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Teenagers tend to take life very literally. For example, when they get a job, a teenager expects to earn the exact amount they were offered. Life doesn't work that way, however, and you can assist your teenager in getting accustomed to it by helping them to understand taxes.
Regardless of the amount of money you earn, everyone is charged income tax. By means of these taxes, the government is able to produce funds that provide beneficial services to citizens and finance military efforts.
It is important for your teen to understand that an hourly wage is not an exact way to calculate their weekly income. Explaining how income taxes function will help them comprehend why their hourly wage can only provide an idea of how much they have earned during a day of work and that the number of hours they work multiplied by their hourly wage will not be the same number they will see on their paycheck.
When they gain employment, their employer will give them a tax form to fill out. They probably won't understand it, so parents need to help them fill it out and explain what it means. The state and federal government determines how much money to take through taxes from the information recorded on the form.
An individual is not required to file their taxes if they earn less than a specific amount that has been set by the government. Most teens who work fall into this category and are therefore tax exempt, especially during their first year of work.
Parents should help their teens to maximize their earnings by claiming any and all applicable tax deductions. For example, being included as part of your parents' tax returns is a tax deduction that will help them keep more of the money they have worked hard for. This is a good move, because most teens will not be filing their taxes.
As teens grow older and begin to earn more and more money, the way they handle their taxes will change. Help them to understand that they should do all they can to benefit from the brief time period when they will not be taxed, since this will not be the case once they begin to make more money and have to file for and pay additional taxes.
Babysitting and other self-employment is subject to taxes if they make over a certain amount of money. Selling items on eBay could push your teen over the allowable limit for non-filers. In that case, discuss the forms needed to be filled out at tax time. Encourage your teen to save their money wisely in case the IRS deems that they owe tax money. Check with the IRS website to find out what the income limit is for the current filing year.
Teaching teens about taxes from the very beginning of their working life will help them be prepared to handle this reality. Discuss with them the need to keep good track of the money they earn so that at the end of the year they will be able to determine whether or not the government requires that they file for taxes.
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