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Written by Alice Barker
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Tuesday, 15 January 2008 |
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There is much confusion about this with travellers, especially for those of you coming from America where it's customary to do so. First of all, all restaurants and hotels in France have service compris, meaning a 15% service charge is included in their prices which means there is really no need to tip. The reason that it's included is quite simply a tax one. In the old days, if a waiter received a tip, s/he would have to put the money into a communal pot rather than their own pocket. At the end of the day (or week) the restaurant or hotel owner would divided these gains equally amongst his staff. However, the taxman saw this money as extra personal income and thus it had to be declared and, consequently, taxed. So to avoid this complicated paper bureaucracy it is now standard practice to include the service charge in the bill. Having said that, there are times when you are so delighted by either the service or the meal, that you feel you must show your recognition. Far better then to congratulate the restaurant's owner or chef personally, or to write a Thank You letter. As a byline, the new French President, Nicolas Sarkozy met with Manuel Barroso, President of the the European Commission in Brussels in September 2007 to plead for France's right to reduce the VAT on restaurant dinners and hotel stays from 19.6% to 5.5%, renewing a pledge already made by Jacques Chirac.
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Should I tip in France? 
