Tronc and tip split calculator
Share out a tip pool between your team by hours worked, or weight it by role with points. Every share is shown in pounds so the split is transparent for everyone.
Result
- Server A
- £328.77
- Server B
- £246.58
- Bartender
- £308.22
- Runner
- £205.48
- Chef
- £410.96
- Per hour, on average
- £10.27
Results are estimates for planning, based only on the figures you enter. They are not financial, tax or legal advice. The calculation runs in your browser and TablePort does not save the figures you enter.
Two common ways to split tips
By hours. Each person's share is their hours divided by the total hours worked, multiplied by the pool. Simple and easy to explain, and it treats every role equally.
By points. Each role gets a weighting (for example servers 1.0, bartenders 1.0, runners 0.7, kitchen 0.8) and each person earns points equal to hours × weighting. The pool is split by points. This lets you reflect role and responsibility while still rewarding time worked.
Whatever you choose, write it down, share it with the team and apply it consistently.
The UK rules on tips
The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 came into force on 1 October 2024. In short, employers in England, Scotland and Wales must:
- pass on all qualifying tips, gratuities and service charges to workers, with no deductions other than those required by law, such as tax;
- allocate tips fairly, having regard to the statutory Code of Practice on fair and transparent distribution of tips;
- pay tips out by the end of the month after the month the customer paid them;
- have a written tipping policy available to workers and keep records of how tips were handled for three years.
Workers can ask for information about how tips have been dealt with, and can bring a claim to an employment tribunal if the rules are broken.
Tronc and National Insurance
A tronc is an arrangement where a person other than the employer, the troncmaster, decides how tips are shared out. When a tronc is genuinely run independently of the employer, tips paid through it are usually free of National Insurance contributions, though income tax is still due through PAYE. HMRC's guidance on tips, gratuities and troncs (E24) sets out when this applies. Take advice from your accountant before setting one up.
This calculator works out shares. It is not legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a UK employer keep part of the tips?
- No. Since 1 October 2024, employers must pass on all qualifying tips, gratuities and service charges to workers without deductions, other than deductions required by law such as income tax.
- What is a tronc?
- A tronc is a separate arrangement for sharing tips that is run by a troncmaster rather than the employer. A properly independent tronc means tips are usually not subject to National Insurance, although income tax still applies through PAYE.
- Do kitchen staff get a share of tips?
- They can. The law requires a fair allocation and the Code of Practice lets employers include back-of-house staff. Many restaurants include the kitchen through a points system.
- When must tips be paid to staff?
- By the end of the month following the month in which the customer paid the tip.
- Do I need a written tipping policy?
- Yes, if tips are paid at your venue with any regularity. The policy must be written down and made available to workers.
Let the till do the maths.
TablePort reports sales, covers and tips from every order, and the stock module costs recipes against supplier prices, so these numbers stay current.