The truth about tipping

December 6, 2005 | George

[Not A Snowbird]

Okay, I have a question.

My daughter works at Subway, where they have a tip jar on the counter. It never occured to me to tip the guy making my sandwich until she mentioned how much she made in tips one night. Frankly I think it's silly.

But anyway, I told her that she needs to keep track of her tips because they are considered to be taxable income. She told me I was full of it. She asked her fellow employees (who are under 18 and probably don't know didly about the IRS) and they told her the tips weren't taxable income.

Who's right?

[chudogg]

Of course, that is always they case. They were part of the racket themselves!

[wideminded]

Sounds like a sadist.

[BlueStateDepression]

You consider a table cleaned, and cleaned in a swift manner so you don't have to wait to be "part of the bill,"

Absolutely and here is why. The health department says it HAS to be clean and they benefit it being done swiftly because they get to seat me before I get tired of waiting and go elsewhere. Artifical it is not.

As you notice many food places see you take your own food to the table and even see you fill your own cup. The meal doesn't cost you any less now does it? The booths still have to be clean Eh?

why does it bother you if they all share in your gratuity?

Where to start??? I tip who I want to tip, others do not decide who my tip goes to. BIG difference there!! Busboys and cooks and dishwashers are not paid 2.13 an hour, I know I wasn't, and I know my brother isn't today. Oh yeah you forgot that I should be extra happy that my fork and knife was clean right?

The real question here is why are cooks and busboys relying on the presentation of the waitress for their pay?

Tip share is a racket. It is a way for them to get you, the customer, to pay an even greater share of their overhead than youpay for the meal itself. Tip share will see the act of tipping fall off as people understand what happens to their tips.

[Labyrinthos]

I've heard from a number of people that Ron Kuby -- the radical Marxist lawyer who does a morning radio show with Curtis Sliwa on WABC in New York -- is regarded by many of the station employees at the station as the most decent human being they've ever met.

I once met Ron Kuby at a bar while waiting for a train, and after speaking with him for a half-an-hour, I left thinking that he's one of the nicest, most honest, and generous people you will ever meet despite our obvious political and philosophical differences. I listen to him and Curtis almost every morning, and next to Mark Levin, Kuby is probably the smartest and most intellectually honest person on talk radio today. (He is also pro-Second Amendment.)

[Coffee_drinker]

Sorry but tips are considered taxable income.

[HEY4QDEMS]

No, but I used to play against Dougy Sulliman. I was from Bridgeport in Glace Bay, If I remember correctly he played for St. Anthony's (The Bay still has public schools named after saints).

Our team wasn't very good, it probably improved after I quit.

[absolootezer0]

it won't hurt the business as much as pooling would. pooling allows those who are less than average make as much as everyone else, that lower class of serice will infuriate customers, and cause other employees to work to the same standards as the least productive employee- that or the good ones will quit. either way, pooling is a long term hurt, where a lousy server is only a short term hurt.

[saveliberty]

You are.

[Atlas Sneezed]

My crass rule of thumb is: 20% if I plan to return, or if it was very good service or a very high end meal with adequate service, and 15% if not.

A recent experience at a steakhouse with old-school formality: after our group of 8 tipped the automatically included 18% gratuity, the headwaiter cam around and in various ways to each of us reminded us that the 18% ($100 tip for a 90-minute pre-theater meal that freed up the table by 7:40) did not cover his services.

I don't plan to return, and didn't cough up any more dough.

[saveliberty]

All income is reportable. Tips are explicitly stated as taxable income right on the form.

[saveliberty]

Oh, that was bad form on his part

[Lawgvr1955]

Like Vinnie Antonlini I believe in over-tipping.

Agreed. Its not how much you tip, its how much you over tip. I generally overtip in places I frequent and generally get treated like royalty. I figure the few extra bucks are just a small investment.

I loved it when Vinnie tried to tip the FBI agents.

[Alberta's Child]

Good old Doug Sulliman -- one of the unheralded players from those early Devils teams from the "Mickey Mouse team" era of the 1980s.

[Retired COB]

TIPS (TO INSURE PROPER SERVICE) were 10% in my youth if the service was satisfactory...a penny was left if it wasn't. Now folks want me to tip 15 or 20 percent because the wait staff needs it because the cost of living has gone up.

I've got news for them. The cost of a meal has also gone up, so when you give a 10% tip it's already indexed for inflation.

[cmsgop]

I Tip Everybody, Even in Take Out Joints. I tend to be a little picky when I order out sometimes. When I had a Used Car Checked out for me, they said No Charge,So I bought them all Pizzas the next day. All of my Local restaurants know me by name and they never screw up my order. At my Mechanic when I need my car back soon he bumps people for me, this service I love.

[Tunehead54]

Take a carrot or two for the horse (points with the lady), 2 fives for the coachman - if its a good ride give him/her both (15%) if not, just one. If she doesn't want to feed the horse a carrot she's not female. BTW - break the carrot into 2 or 3 pieces and keep your fingers out straight with the carrot in your/her palm and ask the driver first.

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Good luck! ;-)

[Coffee_drinker]

"I've got news for them. The cost of a meal has also gone up, so when you give a 10% tip it's already indexed for inflation.

Not to change the subject, but what about real estate agents that get paid 6-7% for the sale of a home? Wow talk about adjusted for inflation!

ok back to tipping.... :0

[txdoda]

Where to start??? I tip who I want to tip, others do not decide who my tip goes to. BIG difference there!! Busboys and cooks and dishwashers are not paid 2.13 an hour, I know I wasn't, and I know my brother isn't today.

*Some* employers are indeed using this 'tip share' scam to pay dishwashers, BB's, etc. all 2.13 per hr. (saves employers from having to pay min. wage to them.)

My kid was informed she would 'tip share' with all including the dishwasher, who was paid the same 2.13, didn't speak English, NEVER saw any customers.

The *employers only* love this 'tip share' scam, why pay min. wage when you can FORCE the food servers to *share* tips ???

[BlueStateDepression]

"but what about real estate agents that get paid 6-7% for the sale of a home"

Contractors all need a tip share....the tax man needs a tip share...the housing authority needs a tip share, local municipalities need a tip share, LOL