How do you split a bill when everybody ordered something different?

Line by line, which is what this page does. Put the people on the top field, then write one line for each item: a description, the price, then whoever is on it, as in Pasta 18.00 Ava. The worked example is a 82.00 receipt where Ava had pasta at 18.00, Ben had steak at 32.00, Cal had a salad at 14.00 and the 18.00 wine was shared by Ava and Cal. With 7% tax and a 20% tip that comes to 34.29 for Ava, 40.64 for Ben and 29.21 for Cal, and those three add up to the 104.14 on the bill.

How should the tax and the tip be split?

In proportion to what each person ordered, which is what this page does and what the page says next to the result. On the 82.00 example the 5.74 of tax and the 16.40 tip are shared by each person's own items, so Ben, whose steak was 32.00 of the 82.00, carries more of both than Cal, whose salad and half of the wine came to 23.00. Every cent is placed: when a proportional share lands between cents, the leftover cents go one at a time to the largest remainders, so the three tax shares add back to the 5.74 exactly rather than to a cent less.

How do you split a bill that does not divide evenly?

One person takes the odd cent, and the page says so rather than rounding it away. A 10.00 item split three ways is 3.3333 each, which cannot be paid, so the shares come out as 3.34, 3.33 and 3.33 and still add to 10.00. On a receipt with several lines the extra cent starts with a different person on each line, so across a long bill it evens out. That is also why the shares always add back to the total on this page: nothing is rounded up or down on the way.

Do you tip on the amount before tax or after tax?

Both are in use, so the page asks and shows which was used. Tip taken on the subtotal is the default: on the example receipt a 20% tip is 16.40 and the bill comes to 104.14. Switch it to the subtotal plus tax and the same 20% is worked on 87.74 rather than 82.00, which is 17.55 and a total of 105.29. The difference is the tip you pay on the tax itself. Enter the tip as a flat amount instead and the base makes no difference, because the amount is the amount.

How do I share one item between two people?

Name them both after the price, separated by a comma: Wine 18.00 Ava, Cal. That item is then split between those two only, 9.00 each, and nobody else pays any part of it, including its share of the tax and the tip. Names can also follow the word for, as in Wine 18.00 for Ava, Cal. An item with nobody named after the price is shared by everyone on the bill, which is the right default for bread, sides and a table charge.

Can I split a bill evenly without typing out the items?

Yes. Type the number of people instead of their names, so 3 rather than Ava, Ben, Cal, and write one line with the whole amount on it, such as Table 10.00. With nobody named on that line it is shared by everyone, and the result is the even split with the odd cent placed: 3.34, 3.33 and 3.33. You can also mix the two: keep the numbered people and name them by position, so Cake 6.00 for 2, 3 puts the cake on the second and third person only.

What happens if I type something the page cannot read?

It says which line and what to write instead, and it changes nothing else. A line with no price names the line and shows the format. A price with three decimal places is refused rather than quietly rounded, because the arithmetic here is in whole cents. A name that is not on the bill is refused with the names listed, so a typo does not silently charge everyone. Prices go up to 1,000,000.00, a bill holds up to 200 lines and 40 people, and each limit says so when it is reached.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The receipt is read and added up in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere and nothing about the bill reaches a server. Your people, items, tax and tip are remembered in your own browser storage so the page reopens where you left it, and clearing your browsing data clears them. The Copy button puts the whole split on your clipboard as plain text, with each person's items, tax and tip, so it can go straight into a message to the table.

Can I share a household or utility bill between two or more people?

For an equal split of a supplied amount, enter the people and one item line such as Utilities 100.00 with no names after it. Leave tax and tip blank unless they are part of your bill. It does not read meter usage, calculate utility charges or split according to income.

Can it split by income, custom percentages or a discount?

No. Item participants decide each item's share, and tax and tip follow the resulting item amounts. There are no income weights, custom percentage shares or discount field; negative item prices are refused.

Can I use it on an iPhone and copy the split?

Use the page in an iPhone browser and choose Copy to put the plain-text split on the clipboard. Your draft is remembered in that browser's storage. It does not use the native Calculator app or synchronize the bill across people's phones.

Bill Split Calculator

Enter people and receipt items, naming who shares each item, or use one total for an equal split. Add tax and tip as amounts or percentages to see each person's items, charges and total with every cent allocated.

receipt4 lines

People

split3 people

3 peopleTax 7%Tip 20%

Ava   Pasta 18.00   Wine 9.00 of 18.00
Ben   Steak 32.00
Cal   Salad 14.00   Wine 9.00 of 18.00

subtotal  82.00
tax       5.74   7% of 82.00
tip       16.40   20% of 82.00

Ava 34.29   Ben 40.64   Cal 29.21
total     104.14

Subtotal

82.00

Tax

5.74

Tip

16.40

Total

104.14

Tip taken on

AvaPasta 18.00, Wine 9.00 of 18.00, plus 1.89 tax and 5.40 tip
34.29
BenSteak 32.00, plus 2.24 tax and 6.40 tip
40.64
CalSalad 14.00, Wine 9.00 of 18.00, plus 1.61 tax and 4.60 tip
29.21

Tax and tip are shared in proportion to each person's items, with any odd cents given out one at a time (largest remainder).

