He also probably isn’t considering that if he files with his son as a dependent he either has to include his son’s income, or the son has to file taxes. The IRS will want their cut from his earnings. He will receive a 1099- NEC and being 17 isn’t going to save him from having to file and pay. I filed my first tax at 15. (Also he can’t falsify as the 1099-NEC is filed by the platform.) He will probably receive several, one for each platform as the cut off is at $601 for the tax year in earnings.
I wonder if dad helped his son prepare for the real world with this. Such as explaining taxes, how to figure his owing, and putting those funds back for the check due in April. Streaming earnings are taxed pretty high, and he is pulling more than the average American pulls monthly.
ETA: he most likely can’t claim the child as a dependent with his level of income (at least not to where it won’t get uncomfortable under an audit). If a dependent minor can provide half of their own support they are no longer considered a dependent. And there is zero age minimum on that, it’s based on income of the potential dependent. If an audit shows son made like $15k questions will be asked. It’s pretty hard to claim you provide more then half the support when the dependent has income higher then what’s nationally considered “poverty” in 2023.
ETA: apparently parents can no longer include the dependents income for them on their taxes. I only ever heard that option from my parents with how their taxes were filed between 14 and 16. I always just filed my own.
Dual lesson. Charge "rent" aka the amount of money that the feds would want per month out of his income and put it aside. When taxes come around, he can use that money for the taxes, and if for whatever reason he doesn't get taxed or as high as calculated, congratulation, you have some extra money.
Yeah, the last bit about “wanting him to contribute to the household” showed that it was never about “teaching” him anything - it was about skimming some cash off his kid for his own use. “Uses WiFi and electricity to stream”…what a blowhard.
ETA: YTA
He’s lazy and entitled. I swear these parents don’t understand that money can be made beyond their own capacity. Gahh this thread makes me mad. I never had money as a kid despite busting my ass doing odd jobs, etc.
600 dollars?! Wow. Money shows peoples greedy side. You know he’d cash his kid in if he could
Agreed. My parents never took money from me, of course I wanted to move out as soon as I could which was a huge mistake as I ended up having to move back less than a year later, but they still didn't charge me rent. I had my own phone bill, and other bills. I learned from my own mistakes of moving out before I was ready so I didn't make that mistake the 2nd time. He's going to push his own kid out of the house. I am now a parent and couldn't imagine charging my daughter rent when she's old enough to earn money. I'd just be proud she's earning money from streaming! It's not so easy to get followers/views etc...
I think it's a good principle to teach kids to pay bills. With that said, there could be better ways of doing this e.g. get the kid to pay towards the internet or maybe pay for the shopping for a week. 600 is way too steep for your child though and looks like they are just trying to milk the son rather than teach them any principle.
He needs to assist his son with business organization and accountancy.
In my humble opinion, charging rent as a way of teaching his son responsibility is BULLSHIT.
His son was responsible enough to graduate early, to create business success, and work during his gap year before college. This young man at 17 has it more together than some twice his age.
I agree with Mom in this instance. Instead of banging a 17 year old for rent, watch over him and help him.
Even if he claims the son, the income is filed with the earner. Parents don’t include children’s income with their own return. But yes, this kid absolutely needs to be filing taxes, and I would be surprised if he’s prepared for that.
I only knew that as an option from my parents telling me about how their income was taxed between 14 and 16. I didn’t know that was no longer a viable option.
Either way, I very highly doubt the son is prepared for his taxes. Dad wants rent to “teach” about the real world, taxes are a bigger part then paying bills. I hope the son has put back some savings somewhere that he can use in April
ETA: the son is ineligible as a dependent anyways. The IRS qualifications for a dependent includes “The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,300.”
My dad used to claim me and then we would figure out what my return would have been and he paid me that bc it made more sense for him to claim me. But…I was working at 15 and a half part time and off and on before I turned 18 and this was back in the early 80’s so it has likely changed a lot.
I’d like to know how much rent OP would be charging if the kid wasn’t making *any* money. Because this reads like OP had zero faith in the kid and now wants to get his greedy hands on some easy cash. The kid using WiFi and electric was apparently not an issue *before* OP found out about the $3k/month. Why all of a sudden teach the kid about the “real world” now, when it wasn’t a priority before.
Yeah the whole charging him for electric is weird to me. Would he charge him for utilities if he wasn’t streaming but still watching tv/turning on lights/using appliances? He’s his minor child, not his roommate that needs to split utilities with him. Odd. Might have been a reason the son didn’t tell them he was making money. Might be saving that up to move the hell out and away from dad.
I have had friends who work their asses off at young ages just for their parents to take it to pay bills instead of getting jobs.
>Very good point. Wonder if he realizes he’d need to remove him as a dependent and add the rent as income.
I wonder if he realizes even minors making 3K per month have to pay taxes.
I’m wondering if the kid knows he has to pay taxes on it himself. If I were the parents, I’d check with a tax consultant to see if they CAN claim him, and how much he can make before he has to pay taxes on it. Include the kid for this meeting. There are work arounds, of course, if he wants to use it to save for school. (Note: if he goes to college, mass media would be the best major to do with his “influencer” status.)
If he’s making 3K a month, that’s 36K a year. He’s gonna need a tax professional.
A lot of young people don't realize that even if the job is non traditional (in that you're an independent contractor rather than an employee) that you have to be more careful about your taxes because no one is holding anything back for them and the IRS is still going to want their cut.
A friend of mine is a tattoo artist and didn't realize when he was starting in his 20s that he had to save for taxes and he's still paying for it in his 40s.
Probably doesn’t even think about it or he wouldn’t be asking this question. The tax break is good enough lol.
Edit: honestly if he was smart he would keep the kid as dependent until 20s, reap the tax benefits and allow his kid to live at the house. Have him contribute to food or whatever since I’m one year he will be 18. It’s in everyone’s best. Interest
You get $500 per child after the age of 16. When they start college you can get up $2500 if they are attending school. Also depends how much tuition is paid, and parents income.
If the son is make that kind of money he need to be putting away about 35% for taxes. As a self employed person you are responsible for 100% of your social security and Medicare taxes. First 12k non taxable for federal, and whatever the state tax is. I am assuming he will receive a 1099 NEC.
My 17 yo pays for his car insurance, and he puts 25% in an investment account. Plus he pays for his snacks and sodas.
Maybe I’m not maxing out my credits and deductions with my tax return because I can’t think of a single tax benefit for having a 17 year old dependent, at least not for federal taxes. The Child Tax credit doesn’t apply to 17 year olds and there aren’t personal exemptions for the number of dependents to make a difference. The only one I can think of is EIC but for married filing joint with one dependent that credit completely phases out around $56k of income.
Yeah, I read that other comment and I was like mmm no. People have weird ideas about the tax benefits of having kids. Like oh you can write off all your daycare expenses -mmmm no-not true. You can claim your kid as a dependent until they are 21.. Nope- at least not to a degree that benefits anyone. That has more to do with college and/or insurance. It blows my mind the degree that people think money is just being thrown at parents.
I’ve had to explain that being a dependent for one thing doesn’t make someone a dependent for everything. I had to tell my 22yo he was only a dependent for health insurance, not taxes, after his stimulus check wasn’t deposited and he finally figured out why. He had checked a box that he was a dependent on his tax return. He had his own home and health insurance was the only form of support we were providing. I’ve had to tell my 19yo she is a dependent according to FAFSA standards and health insurance but for tax purposes she is not a dependent. It’s a surprisingly difficult concept. My friend in her late 30’s had the same issue with her stimulus check because she and her husband filed married, filling separate and she checked the box that she was someone’s dependent because that is what the military labels her as since she is the spouse. They used TurboTax and just didn’t bother to click on the link for the explanation about who the IRS considers a dependent.
If he's saving all of the rent to gift to the kid when he moves out, then he wouldn't need to claim it as income and I wouldn't see the harm in that kind of an arrangement.
But if he intends to pocket the money, that wouldn't be okay. His kid is 17; he doesn't need to be paying to live there when he's still a minor.
This is what I’m thinking- put that $600 /month into a savings account for the kid. He’ll be able to afford his own place when they’re ready. Plus- it’s a gift, therefore not income.
Depending on where he's living, he might have to apply for a rental license and have his house inspected. Of course then his son could sue for emancipation.
I wish I knew this 20 years ago. They took all my check money and said they were saving it for me. They ended up spending THOUSANDS of dollars on hideous carpet for their whole house. Kicked me out at 3 months after I turned 18 and gave me 500 for a deposit on my apartment and told me I needed to pay it back.
This is one of the more interesting comments I've read on here by being succinct yet a complete juxtaposition. Very friendly to OP, disparaging towards the parents (understandably).
Only if the kid is paying over 51% of his own living expenses. Insurance, food, housing, etc, etc. I doubt $600 is over 51%.
Either way, the kid's a minor. Punishing him because he's earning some money seems backwards to me. Give him until 18 before you start charging him rent.
If he is under 18, they might need to claim his income on their taxes. This could cause them to pay more in taxes. Dude needs to talk to an accountant.
