I know this is a 20-something forum, but I didn't see where else to ask this question. If it needs to be elsewhere, please let me know.

I have 2 kids. One is 12 and one is 9. I pay them both a small yearly salary from my business for things like emptying the trash, shredding documents, cleaning up, and so on. They both file taxes.

I would like to set up a retirement account (a Roth) for them, but I haven't been able to get a clear answer about the required age.

Some sources have told me they need to be 13, some say 16, and some say that they just have to have earned and reported a wage in any given year to make contributions.

So, I need to know what the real answer is.

I would love to be able to have them contribute even a little bit each year. What a head start that would be!

Thanks in advance :-)