Done with tipping? So are two-thirds of Canadians, H&R Block survey says
Has tipping culture gone too far? About two-thirds or 67 per cent of Canadians think tipping in Canada should be abolished, according to a recent survey by H&R Block Canada.
The survey commissioned by the tax preparation company said 93 per cent of respondents feel “annoyed” when a card payment machine prompts for a tip or gratuity for services or purchases where tipping hasn’t previously been expected. The same number of respondents said tipping is out of hand and is being applied to goods and services that don’t warrant one.
The survey also said 89 per cent of Canadians resent businesses that prompt customers for what they consider to be unwarranted tips. Meanwhile, 41 per cent said they went as far as avoiding businesses that push tipping at cash out, such as coffee shops, convenience stores, fast food or self-serve counters.
“Canadians resent — and even boycott — brands and business based on tip prompts,” the study said.
Despite this, 57 per cent of Canadians in 2025 ended up leaving a tip anyway, saying they felt awkward skipping the tip prompt at payment.
H&R Block said this has changed in 2026, as 65 per cent of Canadians said they have felt less awkward over the last year in opting for the “no tip” option when prompted, with 67 per cent increasingly choosing not to.
It said that overall, 89 per cent of Canadians think the tipping percentage amounts (e.g. 18 per cent, 20 per cent or 22 per cent) have become too high. On that, 79 per cent said they tend to enter their own choice of tip amount versus using the prompted percentage amounts where possible.
More than half of Canadians say they’re frugal tippers and tend to opt for the lower tip option and/or only tip for exceptional service. To compare, 36 per cent identify as a generous tippers and tend to opt for the higher tip amount and/or tip for most services.
H&R Block said its similar survey in 2025 said most Canadians felt that tipping lets employers off the hook in paying employees’ full wage.
It said 88 per cent of Canadians felt that tipping had become a means for employers to pay their staff less, while 91 per cent said that Canada should have less of a tipping and gratuity culture and employers should cover their employees’ full
wages
.
The 2026 survey said nearly one in three or 31 per cent of Canadians have worked in a gratuity-based job at some point. In the past year, it said 17 per cent of Canadians worked in the
gig economy
, often through digital gig marketplace platforms where users can opt to pay a tip through the platform app, such as for rideshare drivers at Uber and food delivery services like DoorDash.
“The tax mechanics of gratuities have evolved over time, particularly through point-of-sale systems that prompt tips,” Yannick Lemay, a tax expert at H&R Block Canada said in a press release.
The survey was conducted H&R Block between Feb. 19 to 23 among a sample of 1,545 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.
• Email: dpaglinawan@postmedia.com