Yep, but dad needs to take him to a tax guy bc he’s considered an independent contractor, and he’s already making $36K a year if he makes $3K a month. Likely owes back taxes if this has been going on a while.
Edit to add: take him to a tax guy FOR ADVICE
YTA - at 17 he is a dependant and charging him rent is not ok and especially with the world as it is he is lucky to have the chance to save and grow something you need to go look at the real world economics that young people face because living with parents until 30+ is the new norm.
YTA - In this economy, just let your kid get ahead instead of trying to profit off of him. You want to teach him about adult responsibilities, talk to him about what he wants his future to look like, help him understand what that would cost by creating a budget together and educate him on the importance of investing and how consistent investment at his age and beyond could allow him to have financial freedom.
Srsly what is with these parents trying to "teach" their kids responsibility by making them poor? He's not even an adult! Also OP be aware that your kid paying you rent may create a landlord/tenant relationship, something these boomers fail to think about when the kid stops paying rent and they try to evict him. YTA.
Honestly, keeping it quiet and doing all this under their nose makes me think he already knows these adult responsibilities and knows that he can't even trust family when it comes to keeping the books clean.
I did down vote, but it's because I don't believe the kid hid it due to understanding adult responsibilities such as budgeting or filing taxes. I think the son knew his father was going to want his slice and would "charge him rent to put it away for later" and the kid knew his dad enough to know his money "saved" would never be seen again.
Personally, if my child made good money, I'd simply teach them how to invest it. How to grow it. How to save it. To make a return that they could put back into their business. I'd learn how the IRS views their business and what they expect as I've never experienced that before. In my mind, they're still my dependent because I'm still responsible for them legally. But hey, maybe if they're making so much money they can "technically" support themselves, they're no longer a dependent? I highly doubt this situation as if he were to do something really stupid, it could still technically come back on the parent, but that could also be state dependent. Is 16 an "adult", or 17?
Shit. Can I still claim him? Most of the time the question/answer is subjective i.e. "Did the minor make income?" In this case YES. The IRS WANTS THEIR MONEY. "Did the minor provide more than half their means of support?". In this case, NO. They spent it on personal things and the parents provided food, shelter, utilities, etc.
A tax advisor needs to be consulted.
As a parent, OP IS DEFINITELY THE GREEDY AAAAND JEALOUS AH.
Wonder why he didn’t tell them he was making money 😑 Let’s see what we have here:
— Dad assumes his child is irresponsible and blowing their hard-earned money on random stuff (which is still their prerogative), because he has so little faith in *what he was supposed to teach him*
— Parent notices the kid has been responsible, so as a way to teach him financial responsibility, charges him for… being responsible?
**HOW IS HE NOT BEING RESPONSIBLE**? He’s making sound financial investments to grow his own business. He is saving his money during a gap year, **because he graduated high school early**. How about teaching him the best way to manage it? Savings? What percentage to put away for future needs? Taxes? When you had a kid, and looked at him as a baby, did you think, “you know what, I want this child to deal with the exact same sh*t I had to when I started working?”
YTA OP.
Where the hell does OP think you will find a 2 bedroom for $600 dollars? He should help him save up for his impending adulthood and prep him to get his own place one day. Op is the AH
YTA
You're going to charge your minor and dependent son, who has a great job, rent??? And you're only charging him because he's making money, that's ridiculous and selfish.
If my imaginary son graduated a year early and he wants to fucking dick around and have fun for that year he earned I'm going to let him.
Parents should want their kids to enjoy life. And yes there will be a time in his life where he needs to struggle and he will. There will be a time in his life where he needs to learn about the reality of it and he will.
But as far as I'm concerned that kid earned a free year to just dick around, He's not going to be a kid much longer, let the kid enjoy, being a kid. He can be taught about adulthood next year when he's 18.
And charging your minor son rent when you're legally obligated to provide for them anyway seems kind of scummy.
Once his life starts in earnest, it's going to be nothing but work suffering sweat and tears until he retires unless he becomes a massive success which most people don't. He likely will have to worry about finances the rest of his life like most of us.
Give the kid one year to be irresponsible he earned it.
Dude is 17 and making more money than I am with a degree. He's not dicking around and enjoying life, he's a minor by law and making an adults wages. If I was his dad I would sit down with him and discuss his finances (savings/how to handle business purchases for tax write offs)
However, since he hid his income from his dad and as soon as the dad found out he wants rent I can understand why the son doesn't feel comfortable having had Dad as a financial advisor.
My mother did this to me except I was not pulling 3k a month AT ALL. She also treated me like a daughter and not like a tenant (if she had a real tenant she would’ve received a ton of complaints and had to actually maintain the house…). Yep, of course she claimed me on her taxes. Nope, she didn’t need the money—she wanted the money, and to play landlord.
I didn’t realize how messed up that was until the first post I saw on AITA where the commenters were roasting the parent for being so selfish. Every once in a while there’s another post like this and the comments heal me a little bit more every time 🥲 finally cut off my mother at the beginning of this month @30yo (for a ton of stuff) and stuff like this reminds me why. Thanks for being a voice of reason for those of us who don’t know what parental love looks like.
Been about 6 years since I cut my parents out.
It takes a while, but gets a bit easier.
After a certain point, you start to think "well, why would I go back, I've gotten this far."
It gets very easy at 5 years. For the first time I'm not thinking about them every day. It's nice. It's worth it.
My stepmother tried to do this to me—I told her if I had to pay rent then I wouldn’t have a curfew. Turns out controlling my social life was more important to her than making money off me. A couple years later her and my dad kept $10k of the money they were given for my college. I haven’t talked to either of them for a while (years).
Definitely an AH.
Honestly speaking - most parents who say they "want to prepare their kids for the real world" are just making excuses not to be parents a little sooner.
"Oh I am not being inattentive by being in my phone all day. I am preparing my kid for a world that will ignore him"
No. You're just a shitty person who doesn't love their kids.
If I have to teach my kid anything about the world it will be that his parents love him. He will learn about the world on his own anyway.
Streaming doesn't require a special internet connection, and the electricity useage of streaming over just playing video games is basically nothing. A couple LED lights and a camera probably add $5 a year to OP's electric bill.
YTA It comes across as you wanting a piece of the pie. If he were over 18, OK but he's not. If lil bro was flipping burgers at McDonalds, would you be charging him?
Also, since you are planning on charging him rent, I assume you'll be filing that on your taxes...
*He didn't actually tell me that he was making money until I pressed him*\*\*\*, which was weird,\*\*\* *but he came clean and showed me his Kick and Twitch profiles.*
That sentence is really telling. Kid probably new dad would get greedy if he told him how much he was making.
If OP really wanted to teach his kid about money, he'd sit him down and talk to him about investing, long term financial goals, taxes, etc. Charging rent doesn't teach him anything but that his dad will go begging for money if he makes bank.
Edit: Is OP a dad or a mom? Post history is confusing. Doesn't match with the other post made on the teen subreddit regarding "Dad wants to charge me rent"
Right? I started making great money at 18 and was incredibly proud of myself and everyone around me knew it. I had also been living on my own for 2 years.
I really think if his son could add his take, we’d see a whole new side of OP. I got tons of alarm bells at this statement too. There is NO WAY that the conversation around it was anything but awful. Confident in my judgement on this.
Son did post his take! Here you go! Posted on r/teenagers
My dad wants to charge me $600 a month in rent
So I stared streaming and have got pretty big on Kick for a new creator - I'm not even flexing, but I'm raking in around 3k a month now. I've turned my room into a legit streamer's paradise - dual monitors, top-tier gear, you name the tech, I've probably got it. All helps me stream.
But my dad's gone all landlord on me. he snooped around and saw how much I'm making, boom, he slaps a $600 monthly rent on me. His logic is that I've got this massive room, my personal hangout spot, plus an ensuite. And yeah, I use a ton of internet and electricity, but c'mon....
Mom's totally against this. She's all about the whole 'parents provide for their kids' thing. Dad tried to play it cool, saying he'll stash the rent money for my "future," but mom's not buying that story. And I think he is lying too
A bit about me: Finished high school early, been streaming non-stop in my gap year. College is still a maybe. Dad keeps talking about how he had to pay up as soon as he started earning.
Thoughts?? I lowkey think he's being a dick
Seems like it was written by the same person. They even both used the word "ensuite", which I've never heard anyone use before. And the kid refers to himself in the 3rd person a couple of times.
Agreed.
The “sons” post feels very “Grown man trying to write like a 17 year old”
But I lean towards both posts being written by the same person. Maybe the OP posted in r/teenagers to get more broad feedback, idk
Yeah this is probably fake. I feel like basically every story that’s posted from two sides probably isn’t real. Like there are just two people both independently posting in Reddit about the same thing without each other’s knowledge? Yr
It’s strange how both the posts hit the same exact points at about the same time: listing all the gear, the space available to him, the utilities he uses, the gap year and thinking about college etc... I think this is all fake.
The same person wrote both of these posts - it’s so obvious. This one reads like a script from a Disney Channel show. An actual teenager did not write this.
Agreed. And can be even legally charged him rent as a minor? Dad is obviously jealous and wants to steal his son’s money. If son was smart he would move out as soon as he can and never discuss his finances with his dad. Mom at least have some sort of common sense.
