Has tipping culture gone too far? About two-thirds of Canadians think tipping should be abolished, according to a recent survey by H&R Block Canada.

The survey 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 percentage said tipping is out of hand and is being applied to goods and services that don’t warrant it.

The survey also said 89 per cent 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 cashout, such as coffee shops, convenience stores, fast food and self-serve counters.

“Canadians resent — and even boycott — brands and businesses 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 about skipping the tip prompt at payment.

H&R Block said this has changed in 2026, as 65 per cent said they have felt less awkward over the past year when opting for the “no tip” option when prompted, with 67 per cent increasingly choosing not to.

It said 89 per cent of Canadians think the tipping percentage amounts (for example, 18 per cent, 20 per cent or 22 per cent) have become too high, and 79 per cent said they tend to enter their own choice of tip amount versus using the prompted percentage amounts when possible.

More than half say they’re frugal tippers and tend to opt for the lower tip option and/or only tip for exceptional service. But 36 per cent identify as a generous tipper 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 88 per cent of Canadians felt that tipping had become a means for employers to pay their staff less, while 91 per cent said 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 Canadians have worked in a gratuity-based job at some point. In the past year, 17 per cent worked in the

gig economy , often through digital marketplace platforms where users can opt to pay a tip through the platform’s app, such as for ride-share 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 by H&R Block between Feb. 19 and 23 among a sample of 1,545 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

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