Very OT: Taxes (Legal Question)

Hey yall

I havent posted much, but i check in here most everyday....

As you know, things got kind of messed up in Ohio last summer, and i went to go live with my dad...

We just moved to michigan last week and ive been loving it up here... ITs beautiful, the people are friendly, its awesome

Anyway... Im planning to leave for the farm tomorrow to go spend a few days of my christmas break down there...


But first.. And im really sorry for the OT, but you guys seem to know everything, and ive learned so much here... Not just about tractors... I thought that id ask here...

Ive been a youtuber for over a year now... And my channel has really taken off...

Its gone from nothing to almost 2,000 views a day on all my stuff, and 750 followers, and hundreds of views on my new videos, ive decided to try making some money off of it..

Youtube has whats called the partner program, where google (their parent company) runs adds on your videos, and you get a (small) chunk of the revenue...

And ive decided to apply for it...

Theres just one catch.

You need to be over 18, since its taxable income...

Youtube lets us minors do it if its through an adult, and they reccommend a parent..

All you do is put your account in their name..

But, with all the family stuff going on, and all the heat and the turmoil, i just really, really dont want to do that...

So, heres my idea...

My best friend on youtube is a man in Texas...

He said he would help me with all this, so, id set my account to his name... It would be legally his...

And the checks would come to him...

He"d take out a chunk for taxes and the like, and pass the rest on to me...

But were trying to find out if this is all legal...

Im thinking it would be, since it would be "his" money, and he could thus give it to whatever random teenager he wanted to...

But i guess im known for not thinking of things... So, am i missing anything here???

Any help would, as always, be appriciated....
My New Website

yes but do you know this guy good enough to trust that he will do as you want? after all everything will be in his name and what if it turns out to be a scam?

Lanse,

MrFixit and I have just started our own youtube show. We hope to make the same deal someday. Yes , it would be illegal because that guy lives in Texas and your in Michigan, so then they could get him for solicitaing with a minor across state line , then you could be charged with tax evasion or something along those lines. Also, I get the feeling that chances are you have never met the man . Am I right . So what makes you think that he will honestly give you you share of the money ? You would have to take him to court to get your money if you caught him cheating you and then Google would find out and you'd probably lose your partnership. Not counting the legal trouble .

Whizkidkyus

P.S. Look at my post on Tool Talk at you will find a link to our site on youtube .

Soliciting a minor???

Lol... Isnt that something to do with s3xu91 predation??

Id think thats kind of irrevelent...

Soliciation dosen't always mean the three letter word , Lanse.

Welcome to Michigan, Lanse. Where are you living?

My advice would be to keep developing your site and followers. Once you turn 18, everything will be legal and you'll reap all the profits and benefits. It's kind of like a writer's copyright. Once you sign away your site, it may be gone for good. Then you'll have to start all over and could actually end up getting sued for using your own material. Just my two cents.

Larry in Michigan

Grow up young man i have a friend in Texas thats holding my 16,000,000 i got from Nigera so i dont have to pay taxes on it. If you read these topics havent you heard about all the funny stuff going on using the internet oh yes im your friend and ill help. What will it take for you young people to wake up and realize the net is used for many schemes.

I have this friend in Nigeria. At least I think he is a friend because he sure writes me enough. More than any other friend bothers to write. He keeps wanting to help me financially so I would guess he would be more than willing to help you.

Come on Lanse, if you can't trust your mom or dad just keep up the good work with your videos and soon you will be 18 and you will have a better start at a higher internet income.

The reason you have to be 18 is that minors can't sign a legally binding contract. Not only is it illegal for YouTube to form a contract with you, it's illegal for you and this person in Texas to form a contract. IANAL, but I believe the only way to do this above board is to have a parent or legal guardian make the contract on your behalf. I believe it's also possible to petition the court to become an "emancipated minor", but this has other ramifications that you probably don't want. (For example, your parents no longer have to support you.)

As everyone else said, it is quite doubtful that this person who is allegedly in Texas has your best interests in mind.

He is a friend on youtube, but is he a friend,? as I see it you put in all the ideas, he gets the cheques.Of course all the ideas are his.

don"t do it, wait until you reach 18, nothing like being the master of your own affairs.
Seems you don"t trust your Father,which is sad, I would be working on that.
[no offence intended]

The "School of hard knocks" is a good teacher, but very unforgiving. Best proceed with caution.....or wait till you have control (age 18)
good luck,
Andy

Lanse,

After thinking about your situation, I feel I need to post a second time. Hopefully, the answers you've received will convince you to not go down this path. But if you still feel compelled to let this individual take over your account, I can't over-stress the importance of confirming his identity. There are millions of scammers on the web, and they've become very clever at concealing their identity while defrauding others.

