Tip Calculator

Forward: tip = bill × (rate/100); total = bill + tip; per-person = total / people. Reverse (extract tip from total): tip = total − total/(1 + rate/100). The page rounds to two decimals (currency precision) and surfaces both pre-tip-per-person and post-tip-per-person figures so groups can split based on either convention. For mid-bill round-ups (cash payment to nearest €5 or €10), the page shows the additional tip needed to hit the round figure — useful when paying without a card terminal. The math is straight enough that the value-add is regional-convention guidance + accurate split arithmetic, not the multiplication itself.

United States: 18-22% is the de-facto standard for sit-down service (15% used to be the default; it has crept up over the past decade), 15-18% for delivery, $1-2 per drink at the bar; auto-gratuity 18-20% common on parties of 6+. United Kingdom: 10-12.5% historically normal for table service, with a 15% service charge increasingly common at upscale London venues in 2025-2026; many restaurants add a discretionary 12.5-15% service charge that the customer can decline. EU continental: "service compris" / "servicio incluido" — service is generally included by national consumer codes implementing UCPD 2005/29/EC and a 5-10% round-up is appreciation, not expectation. Japan: tipping is not customary and can be considered impolite — excellent service is the cultural baseline. Australia + New Zealand: not expected; 10-15% appreciated for exceptional service in fine dining only. Spain: 1-2€ per person or 5% on a nice meal is typical.

United Kingdom: the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 came into force 1 October 2024 — employers must allocate 100% of qualifying tips, gratuities and service charges fairly to workers (including agency workers) within one month of receipt, with a written tipping policy and 3-year record-keeping. Mandatory ("non-discretionary") service charges form part of the supply consideration and are therefore subject to VAT at the standard 20% rate; genuinely discretionary service charges are outside the scope of VAT (no supply). For PAYE / National Insurance purposes, mandatory service charges paid via payroll count as wages. United States: tipped-employee pay falls under FLSA § 3(m) — federal tipped minimum wage $2.13/hr (since 1991) with the difference up to $5.12/hr made up by tips; states like California, Oregon, Washington require full minimum wage with no tip credit. EU continental: service charges (typically 10-12%) are increasingly common on bills for parties of 6+; voluntary additional tipping on top is rare.

United States: convention is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal — sales tax goes to the state, not to the server, so leaving 18-22% of the pre-tax amount preserves the same proportion of service value regardless of which state you're in (sales tax varies 0% in NOMAD states to 9.75%+ in Tennessee). Practically, many diners tip on the post-tax total because it's the visible bottom line; the difference is a few percent at most. United Kingdom: service charges are typically VAT-inclusive (because they form part of the service consideration); a 12.5% service charge on a £100 + 20% VAT = £120 bill = £15 service charge inclusive. The tip-calculator does not auto-decide which base to use — it computes whatever percent is applied to whatever bill amount the user enters, leaving the convention choice to the user.

Even split: total / number-of-people — works for casual meals where everyone ordered comparably. Itemised split: each person pays for their own subtotal + a proportional share of tax + tip — fair when one person ordered substantially more (a €60 wine bottle vs €15 mains). Hybrid: split mains evenly + the wine person pays for the wine separately. The current calculator handles even-split cleanly and accurately; itemised splits require summing each person's items first then applying tip + tax to the subtotal. Group dynamic note: when one person consistently orders less but pays the even-split share, the convention is to leave a slightly larger tip yourself; conversely, the high-spender often picks up an extra round to even things out socially.