Should children be required to apply for business permits and licenses for their lemonade stands, car washes or other businesses?

[Chazmatazz269]

https://youtu.be/PypSyjXfpbI?is=VD5hCWZNS02x0SPL
My first instinct is to say “Obviously not!”. However, with just a bit of thought on the matter, we can clearly see the slippery slope of even juvenile capitalism wholly unregulated. How long before there are absolutely no businesses run by adults? Your tax accountant’s business is in their kid’s name. No licensing or permits required, no taxes owed, but they still charge you $400 for an hour of their time.
Hell, drug dealers and bookies have been utilizing children to circumvent the law for generations, because even when they outright break the law, most states are extremely lenient with juvenile offenders.
Really think about it before you respond. Should children’s entrepreneurial endeavors be wholly unregulated? If not, should they be held to the same standards as adults? If not, how do we keep greedy adults from taking advantage of the loopholes in the system?

[Coercion_Is_Trauma]

Laws cannot regulate sick immorality into function. ㅤ

[purplepoppy]

How many of these lemonade stands are actually adult businesses but using children because people are more likely to buy from a sweet little girl? I bet mother is in the kitchen squeezing away at her lemons.

Then there's the hygiene issue. Find piss in a 9 year olds lemonade you can't do anything. Different story with an adult. Seems a very convenient way to bypass regulations.

It would be interesting to know how much these kiddy businesses rake in, I bet its not pocket money.

[FreyaRed]

Yes, there is lot of exploitation potential. But often it's just a way to teach children some rules of business.

[nastyb]

I don't think any flourishing business that generates substantial income can be legally owned by a child. The reason those kid businesses don't get taxed or need license is because a lemonade stand on the side walk only makes like 30 dollars a day. how are you going to tax that? Go to license any business , if they see the child being the owner raking in 3000 a day, no one will believe you. They will accuse you of fraud

[Chazmatazz269]

Sure, but where do you get the funds for such investigations without licensing fees and permits? See the catch 22?
I don’t think this is the cut and dried issue that people want to believe.

[nastyb]

@chazmatazz269

I don't believe anyone is going to give a 5 yr old a business license which makes 20k a month. No one is going to believe that. They would suspect fraud.

[CaptainSmartass]

It depends on where you site it. If you send little Timmy out in to the town centre, he'll make a hell of a lot more than £30 a day. Set him up near the train station, and he'll coin it in.

[AviatorTom]

No, whoever started that is dumb, and trying to control things that don't need control. A child's temporary business doesn't compete against anyone, nor does it violate health ordinances. Leave the kids alone. Their customers can decide whether they want to support them.

[NoDecision]

If a school doesn't need one for its fundraisers, why should a kid?

[Chazmatazz269]

That’s one of the loopholes. If you watched the video, the family eventually got around the red tape by taking “donations” for their goodies.
There might also be limits on the length of time such “fundraising” can operate. Otherwise every business owner can just claim that they’re running an indefinite fundraiser to avoid regulation.

[FreyaRed]

We have rules in law here for this case.
It's effective because it's not allowed for children to sell their stuff in front of groceries and other stores. Another is that parents are responsible for deeds of their children, incl, food poisoning of customers who buys their stuff.

[Drumlin2001]

Depends. If it's a one off or infrequent then no. But if every weekend, I can see the justification, anyone else would have to, why should they get away with it?

[Snakeyes7]

I don't even think actual businesses should have to do that unless the business does something drastic like altering the landscape or something.

If it's making food or widgets, the government should fuck right off with that.

[jamesgoldman]

Nah but then we don't have them in England, they're just happy with the taxes

[Alex-Snow]

Should they also charge taxes on the lemonade?

[Smegskull]

I think we should, for the educational value of experiencing government bureaucracy if nothing else.

[CaptainSmartass]

The bit that gets me is that kids can work for themselves doing this, but if I were to employ them, I'd get investigated.

Simples...

[TheSophia]

Some people are just miserable with nothing better to do in their lives.

[exitseven]

The government needs to leave people alone.

[DonaldDarko]

No and neither should adults.

[Agape93]

No that's stupid

[Iron_Man]

No their children they don’t need them

[Scorpio191874]

Yes maybe have mob connection would help.