Tip and IVA
The fish line is board price times raw weight. IVA is already in that printed price. A tip is optional gratitude, not a missing line — and a printed servicio charge on a tourist bill is the thing to query, politely.
IVA is included. Tip if you want to. Neither should change the fish maths.
IVA is already in the number
Portuguese and Spanish restaurant prices include IVA (VAT). The chalkboard’s 58€/kg is the price you multiply by the raw weight. A matching fish line does not mean tax was forgotten, and a gap is not usually tax either.
If a place quotes a price “plus IVA”, that is unusual at the table and worth a calm question before you order. Honest boards and menus already show the number you will pay.
What a tip actually is
- A tip is optional. Locals often round up or leave coins. About 5–10% for a good meal is generous, not expected.
- It is not a missing line on the bill. The checker comparing board €/kg × printed weight with the fish line is doing a different job.
- Service is the waiter’s work, already paid as a wage. Gratitude is yours to give; it is not how you “fix” a surprising fish line.
A printed servicio line
Some tourist-facing bills add a “servicio” or service charge. That is the thing to ask about — politely, and after you have the itemised bill. In Portugal and Spain you are entitled to a fatura detalhada / cuenta detallada. Ask which lines are fish, which are extras, and whether service is already included.
Use the bill checker for the fish
Put the board €/kg and the weight printed on the bill into the checker. Small gaps are rounding. A large gap is a reason to ask which rate was used — not a reason to skip the tip as punishment, and not a reason to assume IVA was added twice.
Open the bill checker