Not in my state. I recently read a law that states a parent is financially liable for their minor child's living expenses until they turn 18, but it's also on the books that a 17 year old can move out of their parent's house and sue for living expenses, basically collecting child support for themselves. It's not something well-known, understandably, but it is on the books.
Right? $600 is not a small amount. It might be less than actual rent, but it's not what I consider fair for an 18-22 year old son or daughter you are trying to support but teach a bit of responsibility and cover a couple bills. I think parents shouldn't charge more than $250 (unless it's really necessary).
17 years old is still a legal dependant. Charging rent is insane. Charging $600 is insane. OP just wants his fingers in the pot, he doesn't care about what is best for his son at all. He literally wants 20% of his MINOR child's income.
Exactly. Dad wants to show him about the "real world," and I guess he wants to teach him the lesson about people taking advantage of him. The fact that the kid didn't want to show his dad what he made speaks volumes about the type of dad OP is. Most kids would want to show off, and this one kept it a secret. OP has a rep within the family.
Kids in my family will pay for their cell phone bill, gas, or something to get them used to being responsible at that age and build credit.
>Kids in my family will pay for their cell phone bill, gas, or something to get them used to being responsible at that age and build credit.
I think that's how responsible, reasonable parents do it. When I got my first job and was making decent money for a teenager, my parents said I would now be responsible for buying some of my own clothes and gas to get to work and back, that I would no longer get an allowance but would still have chores, and I got a checking account. This was in the 90s, so no cell phone or internet bills yet, thank goodness.
It's absolutely fair for an adult who has the option to move out to pay $600 in rent. The difference here is OP's son is still a minor so doesn't have the same freedom and options as even an 18 year old as far as being able to rent somewhere, sign contracts, etc. Well not unless he gets emancipated which seems like a bit much.
It doesn’t even sound like it’s less than what rent would be for his area. He says $600 is comparable to what a 2 bedroom apartment would be in his area. And this is for a bedroom in a home with access to other rooms. Which is not the same as a two bedroom apartment of his own
Right? He wants to turn his 17 year old into a paying tenant, that means he gets to come and go as he pleases, disappear for days at a time because that’s what adults paying rent do. No household chores, you don’t clean your landlord’s toilet. He can have people in the room he pays for and it doesn’t matter if Landlord (oh, I mean Dad) likes having company at 3 AM.
My mom did. I worked at Wendy's and she charged me rent. $600 a month oddly enough a her rent was only $800 at the time. And still wasn't alllowed to eat in my room or watch tv in the living room. And she still carried me as a dependent.
Edited to fix typos
Parents don't realize that there are consequences for their actions. They think that by giving birth to someone gives them carte blanche to do whatever they want to them.
This is what OP needs to learn. If he decides to be an AH to his son, then the second his son turns 18 he's gonna choose to cut his parents out of his life.
I got my first job at 18 bc my parents wouldn’t let me beforehand. My mom wanted me to start paying half the rent. I only ate at work and never left my tiny bedroom! Where I could only walk the small aisle around the edge of my bed, 5-6 steps 🥲 I moved out instead.
I found out my mom was claiming me a dependent well into my 20’s while I was at college. I went for a year then took two off and went back for three years and graduated, but I had been living independently in an apartment working under the table at a pizza shop the entire time. Even after I graduated and got a “real” job my income tax return got fucked that first year because she STILL filled me as a dependent I was so fucking pissed I told her if she doesn’t stop I would report her. It wasn’t a mistake she said I lived there. She could have at least split whatever extra with me while I was in college struggling.
Plus give him légal tenant right. Lol you can't teach him - l think he understand this actual World better than you do, seems that you know better way to spend his money right. The only thing to do IS to tell him that you'll Ask for a bit of rent, once he hits 18 and six months, and will put that money aside for him. That's teaching.
I know a parent who did that. Charged the kid rent, but didn't tell them they were sticking the money into a separate bank account. When they were ready to move out, parent gave the child the money and kid bought a house with it instead of renting.
My daughter is 19, her bf almost 18, she's in her first year of college and he's in his last year of HS. They'll both live on campus while attending college, graduate and move back in with me while they are building careers. They will not pay rent or utilities or internet, and anything else I can afford to cover for them, and will instead stock that portion of their income into a savings account until they've saved enough for a decent down payment on an affordable house once their income is decent. They will need to provide proof of saving on a monthly basis in order to continue to live mostly expense-free. I'm not that trusting. I just don't see the point of them paying someone else's mortgage and property taxes in the for of rental payments. If it takes a year or three, I'll sacrifice so my daughter has it easier than I did.
Because when his kid is 18 he will legally be able to sign contracts like leases and will get his own place asap. OP has to get his fingers in the money while he can.
I raised two kids who are now adults. I’m thinking about alllll the money and time we spent on school events & extra curriculars. OP has a kid with an interest that generates good money (and is legal…haha), he should be proud.
Yep this is exactly my thought. Doesn’t sound like there was ever the expectation set that he wants his son to pay rent at some point. Absolutely sounds like he just wants a piece of the action. If I were the kid, I’d end up moving out as soon as I turned 18.
YTA. He's a CHILD, and you're charging him to live in the only place he legally can!? Did you forget that you were the one to bring him into this world? It's your responsibility to care for him until he's an adult; that's literally the whole point. This is literally one of the reasons why kids go "no-contact" with their parents once they're on their own.
>He's a CHILD, and you're charging him to live in the only place he legally can!?
That's a great point. Is OP going to evict him if he doesn't pay? I know plenty of shitty parents who kicked their kids out at 16-17 years old, and those kids no longer speak to their parents.
The fact that the details are exact is honestly weird. Like nothing additional from the “son” that I feel a person in this situation would add. That post after reading this one just feels so weird since all it did was reword this one.
It reads very “hello fellow kids” to me. “My dad went all landlord on me”? This is an adult writing like a kid, I’d bet. There’s the outside possibility the dad is real and he posted the other versions to try to get more validation, but the whole thing is very fishy to me.
YTA.
Your wife is right; it's your job to feed, clothe, and house your kids.
Do your job. If you're concerned that his success is going to turn him into an asshole, then make sure to have a lot of heart to heart talks with him about it.
But if you charge him rent, instead of learning anything he'll probably just think you're a dick.
YTA
Mostly because he is a minor, imo. I understand what you want to teach him and I think there are a couple ways you could approach it when he does turn 18. I think that you can look at it as “rent”, but everything he pays you should put into a nest-egg account for him that will eventually go back to him. I have seen this suggested on other situations and I think that you can perhaps compromise with your wife on this. Because yes, it does teach a good lesson about finances and managing money and all that good stuff, but it also helps to provide him with a little security for when he does go off on his own. You would have to commit to not touching this money. It will still be his. And then, when he officially moves out, the money goes back into his full possession again. But, at the moment, as a 17 year old minor, I wouldn’t charge rent. Hope this helps.
How much you wanna bet that "nest egg" money will magically disappear when the time comes to pay it over? Dad sounds like he is looking for a meal ticket
Can’t tell you how many of my friends paid rent with the promise that the rent would be a nest egg for their future mortgage. Not one ever got that amount back and most got nothing back.
When my SO and I told his parents he would be moving out so we could live together, they suggested renting the basement and they would "hold" that money for a down payment. When we declined they started charging him rent until he moved out. Insane what parents think they are entitled to from their children. I know damn well we would never have seen that money again
The most reasonable reply I've seen. Thank you!
I work in child welfare and have had to help kids this age learn how to do all the adult stuff *before* they turn 18 and age out. I understand where both parents are coming from, but as someone who regularly interacts with young adults who know next to nothing about adult life, I'm glad OP is at least thinking about doing this.
OP, you also need to start teaching him about financial literacy, how to read and understand rental agreements and various kinds of loans, what a *realistic* budget for housing is (not that 30% nonsense. That's just BS from the 80s), how to handle making doctors appointments, insurance stuff, etc. there's books out there with comprehensive information about what needs to be learned and breaks it down into "bite size" amounts.
Charge "rent" at 18, but in the meantime start on all the other stuff. Including how to set up some good bank and investment accounts.
He's jealous of his own kid. My ex agreed to pay our kid's college bills. One got a full ride scholarship and ex Still took his savings for himself. Guess who doesn't see his son anymore? Greed will make you happy in the short run. But you will lose love and respect and everything else that really matters
Dad could have offered to help teach the kid how to protect his money or grow it further by teaching him about investing etc.. literally any dweeb can take their money and throw it in a bank “put away his rent money” nah man I bet this kids gone the second he gets all that shit lined up and pops is gonna wonder why he only wants to talk to his mother
**YTA** Your son is a literal child. You taking money from him is predatory. Keep it up. He will be looking to move out as soon as he’s a legal adult. Why stay with a parent who is jealous of your success.
When I read $600 my eyes went 😳 a small amount of rent my ass! It doesn’t matter how much son is bringing in. Geez this man is pissing me the fuck off. I’d leave his selfish ass if I was his wife.
