Publication 531 - Main Content

Table of Contents

Keeping a Daily Tip Record

Why keep a daily tip record.   You must keep a daily tip record so you can:

  • Report your tips accurately to your employer,

  • Report your tips accurately on your tax return, and

  • Prove your tip income if your return is ever questioned.

How to keep a daily tip record.   There are two ways to keep a daily tip record. You can either:

  • Write information about your tips in a tip diary, or

  • Keep copies of documents that show your tips, such as restaurant bills and credit or debit card charge slips.

You should keep your daily tip record with your tax or other personal records. You must keep your records for as long as they are important for administration of the federal tax law. For information on how long to keep records, see How Long to Keep Records in chapter 1 of Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.

   If you keep a tip diary, you can use Form 4070A, Employee's Daily Record of Tips. To get Form 4070A, ask the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or your employer for Publication 1244, Employee's Daily Record of Tips and Report to Employer. Publication 1244 is also available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1244. Publication 1244 includes a 1-year supply of Form 4070A. Each day, write in the information asked for on the form. A filled-in Form 4070A is shown on this page.

  In addition to the information asked for on Form 4070A, you also need to keep a record of the date and value of any noncash tips you get, such as tickets, passes, or other items of value. Although you do not report these tips to your employer, you must report them on your tax return. 
 
 
 
 

Sample Filled-in Form 4070A from Publication 1244
Please click here for the text description of the image.

Sample Filled-in Form 4070A from Publication 1244

  If you do not use Form 4070A, start your records by writing your name, your employer's name, and the name of the business (if it is different from your employer's name). Then, each workday, write the date and the following information.

  • Cash tips you get directly from customers or from other employees.

  • Tips from credit and debit card charge customers that your employer pays you.

  • The value of any noncash tips you get, such as tickets, passes, or other items of value.

  • The amount of tips you paid out to other employees through tip pools or tip splitting, or other arrangements, and the names of the employees to whom you paid the tips.

Electronic tip record.   You can use an electronic system provided by your employer to record your daily tips. If you do, you must receive and keep a paper copy of this record.

Service charges.    Do not write in your tip diary the amount of any service charge that your employer adds to a customer's bill and then pays to you and treats as wages. This is part of your wages, not a tip. See examples below.

Example 1.   Good Food Restaurant adds an 18% charge to the bill for parties of 6 or more customers. Jane's bill for food and beverages for her party of 8 includes an amount on the tip line equal to 18% of the charges for food and beverages, and the total includes this amount. Because Jane did not have an unrestricted right to determine the amount on the “tip line,” the 18% charge is considered a service charge. Do not include the 18% charge in your tip diary. Service charges that are paid to you are considered wages, not tips.

Example 2.   Good Food Restaurant includes sample calculations of tip amounts at the bottom of its bills for food and beverages provided to customers. David's bill includes a blank “tip line,” with sample tip calculations of 15%, 18%, and 20% of the charges for food and beverages at the bottom of the bill beneath the signature line. Because David is free to enter any amount on the “tip line” or leave it blank, any amount he includes is considered a tip. Be sure to include this amount in your tip diary.

Sample Filled-in Form 4070 from Publication 1244

Sample Filled-in Form 4070 from Publication 1244
Please click here for the text description of the image.

Filled-in Form 4070

Reporting Tips to Your Employer

Why report tips to your employer.   You must report tips to your employer so that:

  • Your employer can withhold federal income tax and social security and Medicare taxes or railroad retirement tax,

  • Your employer can report the correct amount of your earnings to the Social Security Administration or Railroad Retirement Board (which affects your benefits when you retire or if you become disabled, or your family's benefits if you die), and

  • You can avoid the penalty for not reporting tips to your employer (explained later).

What tips to report.   Report to your employer only cash, check, and debit and credit card tips you receive.

  If your total tips for any 1 month from any one job are less than $20, do not report the tips for that month to that employer.

  If you participate in a tip-splitting or tip-pooling arrangement, report only the tips you receive and retain. Do not report to your employer any portion of the tips you receive that you pass on to other employees. However, you must report tips you receive from other employees.

