Hospitality · United States and United Kingdom
Tip pool calculator and tip-out sheet
Split a tip pool by hours, points or both, and print a tip-out sheet as a PDF or an Excel file. The United Kingdom view also writes a tipping policy and a monthly tips record.
- No sign-up
- Nothing is uploaded: it is made in your browser
- No watermark
Splitting tips fairly
Enter the tip pool, choose whether to share it by hours, by points or by hours multiplied by points, and add each person. Papertern works out every share to the cent or penny so the total always equals the pool, and makes a printable tip-out sheet as a PDF or an Excel file. Everything is made in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Questions
How is the pool split?
By hours, by points, or by hours multiplied by points. Each person gets the pool times their weight divided by everyone's total weight. Amounts are worked out in whole cents or pence, and any odd cents go one at a time to the people with the largest remainders, so the shares always add up to the pool exactly.
Can managers share in a tip pool in the US?
Under the federal rule (dol.gov), an employer may not keep any part of employees' tips and may not let managers or supervisors receive tips from a pool. A manager may keep only tips they receive directly for service they directly and solely provide. Papertern flags any row you mark as a manager or supervisor. State rules can be stricter and have not been checked here, so check your state's rules.
Who can be in a US tip pool?
Where the employer takes a tip credit, the pool is limited to employees who customarily and regularly receive tips. Where the employer pays the full minimum wage, back-of-house staff may be included. This is general information from dol.gov, not legal advice.
What must a UK employer do with tips?
Pass on all tips to workers with no deductions other than usual tax and National Insurance, share them fairly and transparently following the statutory Code of Practice, and pay them out no later than the end of the month after the month the customer paid the tip (Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023; Acas).
When does a UK business need a written tipping policy?
Where tips are paid more than "occasionally or exceptionally" and the employer has control or significant influence over them. Acas says the policy covers whether the employer requires or encourages customers to pay tips or service charges, and how it makes sure tips are dealt with and shared out fairly. The Code of Practice adds how tips are accepted, how they are allocated and distributed, and the steps taken to keep the process fair and open.
How long do I keep tips records in the UK?
For 3 years from when the tips were paid. The record shows the amount of tips received, the amount paid to workers, and the amount arranged for a troncmaster to allocate. A worker can ask for the records once every three months, and the employer must supply them within 4 weeks.
What is the consultation record and the review date?
A new law, section 14 of the Employment Rights Act 2025, will require an employer to consult workers (through union or worker representatives, or directly where there are none) before producing the first written tipping policy, to review the policy at least every three years, and to make an anonymised summary of the views available to all workers at the place of business. These duties are not yet required by law. The UK government says they are expected to take effect by the end of 2026 and has not given a date. Papertern prints the consultation record and a "Next review due by" date, the day before the third anniversary of the policy date, so you are ready.
Is this legal advice?
No. Papertern gives general information only. Check the official sources, and your own situation, before you rely on it.