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bratboy wrote:

Servers usually 'tip out' support staff, but they don't pool their tips with other servers.

Reporting from taxes is usually based on a percentage of the server's sales, their credit card tips, or a combination of both.

A four star restaurant will completely pool however, generally.

DukeofNuke wrote:

Just a minute. I'm confused.
Do all the tips go into a shared pool? And the server is paid their part from that?  Is that how the restaurant decides on how to report the taxes?

Are you telling me that my server does not get the money I leave on the table? So, if I leave extra for exceptional service, they don't really get to put that money in their pocket?

Actually it depends on the restaurant.
some restaurants servers do not pool and everyone is on their own.
The place I am working at now is a pool house where we all share our tips.
One thing that has always been consistent is the requirement to tip out to our support staff. In fact one place I used to work at actually had it built in to your cash drop.
The cash drop by the way is the money severs owe to the restaurant at the end of the shift. It is total sales minus credit card transactions. For example if I sell 1000 in a night and my credit cards equal 500 plus 100 in tips. I then have to give the house 400 in cash. Whatever is left over I tip out on based on the original 1000 in sales and then get to keep the rest.