Do you tip on the entire amount or the pre-tax amount?
I'm worried I cheated our waiter this weekend.
We went out to dinner. Our bill was $200.24. Our sales tax rate is 9.25% so I doubled the tax and rounded up. I left a tip of $26 because the tax was $12 and change.
Now I wonder if alcohol is taxed differently at restaurants. We had 3 cocktails and a bottle of wine.
Whether you're supposed to do it or not, I tip on the entire amount. I will admit to being an over-tipper, especially to make the total round to the next dollar or whatever. I've waited tables before and I'm always trying to do my part to make up for an asshole customer who will stiff a server.
I think I usually tip on the pre-tax amount, but I almost always tip at least 20%, usually closer to 25%. If you tipped $26 on a $200 bill, I think you cheated your waiter
ETA.. nope, it's the entire bill. I was thinking about it wrong.
Post by awkwardpenguin on Jan 22, 2013 13:20:44 GMT -5
You shorted the waiter whether you were tipping on either the pre-tax or post-tax amount. 20% of pretax = $37.60. 20% of total = $40.
I usually tip 20% on the full amount, but I realize that's fairly generous. Technically tipping on pre-tax is fine, and tipping 18% is fine. Anything lower than that doesn't seem like enough to me.
I feel like I did too.. but in the past doubling my tax has always gotten me close to 20%, but usually my dinners out are closer to $50 and not $200. Doubling the tax is a lot easier than complicated math after a few drinks
I feel like I did too.. but in the past doubling my tax has always gotten me close to 20%, but usually my dinners out are closer to $50 and not $200. Doubling the tax is a lot easier than complicated math after a few drinks
20% is ridiculously easy to calculate.
Either take the total and divide by 5 or, if that is too hard, double the total and then move the decimal point one place to the left. That's just as easy as doubling the tax because like doubling the tax, you're just doubling things... but it doesn't shortchange the waiter.
I feel like I did too.. but in the past doubling my tax has always gotten me close to 20%, but usually my dinners out are closer to $50 and not $200. Doubling the tax is a lot easier than complicated math after a few drinks
Dude, it isn't complicated. Move the decimal one space to figure out what 10% is ($20 on $200) and then double that. Voila! $40! And then none gets cheated.
Post by jenni232323 on Jan 22, 2013 13:27:34 GMT -5
I don't know if my math is way off, but how is 9.25% tax $12? If your total was $200 less the $12 you say is tax your order was $188? So 9.25% on that would be around $17 tax?
We tip pre-tax (6.5%) - If our food was $100, bill would be $106.50 and I'd tip $20 for total of $126.50
I don't know if my math is way off, but how is 9.25% tax $12? If your total was $200 less the $12 you say is tax your order was $188? So 9.25% on that would be around $17 tax?
We tip pre-tax (6.5%) - If our food was $100, bill would be $106.50 and I'd tip $20 for total of $126.50
that's why I'm wondering if alcohol tax is calculated differently than food.
I feel like I did too.. but in the past doubling my tax has always gotten me close to 20%, but usually my dinners out are closer to $50 and not $200. Doubling the tax is a lot easier than complicated math after a few drinks
Well, if your total bill was $200, and the tax was $12 and change, your sales tax rate was not 9.25%. By my calculations, it was more like 6.4%. So don't double the tax to get your tip.
The math isn't complicated. Just take 10% of the total bill, which should be easy enough, it's just moving the decimal point, then double that amount.
Otherwise, you could always consult your smartphone, which I'm sure could help you out on the calculations.
I think technically you are supposed to tip on the pre-tax amount and the total before any discounts.
However, I think most people probably tip on the total bill, which includes tax.
I would have tipped more like $40 in your case, but I don't know if you technically broke any "rules" for tipping by tipping on the pre-tax amount.
(also, our tax is considerably lower and I spend considerably less usually, so I don't split hairs over a couple of dollars tax vs bill before tax. Since you paid almost $40 in tax I guess I can see the logic in tipping pre-tax, otherwise you'd be tipping $8 on what was actually tax and not food/drinks/service).
ETA just noticed you said tax was $12. That's obviously not 10% of your bill....
I typical tip on the total bill. I did go to lunch with 4 coworkers yesterday who just wanted to double the tax. Each of us was to put in $20, but they still wanted to get change from that $20 based on their "double the tax" calculation. I mentioned that we should just let it be because it was 20% that way, but they thought we were leaving too much tip. One of them asked me if I calculate my 20% tip on the pre tax or after tax amount and I said after tax. She said that's over tipping.
I tip on the post tax amount, though technically, I think pre-tax is fine. But even pre-tax, you shorted the server if you calculated 15% on pre-tax(which I would only give for average-at-best service, I usually go for closer to 20%).
Not saying it's right but I do what you do. Our tax is 5% so I times 4 and leave that, rounding up if I liked the server. Like you, math in my head - whether it's divide by 5 or move the decimal feels like too much work in my head when I know the tax rate and can start there. Just how my mind works. I can do a lot of things, but mention math and I'm lost
Not saying it's right but I do what you do. Our tax is 5% so I times 4 and leave that, rounding up if I liked the server. Like you, math in my head - whether it's divide by 5 or move the decimal feels like too much work in my head when I know the tax rate and can start there. Just how my mind works. I can do a lot of things, but mention math and I'm lost
I think that's totally suitable in your state, because it gets you to 20%.
If doubling the tax gets you to only 13%, you're doing something wrong.
The tax rate in my state is something like 8.75%. Therefore, doubling the tax is not a good way to get to a tip because that would only be a 17.5% tip, and I don't think that's enough. If I lived in a state where tax was 5%, 4x tax would be a great way to calculate a 20% tip.
I tip pretax because I thought that was standard and tax rates vary so much everywhere. Our town has intentionally set a high tax on meals to catch tourists coming through.
If my bill was $204 w/ $13 tax, I would tip $38-48 for good service.
Wow, I'm amazed at how difficult people find it to calculate 20%. I'm no Doogie Howser, but even I can calculate that shit.
Hey! Math is HARD for some of us!
I guess my point with the 5% times 4 was I guess I'm tipping on the pre-tax amount. I never thought about it before though because it's just easier.
My preference is they give me the PIN machine and it asks if I want to tip 20% so I don't have to do anything. How they figure that out is up to them. Probably after tax amount, but I really don't care because I didn't have to do math
Wow, I'm amazed at how difficult people find it to calculate 20%. I'm no Doogie Howser, but even I can calculate that shit.
Hey! Math is HARD for some of us!
I guess my point with the 5% times 4 was I guess I'm tipping on the pre-tax amount. I never thought about it before though because it's just easier.
My preference is they give me the PIN machine and it asks if I want to tip 20% so I don't have to do anything. How they figure that out is up to them. Probably after tax amount, but I really don't care because I didn't have to do math
Dude, I got a C in Algebra. I'm no math wizard. If they start throwing letters into the tipping calculation, I'm royally screwed.
Really, though, 10% - you just knock off the last number. $150? $15. $132? $13. Then double it for 20%. Easy peasy. Round up a bit to be nice
Post by shakeitout on Jan 22, 2013 13:53:28 GMT -5
We tip 20% always, unless it's a really good deal like a cheap lunch special or something. In that case, we tip more. If we have a groupon or something, we tip on the pre discounted amount.
Post by howardandbear on Jan 22, 2013 13:56:11 GMT -5
Alcohol in many restaurants includes the tax in the price of the drink. This makes it easier for quick bar service. So it looks to me like you just saw the tax from the food on your bill which is why you did in fact short the tip.