

Split	Bill per person	Tip per person	Total per person
1	$85.00	$15.60	$100.60
2	$42.50	$7.80	$50.30
3	$28.33	$5.20	$33.53
4	$21.25	$3.90	$25.15

Everyone pays their share of both the bill and the tip — the calculator splits the tip too, so nobody quietly absorbs it. Rates from 15% to 25% are shown side by side on the page so you can pick without doing the arithmetic at the table.

What rounding up actually does

Rounding pushes the total up to the next whole dollar, and the extra goes entirely to the tip. On the default check, $100.60 rounds to $101 — a $0.40 top-up, taking the tip to $16.00 and the effective tip rate on the $78 pre-tax amount from 20.0% to 20.5%. It's a convenience for cash, and it matters less on large checks than on small ones: 40 cents is a rounding error on $100, but a 20% tip on a $12 coffee rounded to the dollar is a very different percentage.

The inputs people get wrong

Whether tax is in the bill. US menus list pre-tax prices, so the check you're handed usually includes tax — tick the box and enter the tax line. If you're working from a pre-tax subtotal, untick it.
The tip rate. 15% used to be the default and 20% is the current norm for sit-down service in most of the US; 18% appears on many printed check guides; 25%+ for exceptional service. Counter service, takeout, and delivery are different conventions entirely.
Splitting unevenly. This calculator splits evenly. If one table ordered the lobster, split the bill by what each person ordered first and use it for that subtotal.

How to use this calculator

Enter the bill total as it appears on the check.
If the tax is included in that number, leave the box ticked and enter the tax amount — the tip then comes off the pre-tax subtotal.
Pick a tip percentage (20% by default) or type your own.
Set the number of people.
Optionally switch on rounding to take the total up to the next dollar.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I tip in the US?

20% is the current norm for sit-down restaurant service; 15% was the old standard and is still acceptable for limited service; 25%+ for exceptional service. Many printed check guides suggest 18%. Tipping on the pre-tax amount is the common etiquette advice.

Should I tip before or after tax?

Most guidance says before tax — the tax isn't the server's doing. On the default $85 check with $7 of tax, 20% pre-tax is $15.60 versus $17.00 on the total, a $1.40 difference.

How do I split a tip between people?

Divide the tip-inclusive total by the number of people: $100.60 across 2 is $50.30 each, across 4 is $25.15 each. The tip is split along with the bill, so each person pays their own share.

What does rounding up do?

It raises the total to the next whole dollar and gives the difference to the tip. Here, $100.60 → $101, so the tip goes from $15.60 to $16.00 and the effective rate on the pre-tax amount from 20.0% to 20.5%.

Is 15% still a normal tip?

It's the floor rather than the norm for full-service dining in much of the US, where 18–20% is now typical. It remains common for buffets, counter service, or when a service charge is already added — check the check for an automatic gratuity before you add one.

Do I tip on takeout or delivery?

Different conventions: a few dollars or 10% for takeout, and 10–15% (or a few dollars, whichever is more) for delivery, more in bad weather. Large catering orders often carry a service charge instead.

Data sources: All figures on this page are arithmetic from the bill, tax, rate, and party size you enter — there is no external rate table, and the percentages shown (15 / 18 / 20 / 25%) are the ones most commonly suggested in US tipping guidance, not a rule. Tipping norms vary by city, by service type, and by whether a service charge is already included; check the check for an automatic gratuity before adding one. Every number here was produced by this calculator and can be reproduced with the same inputs (the default $85 check is pre-filled). Related tools: percentage calculator, percentage decrease calculator, GPA calculator, all everyday calculators.