Can my child do unpaid chores for my business?
- Q and A
- 7 August 2023
- Edited 19 February 2024
- 1 min
- Managing and growing
- Staff, Rules and laws
If someone works in your business, you have to pay them for it. Even if it is your own child and even if it only happens occasionally. If you fail to pay them, you risk a fine.
With the continuing staff shortage, it is understandable that you sometimes need some extra hands in your business. But letting your child work for you without payment is not allowed. So if you decide to let your child work in your business from time to time, you must give them compensation. The Arbeidsinspectie (Labour Inspectorate) can check  (in Dutch).
Fine
If an inspector sees during inspection that your child is doing unpaid work, they can impose a fine. Your child can also file a loonvordering (wage claim, in Dutch) with the court. You may then have to pay wages at a later date plus an additional amount of money as a fine.
Salary for your child
There are three ways to arrange a salary for your own child. You can employ your , make your child co-owner of your or, if your child is 15 or older, enter into a fictitious relationship. Entrepreneurial parents often choose the latter option because it has tax advantages.
Fictitious employment
You can enter into a fictitious employment relationship if the employment relationship is dominated by your family relationship. In other words: your child only works for your company because you are their parent. Notional employment has tax advantages, such as a simplified payroll taxes  (in Dutch).
Age
Is your child younger than 15? Then they may not enter into a fictitious employment. Also pay attention to what kind of chores your child does. There are for which activities 13- and 14-year-olds are allowed to do. If your child is younger than 13, they may not work for your company at all.