  Do not report the value of any noncash tips, such as tickets or passes, to your employer. You do not pay social security and Medicare taxes or railroad retirement tax on these tips.

How to report.   If your employer does not give you any other way to report your tips, you can use Form 4070, Employee's Report of Tips to Employer. Fill in the information asked for on the form, sign and date the form, and give it to your employer. A sample filled-in Form 4070 is shown earlier. To get a 1-year supply of the form, ask the IRS or your employer for Publication 1244.

  If you do not use Form 4070, give your employer a statement with the following information.

  • Your name, address, and social security number.

  • Your employer's name, address, and business name (if it is different from your employer's name).

  • The month (or the dates of any shorter period) in which you received tips.

  • The total tips required to be reported for that period.

You must sign and date the statement. Be sure to keep a copy with your tax or other personal records.

  Your employer may require you to report your tips more than once a month. However, the statement cannot cover a period of more than 1 calendar month.

Electronic tip statement.   Your employer can have you furnish your tip statements electronically.

When to report.   Give your report for each month to your employer by the 10th of the next month. If the 10th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, give your employer the report by the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.

Example 1.

You must report your tips received in October 2012 by November 13, 2012. November 10 is a Saturday, and the 13th is the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.

Example 2.

You must report your tips received in September 2012 by October 10, 2012.

Final report.   If your employment ends during the month, you can report your tips when your employment ends.

Penalty for not reporting tips.   If you do not report tips to your employer as required, you may be subject to a penalty equal to 50% of the social security and Medicare taxes or railroad retirement tax you owe on the unreported tips. (For information about these taxes, see Reporting social security and Medicare taxes on tips not reported to your employer under Reporting Tips on Your Tax Return, later.) The penalty amount is in addition to the taxes you owe.

  You can avoid this penalty if you can show reasonable cause for not reporting the tips to your employer. To do so, attach a statement to your return explaining why you did not report them.

Giving your employer money for taxes.   Your regular pay may not be enough for your employer to withhold all the taxes you owe on your regular pay plus your reported tips. If this happens, you can give your employer money until the close of the calendar year to pay the rest of the taxes.

  If you do not give your employer enough money, your employer will apply your regular pay and any money you give to the taxes, in the following order.

  1. All taxes on your regular pay.

  2. Social security and Medicare taxes or railroad retirement tax on your reported tips.

  3. Federal, state, and local income taxes on your reported tips.

   Any taxes that remain unpaid can be collected by your employer from your next paycheck. If withholding taxes remain uncollected at the end of the year, you may be subject to a penalty for underpayment of estimated taxes. See Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, for more information.

  
Uncollected taxes. You must report on your tax return any social security and Medicare taxes or railroad retirement tax that remained uncollected at the end of 2011. These uncollected taxes will be shown on your 2011 Form W-2. See Reporting uncollected social security and Medicare taxes on tips reported to your employer under Reporting Tips on Your Tax Return, later.

Tip Rate Determination and Education Program

Your employer may participate in the Tip Rate Determination and Education Program. The program was developed to help employees and employers understand and meet their tip reporting responsibilities.

There are two agreements under the program: the Tip Rate Determination Agreement (TRDA) and the Tip Reporting Alternative Commitment (TRAC). In addition, under the EmTRAC Agreement program, employers in the food and beverage industry may be able to design and receive approval for their own TRAC programs. For information on the EmTRAC program, see Notice 2001-1, which is on page 261 of Internal Revenue Bulletin 2001-2 at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb01-02.pdf.

If you are employed in the gaming industry, your employer may participate in the Gaming Industry Tip Compliance Agreement Program. See Revenue Procedure 2007-32, 2007-22 I.R.B. 1322, available at www.irs.gov/irb/2007-22_IRB/ar13.html.

Your employer can provide you with a copy of any applicable agreement. To find out more about these agreements, visit IRS.gov and enter “restaurant tip reporting” in the search box. You may also call 1-800-829-4933, visit www.irs.gov/localcontacts for the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in your area, or send an email to Tip.Program@irs.gov and request information on this program.

