Split the bill calculator
Enter the bill, tax, tip, and how many people are splitting to get the exact amount each person pays. Need everyone to pay for what they actually ordered instead? You can split the bill by item in Tab Tender free, with no sign-up and no download.
Not an even split?
If everyone ordered different things, an even split overcharges the people who had less. Scan the receipt and tap who had what. Tax and tip split proportionally, and everyone gets a pay link.
Split by item instead →Splitting by item? Skip the math entirely.
An even split overcharges whoever ordered less. In Tab Tender you can split the bill by item for free: start a tab, add the items, and tap who had what. Tax and tip split proportionally, and everyone gets a tap-to-pay link for Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and more. No sign-up and no download to start.
Want the receipt read for you? Receipt scanning and Toast or Square import are free with an account.
How to split a bill with tax and tip
To split a bill evenly, add the tax and tip to the subtotal, then divide the total by the number of people. The only judgement call is the tip: tipping on the pre-tax subtotal is the usual etiquette, since you're tipping on the food and service rather than the sales tax. Rounding each share up to the nearest dollar avoids messy change and leaves the person collecting a small buffer.
Even split vs. splitting by item
An even split is quick and fine when everyone ordered roughly the same. But when one person had a steak and a cocktail and another had a salad and water, an even split quietly overcharges the lighter orders. The fairer method is to assign each item to whoever had it and split tax and tip in proportion to each person's subtotal, so everyone pays their real share. That is exactly what Tab Tender works out for you when you split the bill by item, free and with no sign-up.
See how receipt splitting works →Frequently asked questions
- How do you split a bill with tax and tip?
- Add the tax and tip to the subtotal to get the bill total, then divide by the number of people for an even split. To be fair when people ordered different amounts, split each person's items and spread tax and tip in proportion to what they ordered.
- Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
- Tipping on the pre-tax subtotal is the common etiquette — you're tipping on the food and service, not the sales tax. Tipping on the total is also fine and slightly more generous. The calculator lets you choose.
- How do you split a bill evenly?
- Add the subtotal, tax, and tip to get the total, then divide by the number of people. Rounding each share up to the nearest dollar gives the person collecting a small buffer and avoids odd change.
- What's the fairest way to split a bill when everyone ordered different things?
- An even split overcharges whoever ordered less. The fairest method is to assign each item to whoever had it and split tax and tip in proportion to each person's subtotal. Tab Tender does this automatically when you scan the receipt and tap who had what.
- Can I split the bill by item without signing up?
- Yes. Start a tab in Tab Tender as a guest with no sign-up and no download, add the items, and tap who had what. Tax and tip split proportionally and everyone gets a pay link. Only receipt scanning and Toast or Square auto-import need a free account.
Related: how to calculate who owes what, splitting tax and tip fairly, and splitting an itemized restaurant bill.
Explore the guides
Deeper how-tos on splitting fairly, grouped by topic.