Your kids can retire as millionaires.

Hire your kids. Fund their Roth IRA.

We handle the paperwork.

Get started Set up in 10 minutes

The Roth IRA

There's a retirement account called a Roth IRA

Put in up to $7,500 per year.

It grows around 7% annually.

When you retire, you withdraw it tax-free.

The Secret

There's no age limit

Most people wait until their 20s or 30s to open a Roth IRA.

Your 12-year-old can start today.

Open a custodial account and contribute on their behalf until they're 18.

"Contributions can be made to your Roth IRA regardless of your age."

The Math

Starting early matters

Pick a starting age and yearly contribution.

In this calculator, we assume contributions stop at 18.

Their Roth IRA keeps growing until they retire at 65.

Start Age Yearly Contribution Portfolio Value at Age 65 Total Invested Multiplier
1 Year Old $1,000 $ 51,274 $ 10,000 5.1x
10 $5,000 $ 1.3M $ 40k 33x
17 $7,500 $ 486,284 $ 8,500 57.3x

Assumes 7% annual return (S&P 500 avg).

The Rule

One rule: the money must be earned

You can only contribute to your child's Roth IRA if they have earned income.

  • Not Eligible:

    • Handing them cash
    • Allowance
    • Birthday money

  • IRS Approved:

    • Real work
    • Age-appropriate tasks
    • Fair market rate

The Strategy

So hire your kids

Pay them a fair rate for real tasks.

The same you'd pay anyone else.

They learn responsibility. You build their future.

Works for any family. Many parents pay their kids for household work and use it to fund Roth IRAs.

Suggested Tasks:

  • Modeling (Age 4+)
  • Stamping Docs (Age 5+)
  • Shredding (Age 6+)
  • Dusting (Age 5+)
  • Filing Papers (Age 7+)
  • Washing Car (Age 8+)
  • Data Entry (Age 10+)
  • Social Media (Age 13+)
  • Market Research (Age 12+)
  • Graphic Design (Age 13+)

The Catch

The IRS wants proof

Hiring your kids is completely legal.

But if you get audited, you need documentation. Employment agreements. Time logs. Tax forms.

Without them? The IRS disallows the contributions and charges you penalties.

This is what employkids is for.

Employ your kids the right way.

Simple to set up. Easy to use. Fully compliant.

Hire your kids in minutes

Pick from 100+ tasks. Built-in rate guidance. We generate the contracts.

  • Employment Agreement (Signed)
  • Signature Certificate (Timestamped)

Log work and payments

You handle the money.

We handle the documentation.

  • Automatic server timestamps
  • Complete activity history
  • Optional photo proof

Year-End Tax Packet

One click. Everything organized. Every document timestamped and traceable.

  • Cover summary
  • Tax time readme
  • Signed employment agreements
  • Signature certificates
  • Job descriptions per child
  • Timesheets + work logs (PDF + CSV)
  • Payment ledger + reconciliation
  • W-2 worksheets per child
  • Roth contribution memos
  • Full edit history (audit log)

Tax Packet available for download anytime.

Common questions.

  • Is this legal?
  • What kind of work counts?
  • How young can they start?
  • Do I need to own a business?
  • How do I actually pay them?
  • Do you open the Roth IRA for me?
  • How much can they contribute per year?
  • What happens at tax time?
  • What if I get audited?
  • Does this affect financial aid?
  • Is there a money-back guarantee?

Hire your kids. We'll handle the rest.

Get started Set up in 10 minutes.