Tip Calculator and Bill Splitter
Split a bill and tip on the pre-tax amount.
- Nothing is sent to a server
- Instant results
- Free, no sign-up
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Questions
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Pre-tax. Tipping on the tax-inclusive total means tipping on the tax, and the server did not collect the HST. On a $100 meal in Ontario, an 18% tip is $18 pre-tax but $20.34 on the $113 total — $2.34 that the government's share quietly added to your generosity. Card terminals almost always calculate on the total including tax.
What is a normal tip in Canada?
15–20% at a sit-down restaurant, $1–2 per drink at a bar, 10–15% for delivery with a $5 minimum, 10–15% for a taxi or rideshare, and 15–20% for a hairdresser. Counter service and coffee are genuinely optional. Norms have drifted upward since card terminals started prompting on transactions that never used to attract a tip.
How do I know if a service charge has already been added?
Check the bill before reaching for the terminal. Groups of six or more are frequently charged an automatic gratuity of 15–18%, usually disclosed in small print on the menu rather than announced. It appears as a line item, and tipping again on top is a common and expensive mistake.
Should everyone pay the same when the orders were very different?
Splitting evenly is simplest and usually fine. It stops being fine when one person had a $60 steak and three glasses of wine while another had soup. The fair approach then is for each person to cover their own items plus a proportional share of the tax and tip — not an equal share.
What does rounding up actually add?
The tool shows exactly how much, so it stays a choice rather than an accident. Rounding each share up to the next dollar makes settling up much easier and tips slightly more — usually a few dollars across a table, which most people consider a fair trade for not counting coins.
About tip calculator
Tip on the pre-tax amount
Tipping on the tax-inclusive total means tipping on the tax, which is not what tipping is for — the server did not collect the HST. On a $100 meal in Ontario, an 18% tip on the pre-tax amount is $18; on the tax-inclusive $113 it is $20.34. That is $2.34 the government’s share has quietly added to your generosity.
Card terminals in Canada almost always calculate the suggested tip on the total including tax, and the suggested percentages have been drifting upward. Both are worth noticing. Nothing stops you entering a dollar amount instead of accepting a preset.
What is customary in Canada
| Situation | Customary |
|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 15–20% |
| Bar, per drink | $1–2, or 15% |
| Food delivery | 10–15%, minimum $5 |
| Taxi or rideshare | 10–15% |
| Hairdresser | 15–20% |
| Counter service, coffee | Optional |
Norms vary by region and have moved noticeably since card terminals began prompting for tips on transactions that never used to attract them. 15% remains a perfectly respectable restaurant tip in Canada regardless of what the screen suggests first.
Check for a service charge first
Groups of six or more are frequently charged an automatic gratuity of 15–18%, and it is usually disclosed in small print on the menu rather than announced. It appears as a line on the bill. Tipping again on top is a common and expensive mistake — read the bill before reaching for the terminal.
Splitting evenly, and when not to
Splitting the total evenly is simplest and usually fine. It stops being fine when one person had a $60 steak and three glasses of wine while another had soup — at which point the fair approach is for each person to cover their own items plus a proportional share of tax and tip.
Rounding each share up to the next dollar makes the arithmetic easy and tips slightly more; the tool shows exactly how much that adds so it is a choice rather than an accident.
Related
Work out any percentage with the percentage calculator, or check the sales tax in your province with the sales tax calculator.