are you suppose to include sales tax when calulating tip?

[pennylane]

Originally posted by: Imported

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152

Originally posted by: Imported
Tip is tax times two.. thats how my friends and I figure out the tip.

that's not a very good way, unless you live in a state with high sales tax.

In answer to the question, technically no, you do not include sales tax when calculating the tip, but in most cases, it doesn't matter. Generally, 15% of the subtotal is the standard tip for decent service. If you want to show dissatisfaction, no less than 8-10%. Less than that means you should be walking out in disgust with the service. I average just under 20% where I work, which is by no means a fancy place. A generous tip will be 20-30%.

Tax around where I am varies from 7.5 and up.. so it's the easiest way for us to calculate 15%. I usually tip more than most of my friends though.. worked at a restuarant so I know how it is.

Same here. Tax tends to be 7.5-8.25% wherever I go. So I just double it. The friends usually say "that's close enough." But I try (ie, not all the time) to go over rather than be under.

 

[Lithium381]

Originally posted by: Imported

Originally posted by: Zugzwang152

Originally posted by: Imported
Tip is tax times two.. thats how my friends and I figure out the tip.

that's not a very good way, unless you live in a state with high sales tax.

In answer to the question, technically no, you do not include sales tax when calculating the tip, but in most cases, it doesn't matter. Generally, 15% of the subtotal is the standard tip for decent service. If you want to show dissatisfaction, no less than 8-10%. Less than that means you should be walking out in disgust with the service. I average just under 20% where I work, which is by no means a fancy place. A generous tip will be 20-30%.

Tax around where I am varies from 7.5 and up.. so it's the easiest way for us to calculate 15%. I usually tip more than most of my friends though.. worked at a restuarant so I know how it is.

yeah, we've got 8.25% tax here, i generally figure between 1.5 - 2x of tax.....works well enough

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Flash1969
Wow, it seems that everyone tips their waiter/waitress but I use to deliver pizza part time (for 3 years) and It is amazing that when I used my own vehicle and paid for my own gas in the process of delivering food I would get stiffed approxiamtely 30% of the time. Why is this?? Very annoying

Tip your pizza delivery drivers people!

Are you serious? I guess it depends on the area and place, but I got stiffed only maybe 3% of the time at my old place.

At the new place I work, people seem to tip crazy-mad-good, and so far, I think I've been stiffed once in my 6 driving shifts. It's a hip, trendy place, and not cheap at all. My best night so far was 42 runs, and after the 75 cent-per-delivery commission and tiping out the dishwasher $10, I brought home $164 cash (that doesn't include my hourly pay). I suspect that 50-run, $200 nights won't be uncommon on Friday and Saturday. The major thing that sucks is that they take orders until 3:30 AM, and after clean-up, checkout, and floding boxes, I might not get out of there until 5 AM or later. The bar rush there is CRAZY, for both drivers, and all the rest of the restaurant staff. It's not an easy place to drive for, but I feel like I'm finally making what I'm worth as a driver. Now I really can afford to work 2-3 nights per week while I go to school.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
Why do you even ask??? do you want EVERYONE to know what a cheapass you are??


sheesh, on a $100.00 bill, $6.00 tax (in NJ) and 15% of that = $.90

$.90 in tips you are asking about.

Uhhh... I think he meant 15% of 106 or 100... not 15% of the tax.

 

[fatkorean]

I usually tip based on the sales tax +/- based on actual service. Good service will warrent extra tip, probably equals to 20% or so tip.

Btw sales tax is 8.8% and a lot of my friends tip based on 2x sales tax.

-fk

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: boyRacer

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
Why do you even ask??? do you want EVERYONE to know what a cheapass you are??


sheesh, on a $100.00 bill, $6.00 tax (in NJ) and 15% of that = $.90

$.90 in tips you are asking about.

Uhhh... I think he meant 15% of 106 or 100... not 15% of the tax.

I KNOW what he meant.

and I'M Saying that THE DIFFERENCE between calculating WITH tax and WITHOUT tax is $.90.

God i hate dealing with stupid people.

 

[Flash1969]

Originally posted by: Thegonagle

Originally posted by: Flash1969
Wow, it seems that everyone tips their waiter/waitress but I use to deliver pizza part time (for 3 years) and It is amazing that when I used my own vehicle and paid for my own gas in the process of delivering food I would get stiffed approxiamtely 30% of the time. Why is this?? Very annoying

Tip your pizza delivery drivers people!

