Split Bill Calculator
Free split bill calculator. Divide a restaurant check between any number of people, including tax and tip — even splits or custom amounts per person.
Quick answer
Total per person = (subtotal + tax + tip) ÷ number of people. For uneven splits, allocate each item to the person who ordered it, then add a proportional share of tax and tip on top. Tip on the pre-tax subtotal in tax-heavy states; tip on the total elsewhere — the difference is small but adds up at scale.
Split Bill Calculator
How it works
Divides the total bill (including tip) evenly across the number of people. Useful for restaurants, group trips, or any shared cost where everyone wants the math done in seconds without arguing over decimals.
When to use it
Use this whenever you're picking up the check and want to know what to Venmo-request from each person, or whenever your group is too tired to do mental math. Round up to the nearest dollar to keep things simple.
Common mistakes
Splitting evenly when one person ordered way more than the others. If someone got a $40 steak and you got a $12 salad, even-split is unfair — switch to itemized splitting or have the big spender contribute extra.
How the split bill calculator works
For an even split, the math is simple: subtotal × (1 + tax rate) × (1 + tip rate) ÷ number of people. The calculator handles two common scenarios — everyone pays the same, or each person pays for what they ordered with tax and tip distributed proportionally. The unequal split is the harder math: tax is usually proportional (Person A's share of tax = their pre-tax order ÷ group pre-tax × total tax). Tip is sometimes flat-per-person and sometimes proportional — pick one and apply it consistently to avoid arguments.
When to use it
Restaurants are the obvious case, but the same math works for splitting hotel rooms, vacation rentals, group gifts, and shared rideshares. For long-running shared expenses (housemates, road trips), use a settlement app like Splitwise — but for a single dinner, this calculator is faster than fumbling with apps.
Common mistakes
- Tipping on the post-tax total in high-tax states. Tipping 20% on a 10% sales tax inflates your tip by 2% of the bill. Most servers expect a tip on the pre-tax subtotal — this matches industry norms and saves you a few dollars per outing.
- Forgetting auto-gratuity on parties of 6+. Many restaurants add 18-20% gratuity automatically for large parties. Tipping on top of that on the assumption it's not included is double-tipping.
- Letting one person front the whole bill repeatedly. Even small balances build up. Use Venmo / Cash App / Zelle to settle within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How do you split a restaurant bill evenly?
Add the subtotal, sales tax, and tip together, then divide by the number of people. The calculator above shows per-person totals at common tip rates (15%, 18%, 20%, 25%) automatically.
Should I tip on the pre-tax or post-tax amount?
Industry standard in the U.S. is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal. Tipping on the post-tax total slightly over-rewards service in high-tax states. Either is acceptable — pre-tax is more common.
How do you split a bill when people ordered different amounts?
Sum each person's items separately, then distribute tax and tip proportionally to each person's pre-tax subtotal. The calculator's per-item mode handles this automatically.