What can you pay your child?

Two minutes. Real numbers. No email required.

If you're unsure how your LLC is taxed, your CPA will know. It's the detail that decides this.
Sets the minimum wage floor for your child's pay.
years old
The payroll tax exemption applies while they're under 18.
$
Pay what the work is actually worth — what you'd pay someone who isn't your child.
Your marginal rate — the bracket your last dollar of income falls into. Most business owners are 22% or 24%.
hrs / week
What they can realistically do after school. Most families land between 3 and 10.
hrs / week
Usually higher, with school out. Most families land between 10 and 20.
$0
estimated tax saving, per year
Wages to your child$0
Federal income tax they'd owe$0
Business deduction created$0
Social Security & Medicare on those wages$0
Years left before they turn 18—
Total saved before they turn 18$0
Assumes the same rate and hours each year. In practice both usually rise as they grow.

That's the arithmetic. The structure is the hard part.

Real work, a written job description, a defensible rate, and records that hold up. Not everyone qualifies — find out in two minutes.

Take the assessment
Estimates only, for a sole proprietorship or single-member LLC treated as a disregarded entity. Assumes wages are paid for genuine work at a reasonable rate and that your child has no other income. Based on the 2026 federal standard deduction of $16,100 for a single filer. State income tax is not modelled. Minimum wage figures are current as of January 2026 and change annually — confirm with your state labor department. Hire the Kids is not a tax preparation or legal firm and this is not tax or legal advice. Review any structure with your own CPA.