I think they actually do tip in England. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the practice actually started in England. TIPS stands for "To Insure Perfect Service" In this country we seem to have gotten away from the original concept. We are expected to leave 15-20 percent as a service surcharge regardless of the level of service provided. The IRS even assumes an 8 percent rate and charges taxes on the service person for that as income. The IRS always wants to get their cut.