About the Bill Split Calculator
This bill split calculator works out exactly what each person owes when a group shares a restaurant check, a takeaway order, a cab or any shared purchase. Enter the bill, the sales tax and the tip you want to leave, then choose to split it evenly or by what each person actually ordered.
In itemized mode, list each person’s subtotal and the calculator shares tax and tip in proportion to what they ordered, so the person who had a salad does not subsidise the steak. Turn on round-up to get a tidy whole-dollar amount per person and see how much extra goes to the server.
Tip can be calculated on the pre-tax subtotal (the usual etiquette in the US) or on the total including tax. If your bill already shows tax included, just leave the tax rate at zero.
With the default inputs, the each person pays is $35.40. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the bill split calculator
- 1Choose an even split or split by what each person ordered.
- 2Enter the bill subtotal and number of people, or each person’s own subtotal.
- 3Add the sales-tax rate if tax is not already on the bill.
- 4Set the tip percentage and whether it is based on the pre-tax amount.
- 5Turn on round-up if you want whole-dollar amounts, then read each share.
Formula and method
S is the pre-tax subtotal, t the sales-tax rate and p the tip rate. The tip base B is either the subtotal or the subtotal plus tax, depending on your choice. The grand total is the subtotal plus tax plus tip, and an even split simply divides it by the number of people N.
For an itemized split, each person’s subtotal sᵢ is scaled up by the same factor (Total ÷ S), which shares tax and tip in proportion to what each person ordered. With round-up on, each share is rounded up to the next whole dollar and the difference is shown as extra tip.
- S
- Bill subtotal before tax and tip
- t
- Sales-tax rate
- p
- Tip rate
- B
- Amount the tip is calculated on
- N
- Number of people
Worked examples
$150 dinner for 5 with an 18% tip
An 18% tip on $150 is $27, making the bill $177. Split five ways, each person pays $35.40, of which $5.40 is tip.
NYC dinner: $240, 8.875% tax, 20% tip, 4 people, rounded up
Tax is $21.30 and a 20% tip on the pre-tax $240 is $48, for a $309.30 total, or $77.33 each. Rounding each share up to $78 collects $312 and leaves an extra $2.70 for the server.
Itemized split with 8% tax and 20% tip
Four orders total $160. Tax adds $12.80 and a 20% tip adds $32, so the bill is $204.80 — 28% more than the food. Each person pays their own order × 1.28: $53.76, $44.80, $36.48 and $69.76.
Frequently asked questions
Should the tip be calculated before or after tax?+
Etiquette guides in the US generally say to tip on the pre-tax subtotal, since tax is not part of the service. Tipping on the total is more generous and simpler; the difference is usually small.
What is the fairest way to split a bill?+
If everyone ordered similar amounts, an even split is quick and fair. When orders differ a lot, split by what each person ordered and share tax and tip proportionally — that is what itemized mode does.
How do I split shared appetizers or a bottle of wine?+
Divide the shared item’s price by the number of people who had it and add that amount to each of their subtotals before entering them in itemized mode.
How much should I tip in a restaurant?+
In the US, 15%–20% of the pre-tax bill is standard for table service, with 20% or more for excellent service. Customs differ abroad — in many countries service is included or tips are smaller.
What if the bill already includes a service charge?+
Set the tip to 0% (or a small extra amount) and enter the bill including the service charge as the subtotal, so you do not tip twice on the same service.