How Louisiana tips
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Louisiana tippers are just about the norm nationally, leaving behind gratuities of 18.5%, on average, according to Toast data.
Why it matters: Wages from tips have been at the forefront of political discourse as President Trump's "no tax on tips" campaign promise came partially to fruition in the "big, beautiful bill" recently signed into law.
The big picture: Delaware, West Virginia and New Hampshire are home to America's best tippers, per Toast data, with diners leaving nearly 21% or better on average.
- Nationwide, tippers average 18.8% in gratuities.
- Tips at full-service restaurants rose from 19.3% in Q4 2024 to 19.4% in Q1 2025, per Toast's latest restaurant trends report.
How it works: That's based on data from restaurants using Toast as their point of sale and management system. Cash tips aren't included.
The intrigue: New rules honor Trump's idea to end taxes on tips on the surface, but they don't eliminate all taxes.
- Rather, a worker's first $25,000 in tips is exempt from income taxes, but tipped workers will still pay 7.65% in payroll taxes to fund Social Security and Medicare.