Split a Bill With Tax and Tip
Split by item, share the extras in proportion, and make the cents add up.
The Short Answer
Each person pays for what they ordered, plus the same share of the tax and tip as their share of the food. If your items are 40% of the subtotal, you pay 40% of the tax and 40% of the tip.
Then round to the cent so the shares add up to the bill exactly. Splitting evenly is simpler, but it makes whoever ordered least pay for everyone else.
Split an itemized bill →A Worked Example
Three friends, Ann, Ben and Cy. Tax is 8.875% and they leave an 18% tip on the pre-tax subtotal.
| Item | Price | Who had it |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta | 18.00 | Ann |
| Steak | 27.00 | Ben |
| Salad | 12.50 | Cy |
| Calamari | 9.75 | All three |
| Wine | 21.00 | Ann and Ben |
The subtotal is 88.25. Tax is 7.83, the tip is 15.89, and the total is 111.97. Here is what the bill splitter gives:
| Person | Items | Share | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann | 31.75 | 36.0% | 40.29 |
| Ben | 40.75 | 46.2% | 51.70 |
| Cy | 15.75 | 17.8% | 19.98 |
| Total | 88.25 | 100% | 111.97 |
An even three-way split would be 37.33, 37.32 and 37.32. Cy, who had a salad and some calamari, would pay $17.34 more than by item.
Step by Step
- List every item and who had it. Split shared items equally among the people who shared them: the calamari is 9.75 ÷ 3 = 3.25 each.
- Add up each person's items. Ann has 18.00 + 3.25 + 10.50 = 31.75.
- Work out each person's share of the subtotal: 31.75 ÷ 88.25 is about 36.0%.
- Multiply the whole bill, tax and tip included, by that share: 111.97 × 31.75 ÷ 88.25 = 40.2838…
- Round to the cent so the shares add up exactly (see below). Ann pays 40.29.
Tip Before or After Tax?
Either is fine; it's your choice. On the example, an 18% tip is 15.89 on the pre-tax subtotal of 88.25, or 17.29 on the subtotal plus tax of 96.08. With the post-tax tip, Ann pays 40.79, Ben 52.35 and Cy 20.23.
If the receipt already includes a service charge or automatic gratuity, read it before tipping again on top.
Things That Trip People Up
- The cents don't add up. 100.00 split three ways is 33.333… each. Rounding each to 33.33 leaves the group a cent short. The fix is the largest-remainder method: round everyone down, then give the missing cents one at a time to the shares that lost the most. The result is 33.34, 33.33 and 33.33.
- Splitting tax evenly. It's tempting to itemize the food and then split tax and tip three ways. That still overcharges the light orderer; share them in proportion instead.
- Different tax rates. Where drinks and food are taxed differently, sharing the receipt's tax total in proportion is a close approximation, not exact.
- Coupons and discounts. Take a discount off the item it applies to before splitting. A discount on the whole bill can be spread by lowering every item by the same percentage.
Paying Each Other Back
Whoever pays the bill needs a list of who owes what. The bill splitter's Copy summary button copies the totals and each person's amount as plain text, ready to paste into a group chat or a payment app's note. Nothing is uploaded; the split is worked out in your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fairest way to split a restaurant bill?
Have each person pay for what they ordered, split shared dishes equally among the people who shared them, and give each person the same share of the tax and tip as their share of the food. An even split is simpler and fine when everyone ordered about the same.
How do I split the tax on a receipt?
In proportion to what each person ordered. Work out each person's fraction of the subtotal, then multiply the tax by it. Someone whose items are 40% of the subtotal pays 40% of the tax.
Should the tip be on the amount before or after tax?
It is a choice. Tipping on the pre-tax subtotal tips on the food and drink only; tipping on the total with tax gives a slightly larger tip. In the example on this page, 18% is 15.89 on the pre-tax subtotal and 17.29 on the subtotal plus tax.
Why don't our shares add up to the bill?
Because each share was rounded to the cent separately. Exact shares often end in fractions of a cent, and rounding each one can leave the group a cent or two over or under. Round everyone down to the cent, then hand out the missing cents one at a time to the shares that lost the most.
What if the receipt already includes a service charge?
Treat it like tax: share it in proportion to what each person ordered. If it is an automatic gratuity, check before adding a tip on top, or you may tip twice.
What if some items are taxed at a different rate?
Enter the tax total from the receipt as an amount. Sharing it in proportion to each person's items is then a close approximation, but not exact when, for example, drinks are taxed at a higher rate than food.