Tip Calculator

Enter the bill total and tip percentage; the tool returns the tip amount and grand total. Add a number of people to split among and it divides everything evenly, including handling odd cents that don't divide cleanly.

Use it to settle a check at a restaurant, sanity-check a hotel bill, or split costs after a group dinner. Common tip percentages (15, 18, 20, 25) are one-tap presets; type any value for custom. Pretax tipping toggle moves between tipping on the subtotal and tipping on the tax-inclusive total — different cultures and contexts default to one or the other.

Nothing complicated about the math. The reason to use a calculator instead of mental arithmetic is that everyone at the table can see the same number and stop arguing.

The formulas. Forward: tip = subtotal × tip_rate; total = subtotal + tax + tip. Per-person: per_person = total ÷ number_of_people. Reverse (you have a tip-included total, want to know the tip): tip = total × (tip_rate / (1 + tip_rate)) when tipping on tax-inclusive total, or solve for the subtotal first when tipping on pretax. Most arguments at the table boil down to which subtotal the tip should apply to.

Worked example. Bill: $87.40 subtotal, $7.21 tax (8.25%), $94.61 total. Tipping 20% pretax: tip = $87.40 × 0.20 = $17.48. Total with tip: $112.09. Split 4 ways: $28.02 each. If everyone tips on the post-tax total instead (some POS systems pre-fill this as the default): tip = $94.61 × 0.20 = $18.92. Total: $113.53. Split 4 ways: $28.38 each. The 36-cent-per-person difference is small but nonzero, and over a year of dinners it adds up to dozens of dollars per regular diner.

Uneven splits. The tool's per-line-item mode lets you assign each menu item to a person (or split shared items proportionally). The tip and tax then prorate to each person's subtotal. Without this, even-splitting a $200 dinner where one person had a $60 entree and another a $20 salad systematically subsidizes the bigger eater. Some friend groups prefer even-splitting as a social convention; others want item-level fairness. The tool supports both — pick your group's norm.

Global tipping is genuinely confusing. US: 18-20% standard for sit-down, 25%+ for excellent service, 10-15% for counter service depending on the setup, 0% for fast food. Canada: 15-20%, similar to US. UK and most of Europe: service often included (look for "servizio incluso," "service compris," or a line item); 10% rounding-up tip if service was good and not included. Japan, South Korea: tipping is unusual and sometimes considered impolite; don't tip in standard restaurants. China: variable, increasingly common in tourist areas. Australia: 10% optional, often skipped. The tool computes whatever percentage you enter; the cultural norm is on you to know.

A practical opinion: tipping in the US is a wage subsidy — restaurant servers earn below minimum wage in most states with the assumption that tips bring them up. Tipping less than 18% in the US, regardless of personal feelings about the system, materially harms a low-wage worker. If you object to tip culture, vote for legislative reform — don't take it out on individual servers. The math the tool does works regardless of your stance; the social context is worth thinking about anyway.