On this page
Formula
Tip = Bill × (Tip % ÷ 100); Per person = (Bill + Tip) ÷ People
- Bill
- the amount the tip is based on, usually the pre-tax subtotal
- Tip %
- the tip percentage you choose, such as 15, 18 or 20
- People
- how many people share the bill equally
What a tip calculator does
A tip is a percentage of the bill that you add as a thank-you for service. The maths is one multiplication, but it is easy to slip when you are splitting a check at the table or trying to land on a round number. This tip calculator takes the bill, the tip percentage and the number of people, and shows the tip, the total and what each person pays. A quick table underneath compares the four most common tip rates, 15%, 18%, 20% and 25%, for the same bill.
How to use the tip calculator
- Enter the bill amount. Use the subtotal before tax if you tip on the pre-tax amount, which is what most etiquette guides suggest. Use the full total if you prefer to tip on everything.
- Enter the tip percentage. Any value from 0% to 100% works, including decimals such as 17.5%.
- Enter the number of people sharing the bill. Leave it at 1 if you are paying alone.
- Choose a rounding option if you want clean numbers. You can round each person’s tip up to a whole dollar, or round each person’s total up so nobody has to deal with coins.
With one person, the main result is the tip. With two or more, the main result is what each person pays, with the tip per person, the total tip and the full bill listed below.
When the bill does not divide evenly
Splitting $100.00 three ways gives $33.333…, which you cannot pay in cash or by card. The calculator works in whole cents, so it shows the lower amount and notes how many people pay one cent more. The shares then add up to the exact total rather than leaving the server a cent short or over.
How to calculate a tip by hand
Turn the percentage into a decimal by dividing by 100, then multiply by the bill.
For an 18% tip on a $73.40 bill:
- 18 ÷ 100 = 0.18
- Tip = 73.40 × 0.18 = 13.212, which rounds to $13.21
- Total = 73.40 + 13.21 = $86.61
- Split three ways: 86.61 ÷ 3 = $28.87 each
How to calculate the tip percentage
To go the other way and find what percentage a tip was, divide the tip by the bill and multiply by 100. Leaving $15 on a $68 bill is 15 ÷ 68 × 100 = 22.1%.
Mental math shortcuts
- 10%: move the decimal point one place left. 10% of $73.40 is $7.34.
- 20%: double the 10% figure. 20% of $73.40 is $14.68.
- 15%: add half of the 10% figure to itself. $7.34 + $3.67 = $11.01.
- 25%: divide the bill by 4. A quarter of $73.40 is $18.35.
- 18%: take 20% and subtract 2% (one fifth of 10%). $14.68 − $1.47 = $13.21.
Tip chart for common bills
The table shows the tip in dollars before rounding. Read across from the bill to the tip percentage.
| Bill | 15% | 18% | 20% | 22% | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | $3.75 | $4.50 | $5.00 | $5.50 | $6.25 |
| $40 | $6.00 | $7.20 | $8.00 | $8.80 | $10.00 |
| $60 | $9.00 | $10.80 | $12.00 | $13.20 | $15.00 |
| $80 | $12.00 | $14.40 | $16.00 | $17.60 | $20.00 |
| $100 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| $150 | $22.50 | $27.00 | $30.00 | $33.00 | $37.50 |
Because tips scale in a straight line, you can add rows together. The 20% tip on a $140 bill is the $100 row plus the $40 row: $20 + $8 = $28.
How much to tip
There is no legal tip rate. Tipping is voluntary, and the IRS defines a tip as a payment the customer chooses to make and whose amount the customer decides. In practice, U.S. diners commonly leave 15% to 20% of the pre-tax bill for table service, and 18% to 20% has become a typical default for good service.
Tips matter to pay in the U.S. because federal law lets employers count part of a server’s tips toward the minimum wage. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer can pay a tipped employee a cash wage of as little as $2.13 an hour, as long as tips bring the total up to the $7.25 federal minimum. Many states set higher minimums, so the picture varies by location.
Tipping beyond restaurants
The same tip calculator formula works for any service priced as a percentage: a salon visit, a haircut, nails, a taxi or a food delivery. Enter the price of the service and your chosen percentage. Many people tip 15% to 20% at a hair or nail salon too, while delivery tips are often a flat amount or a percentage with a minimum.
Automatic gratuity and service charges
Some restaurants add a fixed percentage, often 18% or 20%, for large groups. The IRS treats that kind of mandatory charge as a service charge rather than a tip, because the customer does not choose it. Check the receipt before you tip so you don’t pay twice by accident. Anything you add voluntarily on top is a tip.
