I’m 16 years of age and I’m obviously having issues using Shopify Payments, and I think I can get around that with an LLC. I’m going to make an LLC, with my father as the organizer, me as a member, and get an EIN to go with it. I’m pretty sure this would all work out, except I’m unsure whether or not my father could stay as the organizer, or I need to add him as a member as well for Shopify Payments to be okay with it. I’d much rather keep him as the organizer because if he is also a member, I might be legally required to get him a payroll, I’m not too sure. If anyone could offer some advice, that would be greatly appreciated.
Hi @Evan01
Welcome to the Shopify Community. Thanks for reaching out here!
It’s great to hear that you are interested in starting a business at a young age and are showing promising entrepreneurial skills! Well done.
In order to have a store on Shopify and use Shopify Payments, you must be over the age of 18 years. This is outlined here in our terms of service, and I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with the various requirements, before jumping straight in to creating an account.
What I would usually recommend to aspiring merchants hoping to open their own store before turning 18, is to have a parent or legal guardian open the store for them, and then add them in as a staff account. This way, you would be able to have your own login account on the store, and can still retain a high level of permissions and access to most things on the store, which would essentially mean you can handle the day to day running. Once you turn 18, you could then have the Account Owner transfer the store ownership over to you.
You had a few queries about making an LLC, and were wondering about your legal requirements in terms of payroll and having your father as an organizer. Although I cannot provide legal advice, I would recommend consulting with a qualified legal professional or accountant to make sure that your situation is compliant with all relevant laws and regulations in your area. They can advise you on whether there are any legal requirements for members to have payroll, and guide you through the process of setting up the LLC to ensure that it is structured in a way that works best for you.
From a Shopify perspective, you should be eligible to use the platform once you are adhering to our terms of service, and have an 18+ year old as the Account Owner and Shopify Payments Representative. There will be onboarding verifications requirements outlined here, which is standard protocol for all stores and varies depending on the store location and your business setup.
What kind of products are you going to be selling? If you are keen to learn more, here are some resources that can help you get started:
- Shopify Help Center - this is a comprehensive knowledge base that covers all aspects of using the platform.
- Learn With Shopify YouTube Channel - includes a range of in-depth, visually-led tutorials and videos on a variety of topics.
- Shopify Learn - you can use this platform to access free tutorials and courses designed to help merchants upgrade their skills and experience level.