Reporting Tips on Your Tax Return

How to report tips.   Report your tips with your wages on Form 1040, line 7; Form 1040A, line 7; Form 1040EZ, line 1; Form 1040NR, line 8; or Form 1040NR-EZ, line 3.

What tips to report.   Generally, you must report all tips you received in 2011 on your tax return, including both cash tips and noncash tips. Any tips you reported to your employer as required in 2011 are included in the wages shown in box 1 of your Form W-2. Add to the amount in box 1 only the tips you did not report to your employer.

  However, any tips you received in 2011 that you reported to your employer as required after 2011 but before January 11, 2012, are not included in the wages shown in box 1 of your 2011 Form W-2. Do not include the amount of these tips on your 2011 tax return. Instead, include them on your 2012 tax return. Tips you received in 2010 that you reported to your employer as required after 2010 but before January 11, 2011, are included in the wages shown in box 1 of your 2011 Form W-2. Although these tips were received in 2010, you must report them on your 2011 tax return.

  If you participate in a tip-splitting or tip-pooling arrangement, report only the tips you receive and retain. Do not report on your income tax return any portion of the tips you receive that you pass on to other employees. However, you must report tips you receive from other employees.

  
If you received $20 or more in cash and charge tips in a month and did not report all of those tips to your employer, see Reporting social security and Medicare taxes on tips not reported to your employer, later.

  
If you did not keep a daily tip record as required and an amount is shown in box 8 of your Form W-2, see Allocated Tips, later.

  If you kept a daily tip record and reported tips to your employer as required under the rules explained earlier, add the following tips to the amount in box 1 of your Form W-2.

  • Cash and charge tips you received that totaled less than $20 for any month.

  • The value of noncash tips, such as tickets, passes, or other items of value.

Example.

Ben Smith began working at the Blue Ocean Restaurant (his only employer in 2011) on June 30 and received $10,000 in wages during the year. Ben kept a daily tip record showing that his tips for June were $18 and his tips for the rest of the year totaled $7,000. He was not required to report his June tips to his employer, but he reported all of the rest of his tips to his employer as required.

Ben's Form W-2 from Blue Ocean Restaurant shows $17,000 ($10,000 wages + $7,000 reported tips) in box 1. He adds the $18 unreported tips to that amount and reports $17,018 as wages on his tax return.

Reporting social security and Medicare taxes on tips not reported to your employer.    If you received $20 or more in cash and charge tips in a month from any one job and did not report all of those tips to your employer, you must report the social security and Medicare taxes on the unreported tips as additional tax on your return. To report these taxes, you must file a return even if you would not otherwise have to file. You must use Form 1040, Form 1040NR, Form 1040NR-EZ, Form 1040-SS, or 1040-PR (as appropriate) for this purpose. (You cannot file Form 1040EZ or Form 1040A.)

   Use Form 4137, Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income, to figure these taxes. Enter the tax on your return as instructed, and attach the completed Form 4137 to your return.

If you are subject to the Railroad Retirement Tax Act, you cannot use Form 4137 to pay railroad retirement tax on unreported tips. To get railroad retirement credit, you must report tips to your employer.

Reporting uncollected social security and Medicare taxes on tips reported to your employer.    You may have uncollected taxes if your regular pay was not enough for your employer to withhold all the taxes you owe and you did not give your employer enough money to pay the rest of the taxes. For more information, see Giving your employer money for taxes , under Reporting Tips to Your Employer, earlier.

  If your employer could not collect all the social security and Medicare taxes or railroad retirement tax you owe on tips reported for 2011, the uncollected taxes will be shown in box 12 of your Form W-2 (codes A and B). You must report these amounts as additional tax on your return.

  If you worked in the U.S. possessions and received Form W-2AS, Form W-2CM, Form W-2GU, or Form W-2VI, any uncollected taxes on tips will be shown in box 12 with codes A and B. If you received Form 499R-2/W-2PR, any uncollected taxes will be shown in boxes 22 and 23.