I had originally thought upon reading the first but “well, maybe $100-150 to cover internet and such…” as a lesson towards business expenses or if he was exceeding the bandwidth the family normally pays for. And I’d then put anything that wasn’t going towards any excessive bandwidth away for when he was moving out (for furniture/deposit/etc.).
But $600?! That’d definitely makes you an AH.
YTA big time. You are not "teaching him about adult responsibility," you are sitting on the sidelines greedily slavering over the prospect of carving off a piece of his income for yourself. At $3000/month he could easily live on his own in many areas, so the non-asshole way to go about "teaching him responsibility" would be to try and find a nearby apartment where he can learn that stuff while still being close enough to ask for help if needed. Even that's pretty bad, the real good parenting answer is that you should introduce him to a good, prudent broker so he can make investments that'll help him support himself long into the future after the streaming dries up instead of buying a car with a $2999.99/month payment like most 17 year olds would.
Yta. He's 17 You're not allowed to charge him right. That makes you a bad parent. You should be helping him invest and save his money. Maybe taking him to a financial planner. And helping him pay for college or some other form of higher education. Saving money for a car or his first house and even retirement.
If you wanted to charge him rent take that $600. And put it into an account and give it to him when he's older.
YTA. He's a teenager living under your roof. How about teaching him how to save money since he's killing it at earning it. Building a savings account would be really useful for when he does eventually move out and have rent and bills. Help your kids get ahead because housing and the economy is insane right now. I can't imagine taking money from my kids.
YTA. Charging a minor rent is B.S. You can have him pay for his own non-necessary expenses like car and auto insurance, his phone and internet, his electronics, and extra clothing and accessories that he wants, but you are obligated to pay for his room and board until he is 18.
If you want to teach him some real world adult shit - talk to him about banking, investing, saving.
Talk to him about interest rates and credit cards. Talk about long term planning and how he should invest in his education - and he can take media courses etc to improve his career.
Our boys were given a book by their uncle - "the wealthy barber" and one of our sons used to the information to save for his house.
YTA for talking about rent before he's an adult.
The rule is: as long as he's going to school, it's rent free.
There is only one way I would ever charge my children rent (even if they were over 18), and that is if I were horribly struggling financially for some reason, or I was putting their "rent" into an investment account that would go back to them for something like their own house. YTA
When I lived at home after graduating college, I paid my parents rent. When I moved out, they gave it all back to me. It was a lesson in budgeting. This kid is learning a lesson in selfish greedy parenting.
YTA. You’re legally responsible to provide him housing until he’s 18. Instead of encouraging him for his business success, you’re punishing him for it.
YTA - you sound like a fucking leach since you only thought about it when you realized he was earning a solid income. You shouldn't ask him for money at all and be thankful that you have a son that is financially independent instead of one who needs an allowance.
Moreover, if you ask him for rent, he will move out and your wife will never let that go if she is close to him/have a strong bond with him.
YTA. He’s a minor. Putting a roof over his head is your responsibility. Once he’s 18 and out of high school, revisit. Until then, use other methods to teach him responsibility that comes along with this type of income. Like opening a Roth IRA and saving for college.
Charging rent rn smacks of trying to take a piece of his pie more so than being about teaching him responsibility.
YTA
Charging him rent also means you no longer get to set rules. You are now tenant and landlord. Proceed with caution.
Many parents charge a small amount of rent after they turn 18 and save it for them to put towards a house. Consider that option. Dont make yoir child think you want to take advantage of their fledgling career.
If you were trying to help you’d be helping him find an accountant because he’s gotta file taxes. First thing you thought was take 600 in rent. You aren’t the one to help him w anything. Figure out who is because you saw that money and got greedy, forgot he was your kid.
YTA. He's a minor, and it's still your responsibility to feed and clothe him.
Instead, have a talk about financial responsibility, maybe encourage him to meet with a financial advisor, to make sure he's being responsible and putting some money in savings, not blowing it all on frivolities.
If you really want to go through with it let him know that the month after he turns 18 he will be expected to pay rent, and then put that money in a savings account for him to use later when he's more mature.
(Also, streaming is a legit career, not a "career.")
He didn’t tell me he was making money, which I thought was weird, but now that I know, I want him to pay me $600 month for existing in the home I am supposed to provide to him….
You’ve obviously shown you think you’re entitled to your child’s money before because he clearly knew to keep it from you.
YTA
Edit: YTA
I suggest you read the Fourth Turning by Will Strauss and Neil Howe, or at the least take a peak at this wiki that explains a core concept of the book [here](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory)
TL;DR: Parents of Millennials and Gen Z should want to help their kids as much as they can today as these kids don’t have the same opportunities or social programs as you did growing up and coming of age, AND nothing is affordable or obtainable on a single minimum wage income like was possible for preceding generations
Semantics. You aren’t charging rent; you would be stealing from him. You want to prepare him for the real world by exploiting him. He’s learning real-world skills without you stealing his earnings. He’s solving problems creatively, creating revenue, staying focused, and managing his time wisely. You see him earning, and you want a significant chunk for doing nothing.
Help him manage the funds by starting a high-interest savings account or by meeting with a financial planner. Don’t take his money because he’s performing really well. It’s clear that you don’t respect your kid’s effort. There’s no external circumstances; your kid is hustling in a good way.
You, sir, are a piece of shit, and I’m glad your wife sees it too.
He’s 17, not 27 living rent free. He is learning responsibility by making money. What would be great is to make sure he’s learning about saving, investing, retirement/emergency fund etc and not just spending everything he earns. Teach him to do it himself, that’ll be the greatest lesson that will pay dividends (literally) his whole life.
YTA. He’s still 17 and in high school. How about you teach him about the real world via making him prepare his own taxes? If he makes $3k/mo, he’ll have to file.
Are you claiming him as a dependent? If you charge him better take that off your taxes bud.
Very good point. Wonder if he realizes he’d need to remove him as a dependent and add the rent as income.
He also probably isn’t considering that if he files with his son as a dependent he either has to include his son’s income, or the son has to file taxes. The IRS will want their cut from his earnings. He will receive a 1099- NEC and being 17 isn’t going to save him from having to file and pay. I filed my first tax at 15. (Also he can’t falsify as the 1099-NEC is filed by the platform.) He will probably receive several, one for each platform as the cut off is at $601 for the tax year in earnings. I wonder if dad helped his son prepare for the real world with this. Such as explaining taxes, how to figure his owing, and putting those funds back for the check due in April. Streaming earnings are taxed pretty high, and he is pulling more than the average American pulls monthly. ETA: he most likely can’t claim the child as a dependent with his level of income (at least not to where it won’t get uncomfortable under an audit). If a dependent minor can provide half of their own support they are no longer considered a dependent. And there is zero age minimum on that, it’s based on income of the potential dependent. If an audit shows son made like $15k questions will be asked. It’s pretty hard to claim you provide more then half the support when the dependent has income higher then what’s nationally considered “poverty” in 2023. ETA: apparently parents can no longer include the dependents income for them on their taxes. I only ever heard that option from my parents with how their taxes were filed between 14 and 16. I always just filed my own.
If dad wants to teach his son something about adulting, he'd better start with income tax, not rent. Edit: typo
yep, the IRS don't play
Dual lesson. Charge "rent" aka the amount of money that the feds would want per month out of his income and put it aside. When taxes come around, he can use that money for the taxes, and if for whatever reason he doesn't get taxed or as high as calculated, congratulation, you have some extra money.
I don't think this dad's intention was to teach him anything tbh.
Yeah, dad seems to have another agenda
Cash grab.
The fact that he put career in quotes soured me right out. Show me unsupportive parent who still wants some of the gravy from the train.
Exactly this. He doesn’t support his son. He wants justification to take his son’s hard earned money.
Yep exactly this, exactly what my mom did when I started making really good money. I moved out on my 18th birthday.
Bingo. Dad sees dollar signs and wants in
Yeah, the last bit about “wanting him to contribute to the household” showed that it was never about “teaching” him anything - it was about skimming some cash off his kid for his own use. “Uses WiFi and electricity to stream”…what a blowhard. ETA: YTA
Then charge him for electricity and wifi . Imagine charging minor rent when you can pay bills as a parent.
He’s lazy and entitled. I swear these parents don’t understand that money can be made beyond their own capacity. Gahh this thread makes me mad. I never had money as a kid despite busting my ass doing odd jobs, etc. 600 dollars?! Wow. Money shows peoples greedy side. You know he’d cash his kid in if he could
Agreed. My parents never took money from me, of course I wanted to move out as soon as I could which was a huge mistake as I ended up having to move back less than a year later, but they still didn't charge me rent. I had my own phone bill, and other bills. I learned from my own mistakes of moving out before I was ready so I didn't make that mistake the 2nd time. He's going to push his own kid out of the house. I am now a parent and couldn't imagine charging my daughter rent when she's old enough to earn money. I'd just be proud she's earning money from streaming! It's not so easy to get followers/views etc...
I think it's a good principle to teach kids to pay bills. With that said, there could be better ways of doing this e.g. get the kid to pay towards the internet or maybe pay for the shopping for a week. 600 is way too steep for your child though and looks like they are just trying to milk the son rather than teach them any principle.