Rounding up the tip or the total
Rounding is a simple way to make splitting easier. Rounding each person’s total up to a whole dollar means everyone can pay the same round amount, and the extra cents go to the server. The calculator shows the tip as a percentage after rounding, so you can see how much the rounding added. For a small group the difference is usually well under one percentage point.
Common mistakes
- Tipping on a discounted total. If you used a coupon or a gift card, the service was the same, so many people tip on the price before the discount. The discount calculator can work out the original amount.
- Forgetting an automatic gratuity that is already on the bill.
- Adding the tip to each person’s share separately with different rounding, which leaves the table short. Work out the tip on the whole bill first, then split it.
- Splitting evenly when orders differ a lot. If one person had a $12 salad and another a $48 steak, use the split bill calculator, which divides the bill, tax and tip by what each person ordered.
Related calculations
To check the tax on a receipt or add it to a price, use the sales tax calculator. For any other “X% of Y” question, the percentage calculator shows the working step by step.
Worked examples
A dinner for one
An 18% tip on a $64.80 bill, paid by one person.
Inputs: Bill amount = $64.80; Tip percentage = 18 %; Number of people = 1; Round up = No rounding
Tip = $64.80 × 18% = $11.66 Total = $64.80 + $11.66 = $76.46
Answer: Tip of 18% on $64.80: $11.66, for a total of $76.46.
Four friends rounding up
A $142.50 bill with a 20% tip, split four ways, with each share rounded up to a whole dollar.
Inputs: Bill amount = $142.50; Tip percentage = 20 %; Number of people = 4; Round up = Round each total up to a whole dollar
Tip = $142.50 × 20% = $28.50 Total per person = ($142.50 + $28.50) ÷ 4 = $42.75, rounded up to $43.00
Answer: $142.50 plus a 20.7% tip ($29.50) split 4 ways: $43.00 each, including $7.38 tip.
An uneven split by cents
A $87.40 bill with a 15% tip shared by three people, where the total does not divide evenly.
Inputs: Bill amount = $87.40; Tip percentage = 15 %; Number of people = 3; Round up = No rounding
Tip = $87.40 × 15% = $13.11 Total = $87.40 + $13.11 = $100.51 Per person = $100.51 ÷ 3 = $33.5033, which doesn’t split into whole cents: 2 × $33.50 + 1 × $33.51
Answer: $87.40 plus a 15% tip ($13.11) split 3 ways: $33.50 each, including $4.37 tip.
Assumptions and limitations
- The tip is a percentage of the bill amount you enter. To tip on the pre-tax amount, enter the subtotal before tax; to tip on the full total, enter the total including tax.
- Money is rounded to the nearest cent, half a cent rounding up.
- When the total does not divide evenly into cents, the per-person figure is the lower amount and the note says how many people pay one cent more, so the shares add up exactly.
- The "round each tip up" option rounds every person's share of the tip up to the next whole dollar. The "round each total up" option rounds every person's total up to the next whole dollar, and the extra goes to the tip. An amount that is already a whole dollar is not rounded further.
- The quick table shows 15%, 18%, 20% and 25% without rounding.
- The calculator splits evenly. For uneven shares, or to add tax separately, use the split bill calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a 20% tip?
Move the decimal point one place left to get 10% of the bill, then double it. On a $46 bill, 10% is $4.60, so a 20% tip is $9.20 and the total is $55.20.
How much should you tip at a restaurant?
In the U.S., 15% to 20% of the pre-tax bill is the usual range for table service, with 18% to 20% common for good service. Tipping is voluntary, so the amount is your choice.
Should you tip on the amount before or after tax?
Etiquette guides usually say to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, because tax is not part of the service. Tipping on the total after tax is also common and simply gives a slightly larger tip. Enter whichever amount you want the tip based on.
How do you split a bill and tip between several people?
Add the tip to the bill, then divide by the number of people. A $90 bill with an 18% tip is $90 + $16.20 = $106.20, which is $35.40 each for three people. Enter the number of people and the calculator does this for you.
How do you find the tip percentage you left?
Divide the tip by the bill and multiply by 100. A $9 tip on a $52 bill is 9 ÷ 52 × 100 = 17.3%. With the round-up options, the calculator shows this percentage after rounding.
Is an automatic gratuity the same as a tip?
Not for tax purposes. The IRS treats a payment as a tip only if the customer chooses to pay it and decides the amount. A mandatory charge, such as 18% added for large parties, is a service charge. Check the receipt before adding another tip on top.
What is a quick way to work out 15%?
Find 10% of the bill, halve it to get 5%, and add the two. On $62, 10% is $6.20 and 5% is $3.10, so 15% is $9.30.
Sources
- Tip recordkeeping and reporting — Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 10, 2026.
- Fact Sheet #15: Tipped Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Checked October 10, 2026.