Ep. 97 | Maximize Your Tax Savings: How to Ethically Pay Your Kids Through Your Business

Teaching Tax Flow: The Podcast

In Episode 97 of the Teaching Tax Flow podcast, hosts Chris and John delve into a powerful tax strategy, explaining how to income shift to family members or children. With the countdown to the 100th episode underway, this topic is timely and significant for business owners looking to control their tax liabilities. Chris and John unravel the intricacies of legally and ethically leveraging family members to optimize tax obligations, emphasizing that this strategy is not to be taken lightly or implemented illicitly.

Throughout the episode, Chris and John explore the benefits and implementation process of paying children for legitimate work in your business. By shifting income to lower tax brackets, parents can significantly reduce their overall tax burden. The discussion covers the importance of proper documentation, legitimate job roles, the advantages of different business structures, and the potential for utilizing earned income for additional benefits like Roth IRA contributions. Real-world examples make this episode a practical guide for those eager to harness this tax-saving strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• Legitimate Employment: Children must perform bona fide work suitable for their age and capabilities to be paid.
• Reasonable Compensation: Compensation must align with the nature of the work performed, avoiding any excessive payments that could raise red flags.
• Proper Documentation: Maintain thorough records similar to those for any other employee, including timesheets, task records, and payroll tax filings.
• Tax Benefits: Income shifted to children often incurs a lower tax rate or becomes tax-free, and specific conditions eliminate Social Security and Medicare taxes.
• Roth IRA Contributions: Children’s earned income allows for contributions to a Roth IRA, promoting long-term, tax-free growth of their earnings.

Notable Quotes:

• "The first benefit of paying kids is shifting the income to a lower marginal tax rate within the family." - Chris Picciurro
• "If you want to be a duck, you got to walk like one and quack like one." - Chris Picciurro
• "Ideas are cheap and implementation is valuable." - Chris Picciurro
• "Highest and best use...identifying what you're good at and sticking to it." - John Tripolsky

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• (00:04) - Income Shifting to Family Members for Tax Benefits
• (06:40) - Benefits and Legalities of Income Shifting by Paying Children
• (09:58) - Legal Tax Strategies Versus Risky Cheat Codes
• (10:49) - Tax Benefits and Legalities of Paying Your Children
• (19:21) - Tax-Free Growth Strategies for Teenagers
• (21:45) - Legitimate Ways to Save Money by Employing Your Children