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Married filing separately cannot claim this deduction at all

Modified adjusted gross income, before this deduction

Only jobs that customarily and regularly received tips before 2025 qualify

Which occupations are on the list?
Treasury's final list names 71 qualifying occupations across 8 categories — food and beverage service, entertainment and events, hospitality, home services, personal services, personal appearance and wellness, recreation and instruction, and transportation and delivery. Waitstaff, bartenders, hairstylists, and rideshare or delivery drivers are on it. A job that occasionally receives a tip but isn't on the list doesn't qualify, no matter how much was actually tipped.

Cash and charged tips, including tip-shares you received

Tips deduction

$0

Estimate for reference only, not verified proof — check the sources below, and their access date, before relying on this for a claim or filing.

Statutory cap
$25,000
Estimated tax savings
$0
Deduction reaches $0 at this MAGI
—

    Available only for tax years 2025 through 2028. If you're self-employed, the deduction is also limited to your net income from the tip-earning business — not modelled here.

    No tax on tips for baristas and counter workers

    Whether baristas and counter workers qualify, the Treasury occupation code on your W-2, what counts as a tip in this job, and what the deduction is worth.

    Yes — baristas and counter workers are on Treasury's list of tipped occupations, as TTOC 107, so qualified tips from this work can be deducted from federal income tax, up to $25,000 a year through 2028, reduced above $150,000 of income ($300,000 filing jointly). In IRS data, tips made up 17.9% of pay for people in this occupation who reported tips.

    Reviewed by RuleCost Editorial Team. Rules for 2026, updated 30 Sept 2026.

    How to use it

    1. 1The calculator starts with $40,000 of income and $7,160 of tips, the typical tip share for baristas and counter workers in IRS data. Replace both with yours.
    2. 2Choose your filing status. Married couples filing separately get no deduction.
    3. 3Read the deduction and the estimated federal income tax it saves.

    Baristas and counter workers at a glance

    Treasury Tipped Occupation Code107
    Official titleFast Food and Counter Workers
    CategoryBeverage and food service
    Share who reported tips40.1%
    Tips as share of pay, among those with tips17.9%
    Share of all tips reported in the U.S.1.4%

    IRS figures for tax year 2023, from employees in the related occupation codes (35-3023). They include employees only, so self-employed workers aren't reflected. See all 71 codes.

    What the deduction is worth

    Take a single filer earning $40,000 in total, with tips making up 17.9% of it — the typical share for baristas and counter workers who report tips. That is $7,160 of tips, all of it deductible, which saves an estimated $859 of federal income tax for the year. Social Security and Medicare tax on tips don't change.

    What counts as a tip

    Tip jar money and tips added on the card screen both count, including what you get from a shared tip jar. Keep reporting them to your employer: only tips reported to your employer end up on your W-2.

    Where it shows on your W-2

    As an employee, from tax year 2026 your qualified tips appear in Box 12 with code TP, and code 107 in Box 14b. If Box 14b says 000, your employer is treating the job as not qualifying — ask them why. See how to read the new W-2 boxes.

    Questions

    Do baristas and counter workers qualify for no tax on tips?
    Yes. Baristas and counter workers are on Treasury's final list of occupations that customarily and regularly received tips, as TTOC 107 (Fast Food and Counter Workers). Qualified tips from this work can be deducted from federal income tax for 2025 through 2028.
    What is the TTOC code for baristas and counter workers?
    107. It is in the beverage and food service category. From tax year 2026, employers put it in Box 14b of your W-2 next to the tips reported in Box 12 with code TP.
    How much can I deduct?
    Up to $25,000 of qualified tips a year, the same cap whether you file single or jointly. It shrinks by $100 for every $1,000 of income above $150,000 of income ($300,000 filing jointly). Married couples filing separately can't claim it.
    What counts as a tip for baristas and counter workers?
    Tip jar money and tips added on the card screen both count, including what you get from a shared tip jar. Keep reporting them to your employer: only tips reported to your employer end up on your W-2.