How to Use the Tip Calculator

The Tooldit Tip Calculator is built for the restaurant table — type a bill, tap a percentage, and see the per-person split instantly. Everything updates as you type so there's no "Calculate" button to hunt for.

Type the bill amount in the top field. The dollar sign is just a visual cue — only digits and a decimal point are accepted, with a maximum of $999,999.99.
Pick a tip percentage preset (15%, 18%, 20%, or 22%) or type your own number into the Custom field. Selecting a preset automatically clears any custom value, and vice-versa.
Set the number of people using the +/− stepper. The split updates instantly. Range is 1 to 50.
Optional: open Advanced options to round the tip up to the nearest dollar, round the entire total up, or back out the sales tax so you tip on the pre-tax amount.
Read the result card: total tip, total bill, and the big per-person number. Hit Copy for clean text or Share to send via your phone's native share sheet.

Standard Tipping Guide for the United States

In the US, tipped workers often earn a sub-minimum "tipped wage" (as low as $2.13/hour federally) and rely on tips to make up the difference. These ranges reflect what most service workers actually expect:

Situation	Typical tip
Restaurant (sit-down)	18–22% standard, 25%+ for exceptional
Restaurant (counter service)	$1–2 or 10%
Bartender	$1–2 per drink, or 15–20% of tab
Food delivery (DoorDash, UberEats)	15–20%, minimum $3–5
Taxi / Uber / Lyft	15–20%
Hotel housekeeping	$2–5 per day, left daily
Hotel valet	$2–5 when car is delivered
Hotel bellhop	$1–2 per bag
Hairdresser / barber	15–20%
Massage therapist	15–20%
Tour guide	$5–10 per person (half-day), $10–20 (full-day)
Tattoo artist	15–20%

Pre-tax vs Post-tax Tipping

Should you tip on the bill before or after sales tax? It's a long-running etiquette debate. Most etiquette experts — Emily Post and the Emily Post Institute included — recommend tipping on the pre-taxamount, on the principle that the server didn't earn the tax portion. In practice, most Americans tip on the post-tax totalsimply because that's the number on the bill.

For modest sales-tax states this barely matters. In high-tax jurisdictions like New York City (~8.875%), Chicago (~10.25%), or parts of California (up to 10%+), tipping on the pre-tax amount can save a few dollars on a typical dinner. If you'd like to tip pre-tax, open Advanced options in the calculator, check "Tax already included", and enter your local tax rate — the calculator will back the tax out before applying your tip percentage.

Tipping Around the World

US tipping culture is not universal — in some countries, leaving a big tip is unusual; in a few, it's actively rude. A quick reference:

United States: 18–22% (the highest globally)
Canada: 15–20%
United Kingdom: 10–12.5% (often added as a service charge)
Most of Europe: 5–10% — rounding up to the next euro/franc is also acceptable
Japan: No tipping — it can be considered insulting; great service is just the standard
Australia / New Zealand: 0–10%, not expected, no obligation
Middle East: 10–15%

When travelling, always check whether a service charge has already been added to the bill — in many countries it's automatic and an additional cash tip is optional rather than expected.

When to Adjust Your Tip

The presets in this calculator (15/18/20/22%) cover most situations, but it's worth knowing where the lines are:

Excellent service — 22–25%. Notable attentiveness, special requests handled, food brought out promptly.
Average / good service — 18%. The default for a normal meal that went fine.
Below average — 15%. Slow service or small mistakes — still tip; servers earn most of their income from tips.
Genuinely terrible service — 10% and a quiet conversation with a manager. Stiffing entirely is generally counter-productive: managers can't address issues they don't hear about.

Remember that tip-pooling is common: your money may be split with bussers, hosts, or kitchen staff who had nothing to do with a particular complaint. When in doubt, tip closer to the higher end and raise specific concerns directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

+Is tipping mandatory in the US?

Legally, no — but socially it's a strong expectation, and many service workers earn a sub-minimum "tipped wage" that assumes tips will make up the difference. Skipping a tip without a clear reason will be read as a complaint about the service.

+Should I tip on pre-tax or post-tax amount?

Etiquette experts say pre-tax. Most Americans tip on post-tax because it's simpler. In low-tax states the difference is trivial; in high-tax cities it can be a few dollars. The calculator can do either — toggle "Tax already included" and enter your tax rate to tip on the pre-tax amount.

+How much should I tip on takeout?

Takeout from a sit-down restaurant typically gets 10% or a couple of dollars — someone still packed and bagged your order. Counter-service takeout (fast casual, coffee shops) doesn't require a tip; rounding up or dropping change in the jar is fine.

+What if the service was bad?

Drop to 15% rather than zero, and speak to a manager about specific issues. Servers often share tips with bussers, runners, and hosts who had nothing to do with the problem, so zero-tipping rarely punishes the right person.

+Should I tip on alcohol separately?

The standard is to tip the same percentage on the entire bill, alcohol included. A single bartender's drink (no tab) is $1–2 per drink instead.

+What if gratuity is already added (parties of 6+)?

If a service charge or auto-gratuity is itemised on the bill, that is the tip. You don't need to add a second one — but you can leave a small extra amount for exceptional service if you'd like.

+Is my data private and stored anywhere?

The bill amount, tip percentage, and number of people stay in your browser tab and are never sent anywhere. There's no logging, no analytics tied to the values, and no cookies set by this tool. Refresh and the inputs are gone.