Introduction to Income Tax for Kids and Teens
This video explains the concept of income tax in a simple, concise way for kids and beginners. It could be used by kids & teens to learn about taxation, or used as a money & personal finance resource by parents and teachers as part of a Financial Literacy course or K-12 curriculum.
Suitable for students from grade levels:
- Kindergarten
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
The topics covered are:
- What is income tax
- Income tax brackets
- Progressive application of tax brackets
- Federal and state income tax
- Changes in tax rate
- Tax Withholding
- Income tax refund
- Filing Income Tax Returns
Howdy Wall Street Willy.
I heard my parents talk about Income Tax. But…
What is income tax anyway?
Well, income tax is tax that you pay to the government on the money that you earn.
Income tax brackets
Well, does everyone pay the same amount of income tax?
No, they don’t because there are different tax brackets.
Which means that the higher your income, the higher is the income tax.
Paying income tax with low earnings
Ah. But what happens if you earn really, really little money? Do you still have to pay income tax?
No. Everyone gets a standard deduction, which is currently $12,000. Which means that if you earn less than $12,000 you do not have to pay any income tax.
Hurray! But do I pay income tax on my allowance?
No, you do not pay any income tax on your allowance because it’s usually below $12,000.
Progressive application of tax brackets
How are tax brackets applied?
But is it better to earn less purposely and then qualify for a lower tax bracket?
No, the higher tax rate only applies to the incrementally higher income, not all of the income. So don’t try to earn less just so that you could qualify for a lower tax bracket.
Oh, okay. I’ll definitely do that because I love money.
Federal and state income tax
Anyway, are there any different types of income tax or is there just one?
Well, there are two different kinds of income tax.
The 1st one is federal income tax that you pay till your country, and the second is state income tax that you pay to your state.
Well, is the state income tax rate the same for all the states?
No, some states don’t have any income tax, like Texas. And some states have more income tax or less income tax than other states.
Yay! I can’t wait till I go back to Texas cause then I won’t have to pay any state income tax!
Does the income tax rate keep changing, or is it the same for, well, forever?
No, the income tax rate does keep changing. It can change from the course of one year to another year.
But the highest income tax rate ever by the federal government was 94% in 1944.
Whoa, that’s a lot of income tax!! I would not want to have to pay income tax back then! Anyway…
Tax Withholding
When do we even have to pay income tax?
Well, income tax is withheld, or deducted, from your paycheck every time you get a paycheck.
Okay.
Income tax refund
Well, what happens if I end up paying extra income tax?
Do I pay less income tax next year, or do I get the money back?
Yes, you do get your money back as a refund.
What happens if I don’t pay my income tax or don’t pay all of it?
Then you will be charged interest and a penalty, which means you will end up paying more income tax than you needed to, since you did not pay it in full.
I will not pay less income tax than I’m supposed to – I don’t want to pay any extra money.
Filing Income Tax Returns
How does the government know how much I earn, and how much tax I have to pay?
Well, you tell them by filing your income tax return by the April 15th of every year.
But that’s a topic for another time…
Thank you very much for telling me about income tax, Wall Street Willy.
You’re welcome, Sooper Cooper. Remember, finance is you friend!
Video Featured in the Below Financial Literacy Courses for Kids & Teens
Download Transcript: Ideal for Use by Teachers in their Lesson Plan to Teach Kids & Teens
Podcast: What is Income Tax?
Fun, informative and concise episodes by a 10-year old, breaking down complex financial concepts in a way that kids and beginners can understand. Episodes cover personal finance topics like saving, investing, banking, credit cards, insurance, real estate, mortgage, retirement planning, 401k, stocks, bonds, income tax, and more, and are in the form of a conversation between a cowboy (a finance novice) and his friend, a stock broker. Making finance your friend, only at Easy Peasy Finance.
A little bit about me: I have been fascinated with the world of personal finance since I was 6! I love to read personal finance books, and keep myself updated on the latest by reading various personal finance magazines. My friends often ask me questions about finance because they find it complex and intimidating. That’s what inspired me to start my YouTube channel called Easy Peasy Finance when I was 8, and this podcast 2 years later.
Everything about income tax: what is income tax, does everyone pay the same income tax, is it better to earn less purposely to qualify for a lower tax bracket, different types of income tax (federal and state), is the state income tax rate the same for all states, does the income tax rate keep changing or it stays the same, when do you have to pay income tax (Apr 15), what happens if you end up paying extra income tax (refund), what happens if you don’t pay income tax or don’t pay all of it (interest and penalty), how does the government know how much you earn and how much income tax you have to pay (filing tax return), and more. Show notes and transcript at: https://easypeasyfinance.com/what-is-income-tax/