A good way to confirm your "friend"'s identity is to ask for his landline phone number. Confirm that the number is listed, has a name and address that agrees with what he's told you, and then call him up and talk to him personally. If he can't provide you with a listed landline phone number in Texas, you can be 99 percent certain he's a scammer. If he claims to be deaf and will only talk to you through an operator, it is a one hundred percent certainty he's a scammer.

I apologize in advance if your friend turns out to be legit. But true friends don't help their friends commit fraud.

I agree with the nigerian thing. I took a look at your website and your vacation pics.I grew up very close to Randolph NH in Lancaster NH, spent a lot of time at different farms . They have a big tractor pull there in August. I bet you hated seeing those acres of fields in your pictures growing up and no one taking care of them. I don't know why the dairy farm five miles down the road doesn't hay or chop them.

Mark, he's not committing fraud. He just wants to figure out how to get money legally owed him, and legally pay the taxes. Can't see much wrong with that.

Gene

Gene, read my first post. Lanse is a minor; only his legal guardian may sign a contract on his behalf. It is nothing short of fraud for Lanse and his mysterious friend to claim that the friend is his guardian. I suspect that it is also fraudulent for the friend to pay income taxes on Lanse's behalf.

There's a sucker born every minute.
P.T. Barnam

If you get his name look his name & phone number up on zabasearch.com. If it's not listed I would walk away. Hal

Lanse, I have read some of the things that have gone on in your life. Let me first say that I am proud of you. I despise your parents for what they have done to you.
My advise is to talk to a lawyer. He/she may be able to set up a trust or corporation on your behalf to handle the money and tax liability. Most will do a free consultation, and let you know what your options are.

C'mon, somebody on this site adopt Lanse.

Gordo

Welcome to Michigan Lanse. My two cents worth is to wait until you are eighteen and that way you can do all this without another party having to be involved. I work as a bailiff in Disrict Court and have seen far too many fraud cases involving buisness transactions. The way the economy is right now,everyone is out to make a buck one way or another.There are lots of low-lifes out there waiting to take advantage of honest and hard working people,so beware.
It would be hard for a minor in Michigan to take legal action on a person in Texas over an internet issue and expect to get any type of reimbursment for losses you may have sustained.
Be patient, you are young yet and good things will come our way.

Nothing illegal about what you are proposing- Federal tax gets paid on the income, and assuming the income is less than $11,000 per year, anyone can gift up to that amount per year to anyone else without tax ramifications.

Don't know about the guy whose going to help you- everyone here says he's a scammer, but I don't necessarily go along with that. There are still some honorable people out there. If he stiffs you, you can always quit contributing material to the site, and fire up another one. Biggest problem is losing control of what's already there. Don't know anything about the system, so can't advise you on that.

After perusing all the legal advice on this post, I'd advise Whizkidkyus not to give up his day job.

Lanse, welcome to Michigan I think you will enjoy it here.
I think If I were you(but I don't know all the details)I would talk to your Dad about doing it for you. Could be a great place to start rebuilding your relationship. Mark

True, but theres no contract for me, and im not claiming that my mysterious friend is a guardian...

The money here would be legally his... Id have nothing to do with it until I recieved it...

He would get it, and pay the taxes on it, then foward it to me

Lance. I'm thinking you must be about 17 years old now. You got by this long with out that income, Can't you last another year? Then you don't need anyone else involved. Time flys when your having fun.

I agree with talking to a lawyer and yes they usually give a free consultation. It would seem odd if neither of your parents wouldn't want to help you get a little extra money though. Maybe you could set it up with a lawyer as the account holder? Dave

Set it up with a lawyer???????????

These things generate about seven dollars of revenue per year. Doubt anyone legitimate will be interested.

A contract is nothing more than agreement between two parties where they agree that one of the parties will do something in exchange for compensation from the other party. Your agreement with your friend could be construed as a verbal contract. In fact, if he stiffs you, your only legal recourse may be to sue him for breach of contract.

Maybe John T., Esq., will throw in his two cents on this topic.

Lance, Those of us in Mi want to know where in Mi you moved to.

$7???

Lol... Wheres that figure from??? :-D

That's probably a figure he could expect if he set up an account. Oh wait, he doesn't even have a real name because he is just a figment of our imagination. Dave