Teens are literal people. When you offer them a job for a certain amount of money, this is what they expect to receive. In the world of work, this is not the case. Teaching your teen about taxes can make the transition less of a shock.

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.

Show your teen how to get the most money that they can on their check. Even teens are allowed to claim deductions. They can claim one deduction even if they are included on their parents’ tax return. That deduction will net them more money in their pocket. Since they won’t make enough to file, this is a wise decision for them to make.

Teens also need to understand that when their earnings increase after high school or college, the tax laws change for them. More earnings mean that they will file a tax return and pay more taxes. But, for now, they have an advantage and should take full benefit of it.

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.

Taxes can be a shock for teens when they open their first check. Discussing the matter with them when they take on their first neighborhood job will prepare them for the eventuality. Foster the idea of good record keeping so it is easy to find out if they need to file or not at the end of the year.