The TipScan blog
Money guides for tipped work
No fluff, no corporate-speak — how checkouts, tip-outs, and tip taxes actually work, from the worker's side of the tray.
Toast Shift Review, Explained: Every Line on Your End-of-Shift Slip
What Credit Tips, Cash Sales, Declared Tips and Owed to Restaurant actually mean on a Toast Shift Review — with a worked example, why the number is often negative, and what Toast doesn't print.
Micros Employee Tip Report, Explained: Charged Tips, Direct Tips and Tips Paid
How to read an Oracle Micros Employee Tip Report: Gross Receipts, Charged Tips, Direct Cash Tips, Total Tips and Tips Paid — with a worked example and the tip-percentage math managers use.
Aloha Server Checkout, Explained: SALES, GROSS, CHARGE TIPS and CASH OWED
How to read an NCR Aloha checkout: what SALES, GROSS RECEIPTS, LESS CHARGE TIPS and CASH OWED mean, a worked example, and why your restaurant's slip looks nothing like the one down the street.
The $2.13 Tipped Minimum Wage, Explained: How Tip Credits Actually Work
Why some servers earn a $2.13/hr base wage, how the FLSA tip credit works, the 16 states still at $2.13, the 7 states that require full minimum wage plus tips, and what your employer legally owes you.
How to Keep a Tip Log for Taxes: IRS Rules, Form 4070A, and What Actually Works
What the IRS wants in a daily tip record, the $20-a-month rule, why your W-2 won't tell the whole story, and the easiest ways to keep a tip log that holds up.
Do I Have to Claim Cash Tips? What the IRS Actually Requires in 2026
Yes — all cash tips are taxable income. The $20/month reporting rule, what happens if you don't report, allocated tips on your W-2, and why the 2025–2028 tip deduction turned reporting into money in your pocket.
Tip Out Rules Explained: How Much Servers Really Pay (and Who Can't Touch Your Tips)
The four tip out structures restaurants use, why sales-based tip outs hurt on slow nights, FLSA rules on managers in tip pools, and how to track it all.
No Tax on Tips in 2026: The Complete Guide for Servers and Bartenders
How the federal tip deduction works in 2026: the $25,000 cap, who qualifies, what counts as a qualified tip, new W-2 boxes, and the records you need.
How to Read Your Server Checkout Slip (Toast, Aloha, Micros)
Line-by-line guide to your end-of-shift checkout slip: credit tips, cash owed, tip outs, and what each POS calls them. Know what you actually earned.