He needs to assist his son with business organization and accountancy. In my humble opinion, charging rent as a way of teaching his son responsibility is BULLSHIT. His son was responsible enough to graduate early, to create business success, and work during his gap year before college. This young man at 17 has it more together than some twice his age. I agree with Mom in this instance. Instead of banging a 17 year old for rent, watch over him and help him.
Even if he claims the son, the income is filed with the earner. Parents don’t include children’s income with their own return. But yes, this kid absolutely needs to be filing taxes, and I would be surprised if he’s prepared for that.
I only knew that as an option from my parents telling me about how their income was taxed between 14 and 16. I didn’t know that was no longer a viable option. Either way, I very highly doubt the son is prepared for his taxes. Dad wants rent to “teach” about the real world, taxes are a bigger part then paying bills. I hope the son has put back some savings somewhere that he can use in April ETA: the son is ineligible as a dependent anyways. The IRS qualifications for a dependent includes “The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,300.”
$4300 is for a “dependent relative.” Dependent children is $13850, which would be 3.5 months at a $3k/month average.
Teach Taxes as soon as earnings start, dont ask for rent till reaching sustainability in a gig
My dad used to claim me and then we would figure out what my return would have been and he paid me that bc it made more sense for him to claim me. But…I was working at 15 and a half part time and off and on before I turned 18 and this was back in the early 80’s so it has likely changed a lot.
I'd like to know where you can rent a 2 bedroom apartment for $600
Right?? Where I live studios are $1800-$2300. Studios.
I’d like to know how much rent OP would be charging if the kid wasn’t making *any* money. Because this reads like OP had zero faith in the kid and now wants to get his greedy hands on some easy cash. The kid using WiFi and electric was apparently not an issue *before* OP found out about the $3k/month. Why all of a sudden teach the kid about the “real world” now, when it wasn’t a priority before.
Yeah, makes me wonder why kiddo was hesitant to show dad the numbers in the first place… prolly knew this would happen.
Yeah the whole charging him for electric is weird to me. Would he charge him for utilities if he wasn’t streaming but still watching tv/turning on lights/using appliances? He’s his minor child, not his roommate that needs to split utilities with him. Odd. Might have been a reason the son didn’t tell them he was making money. Might be saving that up to move the hell out and away from dad. I have had friends who work their asses off at young ages just for their parents to take it to pay bills instead of getting jobs.
Two-bedroom places go for $3,000 a month in Oakland, California area.
Right? Avg in my area for 2 bedroom is 2500$.
I wonder if anybody realizes that the kid is going to be issued at 1099 from Kik and twitch
>Very good point. Wonder if he realizes he’d need to remove him as a dependent and add the rent as income. I wonder if he realizes even minors making 3K per month have to pay taxes.
I’m wondering if the kid knows he has to pay taxes on it himself. If I were the parents, I’d check with a tax consultant to see if they CAN claim him, and how much he can make before he has to pay taxes on it. Include the kid for this meeting. There are work arounds, of course, if he wants to use it to save for school. (Note: if he goes to college, mass media would be the best major to do with his “influencer” status.) If he’s making 3K a month, that’s 36K a year. He’s gonna need a tax professional.
A lot of young people don't realize that even if the job is non traditional (in that you're an independent contractor rather than an employee) that you have to be more careful about your taxes because no one is holding anything back for them and the IRS is still going to want their cut. A friend of mine is a tattoo artist and didn't realize when he was starting in his 20s that he had to save for taxes and he's still paying for it in his 40s.
Probably doesn’t even think about it or he wouldn’t be asking this question. The tax break is good enough lol. Edit: honestly if he was smart he would keep the kid as dependent until 20s, reap the tax benefits and allow his kid to live at the house. Have him contribute to food or whatever since I’m one year he will be 18. It’s in everyone’s best. Interest
The kid needs to be paying taxes as well, even if he’s a dependent if he’s making that much
I’d think he’d get a 1099 from the services (Kick, Twitch) that are monetizing his content.
You get $500 per child after the age of 16. When they start college you can get up $2500 if they are attending school. Also depends how much tuition is paid, and parents income. If the son is make that kind of money he need to be putting away about 35% for taxes. As a self employed person you are responsible for 100% of your social security and Medicare taxes. First 12k non taxable for federal, and whatever the state tax is. I am assuming he will receive a 1099 NEC. My 17 yo pays for his car insurance, and he puts 25% in an investment account. Plus he pays for his snacks and sodas.
Only way it would be fair is if was only a small amount to help cover power and internet bill. $100 is the most he should pay until he older.
That's what I was thinking. I'd have him cover power and internet.
If he gets a good tax guy, he might even be able to take part of the internet & power for business expenses.
Maybe I’m not maxing out my credits and deductions with my tax return because I can’t think of a single tax benefit for having a 17 year old dependent, at least not for federal taxes. The Child Tax credit doesn’t apply to 17 year olds and there aren’t personal exemptions for the number of dependents to make a difference. The only one I can think of is EIC but for married filing joint with one dependent that credit completely phases out around $56k of income.
Yeah, I read that other comment and I was like mmm no. People have weird ideas about the tax benefits of having kids. Like oh you can write off all your daycare expenses -mmmm no-not true. You can claim your kid as a dependent until they are 21.. Nope- at least not to a degree that benefits anyone. That has more to do with college and/or insurance. It blows my mind the degree that people think money is just being thrown at parents.
I’ve had to explain that being a dependent for one thing doesn’t make someone a dependent for everything. I had to tell my 22yo he was only a dependent for health insurance, not taxes, after his stimulus check wasn’t deposited and he finally figured out why. He had checked a box that he was a dependent on his tax return. He had his own home and health insurance was the only form of support we were providing. I’ve had to tell my 19yo she is a dependent according to FAFSA standards and health insurance but for tax purposes she is not a dependent. It’s a surprisingly difficult concept. My friend in her late 30’s had the same issue with her stimulus check because she and her husband filed married, filling separate and she checked the box that she was someone’s dependent because that is what the military labels her as since she is the spouse. They used TurboTax and just didn’t bother to click on the link for the explanation about who the IRS considers a dependent.
I completely disagree. The tax benefit is not great for older kids.
If he's saving all of the rent to gift to the kid when he moves out, then he wouldn't need to claim it as income and I wouldn't see the harm in that kind of an arrangement. But if he intends to pocket the money, that wouldn't be okay. His kid is 17; he doesn't need to be paying to live there when he's still a minor.
This is what I’m thinking- put that $600 /month into a savings account for the kid. He’ll be able to afford his own place when they’re ready. Plus- it’s a gift, therefore not income.
Roth IRA
Depending on where he's living, he might have to apply for a rental license and have his house inspected. Of course then his son could sue for emancipation.
[удалено]
I wish I knew this 20 years ago. They took all my check money and said they were saving it for me. They ended up spending THOUSANDS of dollars on hideous carpet for their whole house. Kicked me out at 3 months after I turned 18 and gave me 500 for a deposit on my apartment and told me I needed to pay it back.
Hey yes excuse me, your parents are fucked. Lol
This is one of the more interesting comments I've read on here by being succinct yet a complete juxtaposition. Very friendly to OP, disparaging towards the parents (understandably).
Ew. Retirement home.
I was just thinking of it from a he’s a minor and they’re obligated to care for him view. But that one is a good point too
Is it even legal to charge your own child rent as a minor?
Only if the kid is paying over 51% of his own living expenses. Insurance, food, housing, etc, etc. I doubt $600 is over 51%. Either way, the kid's a minor. Punishing him because he's earning some money seems backwards to me. Give him until 18 before you start charging him rent.
If he is under 18, they might need to claim his income on their taxes. This could cause them to pay more in taxes. Dude needs to talk to an accountant.
Minors file their own returns for earned income.
Yep, but dad needs to take him to a tax guy bc he’s considered an independent contractor, and he’s already making $36K a year if he makes $3K a month. Likely owes back taxes if this has been going on a while. Edit to add: take him to a tax guy FOR ADVICE
YTA - at 17 he is a dependant and charging him rent is not ok and especially with the world as it is he is lucky to have the chance to save and grow something you need to go look at the real world economics that young people face because living with parents until 30+ is the new norm.
YTA - In this economy, just let your kid get ahead instead of trying to profit off of him. You want to teach him about adult responsibilities, talk to him about what he wants his future to look like, help him understand what that would cost by creating a budget together and educate him on the importance of investing and how consistent investment at his age and beyond could allow him to have financial freedom.
Srsly what is with these parents trying to "teach" their kids responsibility by making them poor? He's not even an adult! Also OP be aware that your kid paying you rent may create a landlord/tenant relationship, something these boomers fail to think about when the kid stops paying rent and they try to evict him. YTA.
Honestly, keeping it quiet and doing all this under their nose makes me think he already knows these adult responsibilities and knows that he can't even trust family when it comes to keeping the books clean.