  To report these uncollected taxes, you must file a return even if you would not otherwise have to file. You can report these taxes on Form 1040, in the space next to line 60; Form 1040NR, line 59; Form 1040-SS, Part I, line 5; or Form 1040-PR, Part I, line 5. See the instructions for the appropriate form and line number indicated. (You cannot file Form 1040A, Form 1040EZ, or Form 1040NR-EZ.)

Self-employed persons.    If you receive tips as a self-employed person, you should report these tips as income on Schedule C or C-EZ. See Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business, for more information on reporting business income.

Allocated Tips

If your employer allocated tips to you, they are shown separately in box 8 of your Form W-2. They are not included in box 1 with your wages and reported tips. If box 8 is blank, this discussion does not apply to you.

What are allocated tips.   These are tips that your employer assigned to you in addition to the tips you reported to your employer for the year. Your employer will have done this only if:

  • You worked in an establishment (restaurant, cocktail lounge, or similar business) that must allocate tips to employees,

  • The tips you reported to your employer were less than your share of 8% of food and drink sales, and

  • You did not participate in your employer's Attributed Tip Income Program (ATIP).

No income, social security, or Medicare taxes are withheld on allocated tips.

How were your allocated tips figured.   The tips allocated to you are your share of an amount figured by subtracting the reported tips of all employees from 8% (or an approved lower rate) of food and drink sales (other than carryout sales and sales with a service charge of 10% or more). Your share of that amount was figured using either a method provided by an employer-employee agreement or a method provided by IRS regulations based on employees' sales or hours worked. For information about the exact allocation method used, ask your employer.

Must you report your allocated tips on your tax return.   You must report tips you received in 2011 (including both cash and noncash tips) on your tax return as explained in What tips to report , earlier. Any tips you reported to your employer in 2011 as required (explained under Reporting Tips to Your Employer , earlier) are included in the wages shown in box 1 of your Form W-2. Add to the amount in box 1 only the tips you did not report to your employer as required. This should include any allocated tips shown in box 8 on your Form(s) W-2, unless you have adequate records to show that you received less tips in the year than the allocated amount.

  See What tips to report under Reporting Tips on Your Tax Return, and Keeping a Daily Tip Record , earlier.

How to report allocated tips.   If you received any tips in 2011 that you did not report to your employer as required (including allocated tips that you are required to report on your tax return), add these tips to the amount in box 1 of your Form(s) W-2 and report this amount as wages on Form 1040, line 7; Form 1040NR, line 8; or Form 1040NR-EZ, line 3. (You cannot file Form 1040A or Form 1040EZ).

   Because social security and Medicare taxes were not withheld from the allocated tips, you must report those taxes as additional tax on your return. Complete Form 4137 and include the allocated tips on line 1 of the form as provided in its instructions. See Reporting social security and Medicare taxes on tips not reported to your employer under Reporting Tips on Your Tax Return, earlier.

How to request an approved lower rate.   Your employer can use a tip rate lower than 8% (but not lower than 2%) to figure allocated tips only if the IRS approves the lower rate. Either the employer or the employees can request approval of a lower rate by filing a petition with the IRS. The petition must include specific information about the establishment that will justify the lower rate. A user fee must be paid with the petition.

   An employee petition can be filed only with the consent of a majority of the directly tipped employees (waiters, bartenders, and others who receive tips directly from customers). The petition must state the total number of directly tipped employees and the number of employees consenting to the petition. Employees filing the petition must promptly notify the employer, and the employer must promptly give the IRS a copy of all Forms 8027, Employer's Annual Information Return of Tip Income and Allocated Tips, filed for the establishment for the previous 3 years.

  For more information about how to file a petition and what information to include, see Allocation of Tips in the Instructions for Form 8027.

How To Get Tax Help

You can get help with unresolved tax issues, order free publications and forms, ask tax questions, and get information from the IRS in several ways. By selecting the method that is best for you, you will have quick and easy access to tax help.

Free help with your return.   Free help in preparing your return is available nationwide from IRS-certified volunteers. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is designed to help low-moderate income taxpayers and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program is designed to assist taxpayers age 60 and older with their tax returns. Most VITA and TCE sites offer free electronic filing and all volunteers will let you know about credits and deductions you may be entitled to claim. To find the nearest VITA or TCE site, visit IRS.gov or call 1-800-906-9887 or 1-800-829-1040.

