Pexels/Reddit

Running a business as a couple is rarely as simple as it sounds.

One wife and her husband co-owned a small business, splitting responsibilities daily. She handled ordering and customer service, he managed the website and technical side.

But lately, her husband had started calling himself a “free employee,” pointing to the lack of a traditional paystub as proof he wasn’t really being compensated.

She saw their shared income as a joint effort supporting a shared life, but her husband started to see her as a cruel boss just taking advantage of him.

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

AITA for not putting my husband on payroll

My husband and I own a small business.

Recently he has started stating that he is a free employee. He believes this because he doesn’t receive a paystub like an employee.

She explains the usual payment schedule.

He is paid regularly, as we get paid profit from the shop as business owners.

He says he gets money but is not an employee.

But the couple wasn’t seeing things the same way.

This has caused some tension, as I believe we are collectively making money as a couple that is going towards our bills and shared home, but he believes I am taking advantage of him.

We aren’t making great money yet, but we make enough to cover our household bills and mortgage.

They each serve very different roles.

We are both in the shop daily, while I handle all of the ordering and customer service and he handles the website and technical sides of the business.

Am I taking advantage?

Money is famously one of the most difficult topics for couples.

What did Reddit have to say?

The sooner this couple can get an accountant, the better.

This user flags a few concerns with the couple’s current approach.

There’s likely more going on underneath the surface here.

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There are quite a few important considerations this couple doesn’t appear to have on their radar at all.

Money going toward shared bills and a shared mortgage is still compensation, even without a formal paystub attached to it.

No one ever said owning a business as a couple would be easy, but as redditors flagged, this couple appears to have some serious structural issues that are making things even harder.

What this couple really needs is to get back on the same page with each other.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.