I did down vote, but it's because I don't believe the kid hid it due to understanding adult responsibilities such as budgeting or filing taxes. I think the son knew his father was going to want his slice and would "charge him rent to put it away for later" and the kid knew his dad enough to know his money "saved" would never be seen again. Personally, if my child made good money, I'd simply teach them how to invest it. How to grow it. How to save it. To make a return that they could put back into their business. I'd learn how the IRS views their business and what they expect as I've never experienced that before. In my mind, they're still my dependent because I'm still responsible for them legally. But hey, maybe if they're making so much money they can "technically" support themselves, they're no longer a dependent? I highly doubt this situation as if he were to do something really stupid, it could still technically come back on the parent, but that could also be state dependent. Is 16 an "adult", or 17? Shit. Can I still claim him? Most of the time the question/answer is subjective i.e. "Did the minor make income?" In this case YES. The IRS WANTS THEIR MONEY. "Did the minor provide more than half their means of support?". In this case, NO. They spent it on personal things and the parents provided food, shelter, utilities, etc. A tax advisor needs to be consulted. As a parent, OP IS DEFINITELY THE GREEDY AAAAND JEALOUS AH.
Teach him how to pay taxes on that money. Charging rent to a 17 year old is a dick move and a money grab.
Wonder why he didn’t tell them he was making money 😑 Let’s see what we have here: — Dad assumes his child is irresponsible and blowing their hard-earned money on random stuff (which is still their prerogative), because he has so little faith in *what he was supposed to teach him* — Parent notices the kid has been responsible, so as a way to teach him financial responsibility, charges him for… being responsible? **HOW IS HE NOT BEING RESPONSIBLE**? He’s making sound financial investments to grow his own business. He is saving his money during a gap year, **because he graduated high school early**. How about teaching him the best way to manage it? Savings? What percentage to put away for future needs? Taxes? When you had a kid, and looked at him as a baby, did you think, “you know what, I want this child to deal with the exact same sh*t I had to when I started working?” YTA OP.
Where the hell does OP think you will find a 2 bedroom for $600 dollars? He should help him save up for his impending adulthood and prep him to get his own place one day. Op is the AH
YTA You're going to charge your minor and dependent son, who has a great job, rent??? And you're only charging him because he's making money, that's ridiculous and selfish.
I’m sure OP is an honest man who will report the rent as income on his taxes after removing his son as a dependent.
Oh, I’m sure! Such an upstanding guy that he wants to charge his minor son, who graduated high school a year early, rent! I bet he’s an honest guy!
If my imaginary son graduated a year early and he wants to fucking dick around and have fun for that year he earned I'm going to let him. Parents should want their kids to enjoy life. And yes there will be a time in his life where he needs to struggle and he will. There will be a time in his life where he needs to learn about the reality of it and he will. But as far as I'm concerned that kid earned a free year to just dick around, He's not going to be a kid much longer, let the kid enjoy, being a kid. He can be taught about adulthood next year when he's 18. And charging your minor son rent when you're legally obligated to provide for them anyway seems kind of scummy. Once his life starts in earnest, it's going to be nothing but work suffering sweat and tears until he retires unless he becomes a massive success which most people don't. He likely will have to worry about finances the rest of his life like most of us. Give the kid one year to be irresponsible he earned it.
Dude is 17 and making more money than I am with a degree. He's not dicking around and enjoying life, he's a minor by law and making an adults wages. If I was his dad I would sit down with him and discuss his finances (savings/how to handle business purchases for tax write offs) However, since he hid his income from his dad and as soon as the dad found out he wants rent I can understand why the son doesn't feel comfortable having had Dad as a financial advisor.
My mother did this to me except I was not pulling 3k a month AT ALL. She also treated me like a daughter and not like a tenant (if she had a real tenant she would’ve received a ton of complaints and had to actually maintain the house…). Yep, of course she claimed me on her taxes. Nope, she didn’t need the money—she wanted the money, and to play landlord. I didn’t realize how messed up that was until the first post I saw on AITA where the commenters were roasting the parent for being so selfish. Every once in a while there’s another post like this and the comments heal me a little bit more every time 🥲 finally cut off my mother at the beginning of this month @30yo (for a ton of stuff) and stuff like this reminds me why. Thanks for being a voice of reason for those of us who don’t know what parental love looks like.
Down with motherlords! Congrats on cutting her off, hope you work through this, it's not easy but can be quite liberating!
Been about 6 years since I cut my parents out. It takes a while, but gets a bit easier. After a certain point, you start to think "well, why would I go back, I've gotten this far." It gets very easy at 5 years. For the first time I'm not thinking about them every day. It's nice. It's worth it.
My stepmother tried to do this to me—I told her if I had to pay rent then I wouldn’t have a curfew. Turns out controlling my social life was more important to her than making money off me. A couple years later her and my dad kept $10k of the money they were given for my college. I haven’t talked to either of them for a while (years).
Lol just a small small amount of uhhhh $600 a month lmfao
He sounds a little selfish to me.. $600 a month sounds more like he’s trying cash in on his son’s newfound fortunate success.
Definitely an AH. Honestly speaking - most parents who say they "want to prepare their kids for the real world" are just making excuses not to be parents a little sooner. "Oh I am not being inattentive by being in my phone all day. I am preparing my kid for a world that will ignore him" No. You're just a shitty person who doesn't love their kids. If I have to teach my kid anything about the world it will be that his parents love him. He will learn about the world on his own anyway.
YTA. Let him cover his expenses but you owe him food, shelter, education, and medical care.
But he’s using their electricity and wifi! 🙄
Those are expenses. If they upgrade their Wi-Fi or have a year-to-year electricity increase, have him cover that.
Streaming doesn't require a special internet connection, and the electricity useage of streaming over just playing video games is basically nothing. A couple LED lights and a camera probably add $5 a year to OP's electric bill.
YTA It comes across as you wanting a piece of the pie. If he were over 18, OK but he's not. If lil bro was flipping burgers at McDonalds, would you be charging him? Also, since you are planning on charging him rent, I assume you'll be filing that on your taxes...
*He didn't actually tell me that he was making money until I pressed him*\*\*\*, which was weird,\*\*\* *but he came clean and showed me his Kick and Twitch profiles.* That sentence is really telling. Kid probably new dad would get greedy if he told him how much he was making. If OP really wanted to teach his kid about money, he'd sit him down and talk to him about investing, long term financial goals, taxes, etc. Charging rent doesn't teach him anything but that his dad will go begging for money if he makes bank. Edit: Is OP a dad or a mom? Post history is confusing. Doesn't match with the other post made on the teen subreddit regarding "Dad wants to charge me rent"
Kid hid it for a reason lol, he knew
Kid is probably more fiscally responsible than dad from the looks of it.
Yeah I knew from reading how it was weird the son didn’t tell about making money that well duh he’s not telling look what happened when he did.
Exactly. If it were my kid, he’d be so proud of himself (rightfully), that he wouldn’t be able to keep it from us.
Yup mine would be the same, they tell me everything especially something like this .
Right? I started making great money at 18 and was incredibly proud of myself and everyone around me knew it. I had also been living on my own for 2 years.
I really think if his son could add his take, we’d see a whole new side of OP. I got tons of alarm bells at this statement too. There is NO WAY that the conversation around it was anything but awful. Confident in my judgement on this.
Son did post his take! Here you go! Posted on r/teenagers My dad wants to charge me $600 a month in rent So I stared streaming and have got pretty big on Kick for a new creator - I'm not even flexing, but I'm raking in around 3k a month now. I've turned my room into a legit streamer's paradise - dual monitors, top-tier gear, you name the tech, I've probably got it. All helps me stream. But my dad's gone all landlord on me. he snooped around and saw how much I'm making, boom, he slaps a $600 monthly rent on me. His logic is that I've got this massive room, my personal hangout spot, plus an ensuite. And yeah, I use a ton of internet and electricity, but c'mon.... Mom's totally against this. She's all about the whole 'parents provide for their kids' thing. Dad tried to play it cool, saying he'll stash the rent money for my "future," but mom's not buying that story. And I think he is lying too A bit about me: Finished high school early, been streaming non-stop in my gap year. College is still a maybe. Dad keeps talking about how he had to pay up as soon as he started earning. Thoughts?? I lowkey think he's being a dick
Seems like it was written by the same person. They even both used the word "ensuite", which I've never heard anyone use before. And the kid refers to himself in the 3rd person a couple of times.
I noticed this too. Feeling like the whole thing is fake no way this is really the son especially when he hasn't given us any additional information.
Agreed. The “sons” post feels very “Grown man trying to write like a 17 year old” But I lean towards both posts being written by the same person. Maybe the OP posted in r/teenagers to get more broad feedback, idk
Yeah this is probably fake. I feel like basically every story that’s posted from two sides probably isn’t real. Like there are just two people both independently posting in Reddit about the same thing without each other’s knowledge? Yr
This definitely needs to be WAY higher up. Thank you bluejewelz
It’s strange how both the posts hit the same exact points at about the same time: listing all the gear, the space available to him, the utilities he uses, the gap year and thinking about college etc... I think this is all fake.
The same person wrote both of these posts - it’s so obvious. This one reads like a script from a Disney Channel show. An actual teenager did not write this.