  As part of the TCE program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide counseling program. To find the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or visit AARP's website at 
www.aarp.org/money/taxaide.

  For more information on these programs, go to IRS.gov and enter keyword “VITA” in the upper right-hand corner.

Internet. You can access the IRS website at IRS.gov 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to:

  • E-file your return. Find out about commercial tax preparation and e-file services available free to eligible taxpayers.

  • Check the status of your 2011 refund. Go to IRS.gov and click on Where's My Refund. Wait at least 72 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of your e-filed return, or 3 to 4 weeks after mailing a paper return. If you filed Form 8379 with your return, wait 14 weeks (11 weeks if you filed electronically). Have your 2011 tax return available so you can provide your social security number, your filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund.

  • Download forms, including talking tax forms, instructions, and publications.

  • Order IRS products online.

  • Research your tax questions online.

  • Search publications online by topic or keyword.

  • Use the online Internal Revenue Code, regulations, or other official guidance.

  • View Internal Revenue Bulletins (IRBs) published in the last few years.

  • Figure your withholding allowances using the withholding calculator online at www.irs.gov/individuals.

  • Determine if Form 6251 must be filed by using our Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Assistant available online at www.irs.gov/individuals.

  • Sign up to receive local and national tax news by email.

  • Get information on starting and operating a small business.

Phone. Many services are available by phone.  

  • Ordering forms, instructions, and publications. Call 1-800-TAX -FORM (1-800-829-3676) to order current-year forms, instructions, and publications, and prior-year forms and instructions. You should receive your order within 10 days.

  • Asking tax questions. Call the IRS with your tax questions at 1-800-829-1040.

  • Solving problems. You can get face-to-face help solving tax problems every business day in IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers. An employee can explain IRS letters, request adjustments to your account, or help you set up a payment plan. Call your local Taxpayer Assistance Center for an appointment. To find the number, go to www.irs.gov/localcontacts or look in the phone book under United States Government, Internal Revenue Service.

  • TTY/TDD equipment. If you have access to TTY/TDD equipment, call 1-800-829-4059 to ask tax questions or to order forms and publications.

  • TeleTax topics. Call 1-800-829-4477 to listen to pre-recorded messages covering various tax topics.

  • Refund information. To check the status of your 2011 refund, call 1-800-829-1954 or 1-800-829-4477 (automated refund information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Wait at least 72 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of your e-filed return, or 3 to 4 weeks after mailing a paper return. If you filed Form 8379 with your return, wait 14 weeks (11 weeks if you filed electronically). Have your 2011 tax return available so you can provide your social security number, your filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund. If you check the status of your refund and are not given the date it will be issued, please wait until the next week before checking back.

  • Other refund information. To check the status of a prior-year refund or amended return refund, call 1-800-829-1040.

Evaluating the quality of our telephone services. To ensure IRS representatives give accurate, courteous, and professional answers, we use several methods to evaluate the quality of our telephone services. One method is for a second IRS representative to listen in on or record random telephone calls. Another is to ask some callers to complete a short survey at the end of the call.

Walk-in. Many products and services are available on a walk-in basis. 

  • Products. You can walk in to many post offices, libraries, and IRS offices to pick up certain forms, instructions, and publications. Some IRS offices, libraries, grocery stores, copy centers, city and county government offices, credit unions, and office supply stores have a collection of products available to print from a CD or photocopy from reproducible proofs. Also, some IRS offices and libraries have the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, Internal Revenue Bulletins, and Cumulative Bulletins available for research purposes.