Accuracy. Exact arithmetic in whole cents, and the shares always add back to the total: tax and tip are shared in proportion to what each person ordered, and any odd remaining cents are handed out one at a time rather than rounded away.

How to write the receipt

One item a line: what it was, the price, then the people on it. Names can follow the price or come after "for", so both Wine 18.00 Ava, Cal and Wine 18.00 for Ava, Cal work, and an item with nobody named is shared by everyone. Type a plain number in the People field instead of names and the bill is split between that many numbered people. Tax and tip each take an amount like 5.74 or a rate like 7%, and the rate is worked on the subtotal, or on the subtotal plus tax when you ask for that above.

Common questions

How do you split a bill when everybody ordered something different?: Line by line, which is what this page does. Put the people on the top field, then write one line for each item: a description, the price, then whoever is on it, as in Pasta 18.00 Ava. The worked example is a 82.00 receipt where Ava had pasta at 18.00, Ben had steak at 32.00, Cal had a salad at 14.00 and the 18.00 wine was shared by Ava and Cal. With 7% tax and a 20% tip that comes to 34.29 for Ava, 40.64 for Ben and 29.21 for Cal, and those three add up to the 104.14 on the bill.
How should the tax and the tip be split?: In proportion to what each person ordered, which is what this page does and what the page says next to the result. On the 82.00 example the 5.74 of tax and the 16.40 tip are shared by each person's own items, so Ben, whose steak was 32.00 of the 82.00, carries more of both than Cal, whose salad and half of the wine came to 23.00. Every cent is placed: when a proportional share lands between cents, the leftover cents go one at a time to the largest remainders, so the three tax shares add back to the 5.74 exactly rather than to a cent less.
How do you split a bill that does not divide evenly?: One person takes the odd cent, and the page says so rather than rounding it away. A 10.00 item split three ways is 3.3333 each, which cannot be paid, so the shares come out as 3.34, 3.33 and 3.33 and still add to 10.00. On a receipt with several lines the extra cent starts with a different person on each line, so across a long bill it evens out. That is also why the shares always add back to the total on this page: nothing is rounded up or down on the way.
Do you tip on the amount before tax or after tax?: Both are in use, so the page asks and shows which was used. Tip taken on the subtotal is the default: on the example receipt a 20% tip is 16.40 and the bill comes to 104.14. Switch it to the subtotal plus tax and the same 20% is worked on 87.74 rather than 82.00, which is 17.55 and a total of 105.29. The difference is the tip you pay on the tax itself. Enter the tip as a flat amount instead and the base makes no difference, because the amount is the amount.
How do I share one item between two people?: Name them both after the price, separated by a comma: Wine 18.00 Ava, Cal. That item is then split between those two only, 9.00 each, and nobody else pays any part of it, including its share of the tax and the tip. Names can also follow the word for, as in Wine 18.00 for Ava, Cal. An item with nobody named after the price is shared by everyone on the bill, which is the right default for bread, sides and a table charge.
Can I split a bill evenly without typing out the items?: Yes. Type the number of people instead of their names, so 3 rather than Ava, Ben, Cal, and write one line with the whole amount on it, such as Table 10.00. With nobody named on that line it is shared by everyone, and the result is the even split with the odd cent placed: 3.34, 3.33 and 3.33. You can also mix the two: keep the numbered people and name them by position, so Cake 6.00 for 2, 3 puts the cake on the second and third person only.
What happens if I type something the page cannot read?: It says which line and what to write instead, and it changes nothing else. A line with no price names the line and shows the format. A price with three decimal places is refused rather than quietly rounded, because the arithmetic here is in whole cents. A name that is not on the bill is refused with the names listed, so a typo does not silently charge everyone. Prices go up to 1,000,000.00, a bill holds up to 200 lines and 40 people, and each limit says so when it is reached.
Is anything uploaded?: No. The receipt is read and added up in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere and nothing about the bill reaches a server. Your people, items, tax and tip are remembered in your own browser storage so the page reopens where you left it, and clearing your browsing data clears them. The Copy button puts the whole split on your clipboard as plain text, with each person's items, tax and tip, so it can go straight into a message to the table.
Can I share a household or utility bill between two or more people?: For an equal split of a supplied amount, enter the people and one item line such as Utilities 100.00 with no names after it. Leave tax and tip blank unless they are part of your bill. It does not read meter usage, calculate utility charges or split according to income.
Can it split by income, custom percentages or a discount?: No. Item participants decide each item's share, and tax and tip follow the resulting item amounts. There are no income weights, custom percentage shares or discount field; negative item prices are refused.
Can I use it on an iPhone and copy the split?: Use the page in an iPhone browser and choose Copy to put the plain-text split on the clipboard. Your draft is remembered in that browser's storage. It does not use the native Calculator app or synchronize the bill across people's phones.

Exact arithmetic in whole cents, and the shares always add back to the total: tax and tip are shared in proportion to what each person ordered, and any odd remaining cents are handed out one at a time rather than rounded away.