Agreed. And can be even legally charged him rent as a minor? Dad is obviously jealous and wants to steal his son’s money. If son was smart he would move out as soon as he can and never discuss his finances with his dad. Mom at least have some sort of common sense.
Not in my state. I recently read a law that states a parent is financially liable for their minor child's living expenses until they turn 18, but it's also on the books that a 17 year old can move out of their parent's house and sue for living expenses, basically collecting child support for themselves. It's not something well-known, understandably, but it is on the books.
In most places in the US (afaik), it is illegal to charge rent from a minor that you're claiming as a dependent. IANAL
Right? $600 is not a small amount. It might be less than actual rent, but it's not what I consider fair for an 18-22 year old son or daughter you are trying to support but teach a bit of responsibility and cover a couple bills. I think parents shouldn't charge more than $250 (unless it's really necessary). 17 years old is still a legal dependant. Charging rent is insane. Charging $600 is insane. OP just wants his fingers in the pot, he doesn't care about what is best for his son at all. He literally wants 20% of his MINOR child's income.
Exactly. Dad wants to show him about the "real world," and I guess he wants to teach him the lesson about people taking advantage of him. The fact that the kid didn't want to show his dad what he made speaks volumes about the type of dad OP is. Most kids would want to show off, and this one kept it a secret. OP has a rep within the family. Kids in my family will pay for their cell phone bill, gas, or something to get them used to being responsible at that age and build credit.
>Kids in my family will pay for their cell phone bill, gas, or something to get them used to being responsible at that age and build credit. I think that's how responsible, reasonable parents do it. When I got my first job and was making decent money for a teenager, my parents said I would now be responsible for buying some of my own clothes and gas to get to work and back, that I would no longer get an allowance but would still have chores, and I got a checking account. This was in the 90s, so no cell phone or internet bills yet, thank goodness.
It's absolutely fair for an adult who has the option to move out to pay $600 in rent. The difference here is OP's son is still a minor so doesn't have the same freedom and options as even an 18 year old as far as being able to rent somewhere, sign contracts, etc. Well not unless he gets emancipated which seems like a bit much.
It doesn’t even sound like it’s less than what rent would be for his area. He says $600 is comparable to what a 2 bedroom apartment would be in his area. And this is for a bedroom in a home with access to other rooms. Which is not the same as a two bedroom apartment of his own
In a few months watch it be "my son moved out and lives on his own and now my wife is pissed at me, AITA?"
Only to hear in the next sentence, "My house my rules..."
Right? He wants to turn his 17 year old into a paying tenant, that means he gets to come and go as he pleases, disappear for days at a time because that’s what adults paying rent do. No household chores, you don’t clean your landlord’s toilet. He can have people in the room he pays for and it doesn’t matter if Landlord (oh, I mean Dad) likes having company at 3 AM.
In the US it's illegal to charge a minor rent.
My mom did. I worked at Wendy's and she charged me rent. $600 a month oddly enough a her rent was only $800 at the time. And still wasn't alllowed to eat in my room or watch tv in the living room. And she still carried me as a dependent. Edited to fix typos
Dang!! Mom was cold blooded!!!
And that's why we aren't in each other's lives.
Good for you!
Good on you
Parents don't realize that there are consequences for their actions. They think that by giving birth to someone gives them carte blanche to do whatever they want to them.
This is what OP needs to learn. If he decides to be an AH to his son, then the second his son turns 18 he's gonna choose to cut his parents out of his life.
That is awful and she was taking advantage of you. So sorry.
I got my first job at 18 bc my parents wouldn’t let me beforehand. My mom wanted me to start paying half the rent. I only ate at work and never left my tiny bedroom! Where I could only walk the small aisle around the edge of my bed, 5-6 steps 🥲 I moved out instead.
I found out my mom was claiming me a dependent well into my 20’s while I was at college. I went for a year then took two off and went back for three years and graduated, but I had been living independently in an apartment working under the table at a pizza shop the entire time. Even after I graduated and got a “real” job my income tax return got fucked that first year because she STILL filled me as a dependent I was so fucking pissed I told her if she doesn’t stop I would report her. It wasn’t a mistake she said I lived there. She could have at least split whatever extra with me while I was in college struggling.
I wouldve reported her.
That's a lot of money to charge a kid for rent working at Wendy's.
If you’re gonna charge him rent he’s pretty much a free person to come and go as he wants.
Plus give him légal tenant right. Lol you can't teach him - l think he understand this actual World better than you do, seems that you know better way to spend his money right. The only thing to do IS to tell him that you'll Ask for a bit of rent, once he hits 18 and six months, and will put that money aside for him. That's teaching.
I know a parent who did that. Charged the kid rent, but didn't tell them they were sticking the money into a separate bank account. When they were ready to move out, parent gave the child the money and kid bought a house with it instead of renting. My daughter is 19, her bf almost 18, she's in her first year of college and he's in his last year of HS. They'll both live on campus while attending college, graduate and move back in with me while they are building careers. They will not pay rent or utilities or internet, and anything else I can afford to cover for them, and will instead stock that portion of their income into a savings account until they've saved enough for a decent down payment on an affordable house once their income is decent. They will need to provide proof of saving on a monthly basis in order to continue to live mostly expense-free. I'm not that trusting. I just don't see the point of them paying someone else's mortgage and property taxes in the for of rental payments. If it takes a year or three, I'll sacrifice so my daughter has it easier than I did.
It’s only a year or less before he reaches 18, so I don’t really understand what OP’s hurry is.
The kid will move out at 18, I'm guessing. I would. 3 grand a month? In an area where apparently $600 gets him a 2 bedroom? Lol, bye.
Because when his kid is 18 he will legally be able to sign contracts like leases and will get his own place asap. OP has to get his fingers in the money while he can.
So as soon as a kid turns 18 it's time for them to start shelling out money?
This. Wife is right, husband is just stubborn. He’s not going to read this either and has no intention of “saving” that money.
I raised two kids who are now adults. I’m thinking about alllll the money and time we spent on school events & extra curriculars. OP has a kid with an interest that generates good money (and is legal…haha), he should be proud.
Yep this is exactly my thought. Doesn’t sound like there was ever the expectation set that he wants his son to pay rent at some point. Absolutely sounds like he just wants a piece of the action. If I were the kid, I’d end up moving out as soon as I turned 18.
YTA. He's a CHILD, and you're charging him to live in the only place he legally can!? Did you forget that you were the one to bring him into this world? It's your responsibility to care for him until he's an adult; that's literally the whole point. This is literally one of the reasons why kids go "no-contact" with their parents once they're on their own.
>He's a CHILD, and you're charging him to live in the only place he legally can!? That's a great point. Is OP going to evict him if he doesn't pay? I know plenty of shitty parents who kicked their kids out at 16-17 years old, and those kids no longer speak to their parents.
Same story from son’s perspective: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/s/VmZdUKRfVG
It’s deleted now. Posted almost the same time. This now seems like a bait/troll/karma post
same post that's still up by the same user: https://www.reddit.com/r/teenagers/s/eb7F2aUNyf
The fact that the details are exact is honestly weird. Like nothing additional from the “son” that I feel a person in this situation would add. That post after reading this one just feels so weird since all it did was reword this one.
It reads very “hello fellow kids” to me. “My dad went all landlord on me”? This is an adult writing like a kid, I’d bet. There’s the outside possibility the dad is real and he posted the other versions to try to get more validation, but the whole thing is very fishy to me.
YTA. Your wife is right; it's your job to feed, clothe, and house your kids. Do your job. If you're concerned that his success is going to turn him into an asshole, then make sure to have a lot of heart to heart talks with him about it. But if you charge him rent, instead of learning anything he'll probably just think you're a dick.
YTA Mostly because he is a minor, imo. I understand what you want to teach him and I think there are a couple ways you could approach it when he does turn 18. I think that you can look at it as “rent”, but everything he pays you should put into a nest-egg account for him that will eventually go back to him. I have seen this suggested on other situations and I think that you can perhaps compromise with your wife on this. Because yes, it does teach a good lesson about finances and managing money and all that good stuff, but it also helps to provide him with a little security for when he does go off on his own. You would have to commit to not touching this money. It will still be his. And then, when he officially moves out, the money goes back into his full possession again. But, at the moment, as a 17 year old minor, I wouldn’t charge rent. Hope this helps.
For what it's worht, OP Mentioned the nest egg bit, but only after his wife disagreed with him initially.
How much you wanna bet that "nest egg" money will magically disappear when the time comes to pay it over? Dad sounds like he is looking for a meal ticket
Can’t tell you how many of my friends paid rent with the promise that the rent would be a nest egg for their future mortgage. Not one ever got that amount back and most got nothing back.
When my SO and I told his parents he would be moving out so we could live together, they suggested renting the basement and they would "hold" that money for a down payment. When we declined they started charging him rent until he moved out. Insane what parents think they are entitled to from their children. I know damn well we would never have seen that money again
Yeah, the way he had “put away” in quotes as well instead of just “rent money” makes me think he had no actual intention to put it away.