Are you serious? I guess it depends on the area and place, but I got stiffed only maybe 3% of the time at my old place.

At the new place I work, people seem to tip crazy-mad-good, and so far, I think I've been stiffed once in my 6 driving shifts. It's a hip, trendy place, and not cheap at all. My best night so far was 42 runs, and after the 75 cent-per-delivery commission and tiping out the dishwasher $10, I brought home $164 cash (that doesn't include my hourly pay). I suspect that 50-run, $200 nights won't be uncommon on Friday and Saturday. The major thing that sucks is that they take orders until 3:30 AM, and after clean-up, checkout, and floding boxes, I might not get out of there until 5 AM or later. The bar rush there is CRAZY, for both drivers, and all the rest of the restaurant staff. It's not an easy place to drive for, but I feel like I'm finally making what I'm worth as a driver. Now I really can afford to work 2-3 nights per week while I go to school.

Wow, I want to work where you work! And yes I am serious I worked for Pizza Hut and you are paid 50 cents per deilvery (used to be 75 cents but it was lowered on December 24th 2002 to 50 cents... YES, The scrooges at Pizza Hut lowered driver reimbursement on Christmas Eve!) before I quit a normal Friday or Saturday for me would consist of a 5-11 shift taking usually around 20 deliviries and making roughly $30 with the 50 cent per run reimbursement. All while racking up on average 100 miles a night on my vehicle.

Not worth it

 

[fatbaby]

I tip 10% of the pretax

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Why do we bother with this tipping bullshit? Why can't restaurants just pay their people their own damn selves?

Tipping directly leads to higher quality service. If waiters/waitresses were making $6 an hour with no tips, they wouldn't work nearly as hard to please you. It also helps to keep costs down, so that you don't have to pay more for your food. It averages out between the people that tip horribly and the people who tip very well right now. If there were no tips, everyone would have to pay the same increased prices.. you would have no way to use your dollars to vote for or against a particular waiter/waitress.

That's one thoery... however, I was in Austria not too long ago and the waiters there who get paid more, no tip, and go though a 2 year appentecship were outstanding.. Best servie I've ever had all business, professional with no silly small talk which I hate more than anything ...

 

[jonnyjack]

wow...didn't expect so many replies...thanks for the responses...

i have always just used the "double the tax" rule...it's 8.25% here in the sf bay area...

i was asking because my cousin just got married this last saturday and the restaurant charged gratuity on the total after tax. considering the total was around $20K that of course made a big difference.

my dad was telling me they weren't supposed to calculate the tip with the tax included, i had never heard that before so i was just asking what you guys did...

EDIT: oops,...i typed the wrong thing, i know they add gratuity automatically with a certain size. changed my post to match what i really meant to say. PlatinumGold has my original post quoted.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: jonnyjack
wow...didn't expect so many replies...thanks for the responses...

i have always just used the "double the tax" rule...it's 8.25% here in the sf bay area...

i was asking because my cousin just got married this last saturday and the restaurant charged gratuity on the total after tax. considering the total was around $20K that of course made a big difference.

my dad was telling me they weren't supposed to add it on themselves, i had never heard that before so i was just asking what you guys did...

most resturaunts that in know add tip if party is larger than certain size.

and yes, they take 15% of total bill including tax.

 

[zippy]

Tip is before tax. Tip is tax times two plus a little bit - that brings it to about 15. Though sometimes I just divide the subtotal by 4 and subtract a little - I'm always in that 15-20% range.

 

[billandopus]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Originally posted by: bill_n_opus
A good friend of mine had a saying:

Never tip on tax

However, I should say that pretty much anyone that's worked in the service industry tip more than the average layperson.

WTF not? Does it really make that much of a difference? I ALWAYS tip on the total, after tax. I'm not in the poor house yet.

Wow, i'm glad that you aren't in the poor house yet.

It's not about ability to pay - but it's about personal principle. Some people don't think it's right to tip on top of tax. Think about it.

Besides, I never said that I did that. I'm just saying that I know a guy that does - and I don't blame him.

If you're bringing your own personal view to the table that's fine - watch Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs in the beginning to expand your thinking a bit before spouting off stuff like wtf and that much of a difference within the tip context.