  • Services. You can walk in to your local Taxpayer Assistance Center every business day for personal, face-to-face tax help. An employee can explain IRS letters, request adjustments to your tax account, or help you set up a payment plan. If you need to resolve a tax problem, have questions about how the tax law applies to your individual tax return, or you are more comfortable talking with someone in person, visit your local Taxpayer Assistance Center where you can spread out your records and talk with an IRS representative face-to-face. No appointment is necessary—just walk in. If you prefer, you can call your local Center and leave a message requesting an appointment to resolve a tax account issue. A representative will call you back within 2 business days to schedule an in-person appointment at your convenience. If you have an ongoing, complex tax account problem or a special need, such as a disability, an appointment can be requested. All other issues will be handled without an appointment. To find the number of your local office, go to www.irs.gov/localcontacts or look in the phone book under United States Government, Internal Revenue Service.

Mail. You can send your order for forms, instructions, and publications to the address below. You should receive a response within 10 days after your request is received.

 
Internal Revenue Service 
1201 N. Mitsubishi Motorway 
Bloomington, IL 61705-6613

Taxpayer Advocate Service.   The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is your voice at the IRS. Our job is to ensure that every taxpayer is treated fairly, and that you know and understand your rights. We offer free help to guide you through the often-confusing process of resolving tax problems that you haven’t been able to solve on your own. Remember, the worst thing you can do is nothing at all.

  TAS can help if you can’t resolve your problem with the IRS and:

  • Your problem is causing financial difficulties for you, your family, or your business.

  • You face (or your business is facing) an immediate threat of adverse action.

  • You have tried repeatedly to contact the IRS but no one has responded, or the IRS has not responded to you by the date promised.

  If you qualify for our help, we’ll do everything we can to get your problem resolved. You will be assigned to one advocate who will be with you at every turn. We have offices in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Although TAS is independent within the IRS, our advocates know how to work with the IRS to get your problems resolved. And our services are always free.

  As a taxpayer, you have rights that the IRS must abide by in its dealings with you. Our tax toolkit at www.TaxpayerAdvocate.irs.gov can help you understand these rights.

  If you think TAS might be able to help you, call your local advocate, whose number is in your phone book and on our website at www.irs.gov/advocate. You can also call our toll-free number at 1-877-777-4778 or TTY/TDD 1-800-829-4059.

  TAS also handles large-scale or systemic problems that affect many taxpayers. If you know of one of these broad issues, please report it to us through our Systemic Advocacy Management System at www.irs.gov/advocate.

Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs).   Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs) are independent from the IRS. Some clinics serve individuals whose income is below a certain level and who need to resolve a tax problem. These clinics provide professional representation before the IRS or in court on audits, appeals, tax collection disputes, and other issues for free or for a small fee. Some clinics can provide information about taxpayer rights and responsibilities in many different languages for individuals who speak English as a second language. For more information and to find a clinic near you, see the LITC page on www.irs.gov/advocate or IRS Publication 4134, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic List. This publication is also available by calling 1-800-829-3676 or at your local IRS office.

Free tax services.   Publication 910, IRS Guide to Free Tax Services, is your guide to IRS services and resources. Learn about free tax information from the IRS, including publications, services, and education and assistance programs. The publication also has an index of over 100 TeleTax topics (recorded tax information) you can listen to on the telephone. The majority of the information and services listed in this publication are available to you free of charge. If there is a fee associated with a resource or service, it is listed in the publication.

  Accessible versions of IRS published products are available on request in a variety of alternative formats for people with disabilities.

DVD for tax products. You can order Publication 1796, IRS Tax Products DVD, and obtain:

  • Current-year forms, instructions, and publications.

  • Prior-year forms, instructions, and publications.

  • Tax Map: an electronic research tool and finding aid.

  • Tax law frequently asked questions.

  • Tax Topics from the IRS telephone response system.

  • Internal Revenue Code—Title 26 of the U.S. Code.

  • Links to other Internet based Tax Research materials.

  • Fill-in, print, and save features for most tax forms.

  • Internal Revenue Bulletins.

  • Toll-free and email technical support.

  • Two releases during the year. 
    – The first release will ship the beginning of January 2012. 
    – The final release will ship the beginning of March 2012.

Purchase the DVD from National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at www.irs.gov/cdorders for $30 (no handling fee) or call 1-877-233-6767 toll free to buy the DVD for $30 (plus a $6 handling fee).

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