The most reasonable reply I've seen. Thank you! I work in child welfare and have had to help kids this age learn how to do all the adult stuff *before* they turn 18 and age out. I understand where both parents are coming from, but as someone who regularly interacts with young adults who know next to nothing about adult life, I'm glad OP is at least thinking about doing this. OP, you also need to start teaching him about financial literacy, how to read and understand rental agreements and various kinds of loans, what a *realistic* budget for housing is (not that 30% nonsense. That's just BS from the 80s), how to handle making doctors appointments, insurance stuff, etc. there's books out there with comprehensive information about what needs to be learned and breaks it down into "bite size" amounts. Charge "rent" at 18, but in the meantime start on all the other stuff. Including how to set up some good bank and investment accounts.
how pathetic to be a grown ass man needing to leech off your teenage son.
Who isnt even making alot of money. Alot for a kid but not alot for an adult. Help him budget and pay his taxes. Dont leech lol
And he wants to charge comparable rent for a whole two bedroom apartment when the kid uses two rooms and a bathroom
And will undoubtedly still have to follpw his parents rules. Yah...nah
He's jealous of his own kid. My ex agreed to pay our kid's college bills. One got a full ride scholarship and ex Still took his savings for himself. Guess who doesn't see his son anymore? Greed will make you happy in the short run. But you will lose love and respect and everything else that really matters
Greedy fuck YTA
"teach him the ways of the world" my balls on vinagre. Bro wants a piece of THE cake
Dad could have offered to help teach the kid how to protect his money or grow it further by teaching him about investing etc.. literally any dweeb can take their money and throw it in a bank “put away his rent money” nah man I bet this kids gone the second he gets all that shit lined up and pops is gonna wonder why he only wants to talk to his mother
**YTA** Your son is a literal child. You taking money from him is predatory. Keep it up. He will be looking to move out as soon as he’s a legal adult. Why stay with a parent who is jealous of your success.
When I read $600 my eyes went 😳 a small amount of rent my ass! It doesn’t matter how much son is bringing in. Geez this man is pissing me the fuck off. I’d leave his selfish ass if I was his wife.
I had originally thought upon reading the first but “well, maybe $100-150 to cover internet and such…” as a lesson towards business expenses or if he was exceeding the bandwidth the family normally pays for. And I’d then put anything that wasn’t going towards any excessive bandwidth away for when he was moving out (for furniture/deposit/etc.). But $600?! That’d definitely makes you an AH.
Also where does this guy live that he thinks a 2BR apartment would go for $600 a month?!
And how is a 1 bedroom that the kid made better equal to a 2 bed apartment?
The past
YTA big time. You are not "teaching him about adult responsibility," you are sitting on the sidelines greedily slavering over the prospect of carving off a piece of his income for yourself. At $3000/month he could easily live on his own in many areas, so the non-asshole way to go about "teaching him responsibility" would be to try and find a nearby apartment where he can learn that stuff while still being close enough to ask for help if needed. Even that's pretty bad, the real good parenting answer is that you should introduce him to a good, prudent broker so he can make investments that'll help him support himself long into the future after the streaming dries up instead of buying a car with a $2999.99/month payment like most 17 year olds would.
Yta. He's 17 You're not allowed to charge him right. That makes you a bad parent. You should be helping him invest and save his money. Maybe taking him to a financial planner. And helping him pay for college or some other form of higher education. Saving money for a car or his first house and even retirement. If you wanted to charge him rent take that $600. And put it into an account and give it to him when he's older.
YTA. He's a teenager living under your roof. How about teaching him how to save money since he's killing it at earning it. Building a savings account would be really useful for when he does eventually move out and have rent and bills. Help your kids get ahead because housing and the economy is insane right now. I can't imagine taking money from my kids.
YTA. Charging a minor rent is B.S. You can have him pay for his own non-necessary expenses like car and auto insurance, his phone and internet, his electronics, and extra clothing and accessories that he wants, but you are obligated to pay for his room and board until he is 18.
[удалено]
YTA and a very greedy person. That's not how you teach responsibility, that's how you push away your child. Wow just wow. Unbelievably evil
Tell us more about how jealous you are of your own kid. Haha. You're right. He's greedy and is pushing him away
The son probably makes more than him
YTA He's a minor, it's your job to provide for him, I don't care how much money he makes. And $600 isn't 'a little bit of rent'
If you want to teach him some real world adult shit - talk to him about banking, investing, saving. Talk to him about interest rates and credit cards. Talk about long term planning and how he should invest in his education - and he can take media courses etc to improve his career. Our boys were given a book by their uncle - "the wealthy barber" and one of our sons used to the information to save for his house. YTA for talking about rent before he's an adult. The rule is: as long as he's going to school, it's rent free.
There is only one way I would ever charge my children rent (even if they were over 18), and that is if I were horribly struggling financially for some reason, or I was putting their "rent" into an investment account that would go back to them for something like their own house. YTA
When I lived at home after graduating college, I paid my parents rent. When I moved out, they gave it all back to me. It was a lesson in budgeting. This kid is learning a lesson in selfish greedy parenting.
I was thinking this but it seems OP is low-key jealous of his son and feels entitled to his money
I’m getting big “child star” vibes from OP. Poor kid.
YTA. Greed at its finest.
YTA. You’re legally responsible to provide him housing until he’s 18. Instead of encouraging him for his business success, you’re punishing him for it.
YTA you don’t wanna teach him about the “real world,” you just wanna mooch off your son.
Yes, until he is 18, you are responsible for him. He should be saving his money until he’s 18.
YTA - you sound like a fucking leach since you only thought about it when you realized he was earning a solid income. You shouldn't ask him for money at all and be thankful that you have a son that is financially independent instead of one who needs an allowance. Moreover, if you ask him for rent, he will move out and your wife will never let that go if she is close to him/have a strong bond with him.
YTA. He’s a minor. Putting a roof over his head is your responsibility. Once he’s 18 and out of high school, revisit. Until then, use other methods to teach him responsibility that comes along with this type of income. Like opening a Roth IRA and saving for college. Charging rent rn smacks of trying to take a piece of his pie more so than being about teaching him responsibility.
YTA As long as your son is a minor. Housing him is 100% your responsibility.
YTA Charging him rent also means you no longer get to set rules. You are now tenant and landlord. Proceed with caution. Many parents charge a small amount of rent after they turn 18 and save it for them to put towards a house. Consider that option. Dont make yoir child think you want to take advantage of their fledgling career.
If you were trying to help you’d be helping him find an accountant because he’s gotta file taxes. First thing you thought was take 600 in rent. You aren’t the one to help him w anything. Figure out who is because you saw that money and got greedy, forgot he was your kid.
YTA. He's a minor, and it's still your responsibility to feed and clothe him. Instead, have a talk about financial responsibility, maybe encourage him to meet with a financial advisor, to make sure he's being responsible and putting some money in savings, not blowing it all on frivolities. If you really want to go through with it let him know that the month after he turns 18 he will be expected to pay rent, and then put that money in a savings account for him to use later when he's more mature. (Also, streaming is a legit career, not a "career.")
Yta. Hes 17. Stop being greedy with you sons success. Eta and you and his mom better not claim him as a dependent after charging him rent.
I wouldn’t charge him rent but I would require him to max out a Roth IRA and save up a college fund. And celebrate his good fortune!
Yta its sad that when your son starts making money your first instinct is to find a way to get some of it
He didn’t tell me he was making money, which I thought was weird, but now that I know, I want him to pay me $600 month for existing in the home I am supposed to provide to him…. You’ve obviously shown you think you’re entitled to your child’s money before because he clearly knew to keep it from you. YTA
Edit: YTA I suggest you read the Fourth Turning by Will Strauss and Neil Howe, or at the least take a peak at this wiki that explains a core concept of the book [here](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory) TL;DR: Parents of Millennials and Gen Z should want to help their kids as much as they can today as these kids don’t have the same opportunities or social programs as you did growing up and coming of age, AND nothing is affordable or obtainable on a single minimum wage income like was possible for preceding generations
YTA. You’re a fucking thief.
Semantics. You aren’t charging rent; you would be stealing from him. You want to prepare him for the real world by exploiting him. He’s learning real-world skills without you stealing his earnings. He’s solving problems creatively, creating revenue, staying focused, and managing his time wisely. You see him earning, and you want a significant chunk for doing nothing. Help him manage the funds by starting a high-interest savings account or by meeting with a financial planner. Don’t take his money because he’s performing really well. It’s clear that you don’t respect your kid’s effort. There’s no external circumstances; your kid is hustling in a good way. You, sir, are a piece of shit, and I’m glad your wife sees it too.
He’s 17, not 27 living rent free. He is learning responsibility by making money. What would be great is to make sure he’s learning about saving, investing, retirement/emergency fund etc and not just spending everything he earns. Teach him to do it himself, that’ll be the greatest lesson that will pay dividends (literally) his whole life.
YTA!!!! He’s still a kid. Leave him alone to save up his money. You sound like a jealous, vindictive parent.
YTA. He’s still 17 and in high school. How about you teach him about the real world via making him prepare his own taxes? If he makes $3k/mo, he’ll have to file.
Your son just posted this. At least, I think it’s your son. Too coincidental. https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/s/YCQJXZa0ig