Starting a business under 18

Start a Business
1

Hey, My Name is Kaden Reitmair. I am 15 and am looking to start a business. I researched and found a forum already discussing this, but it didn’t answer the question I needed. It said I should talk to my parents, but my problem was whether I could share an account with my parents, where the account is in their name, but I’m the one managing it, and I’m the one making the money. If so also could I also have it go to my bank account, which is already being managed by my parents?

3

Thanks @Bev_dev, if my account is owned by my parenst and just used to saperate my money froms theres would that work?

4

Hi @KadenJTR , It is great to see your ambition to start a business at 15. Since Shopify’s Terms of Service (and almost all other platforms) require store owners to be at least 18 years old, you cannot legally be the Account Owner. However, you can operate a store with your parents’ help by following this specific structure:

Account Ownership

Your parent or legal guardian must create the account:

  • They must be listed as the Store Owner.
  • They must use their specific legal name, email address, and tax information (SSN/SIN) for Shopify Payments verification.
  • Legally, the business belongs to them, and they are responsible for all activity on the account.

Managing the Store

Once the account is set up in your parent’s name, they can give you access to manage the day-to-day operations.

Best Practice: Have your parent create a “Staff Account” for you with full permissions. This allows you to build the site, manage products, and fulfill orders while keeping the legal ownership distinct.

Banking and Payouts (Important)

Regarding your question about using your own bank account: This is generally not recommended and may cause verification failures.

Shopify Payments has strict Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations. The name on the receiving bank account usually must match the name of the legal business owner (your parent). Connect your parent’s bank account to Shopify to receive the business revenue. Your parents can then transfer your earnings to your personal managed account.

Legal Ownership & Control

Before proceeding, you must understand the risks of not being the legal Account Owner:

  • Absolute Authority: Because the account is in your parent’s name, they have full legal authority over the business. They can legally change the passwords, close the store, or access the funds at any time without your permission.
  • No Recourse: If a disagreement occurs between you and your parents, Shopify cannot help you “get the store back.” They are legally bound to obey the instructions of the listed Account Owner (your parent).
  • Trust is Key: You are building this business entirely on trust. Ensure you have a clear agreement with your parents before generating significant revenue, as the law views the money as theirs, not yours.

Hope this helps!