What does "kiddie tax" refer to?

The term "kiddie tax" specifically refers to a tax provision that applies to the unearned income of children. This tax affects children under the age of 19 or full-time students who are under the age of 24. The objective of the kiddie tax is to prevent parents from shifting their investment income to their children in order to take advantage of the lower tax rates that apply to minors.

Unearned income includes interest, dividends, and capital gains. When a child has unearned income exceeding a certain threshold, it is taxed at the parent's tax rate rather than the child's potentially lower rate. This helps to ensure that higher-income families cannot easily reduce their overall tax liability through income shifting.

Other options do not accurately define the concept of kiddie tax, as they either mischaracterize the tax type or target the wrong income categories. Therefore, the emphasis on unearned income, particularly for children within specified age limits, makes the correct response distinctly aligned with the fundamental principles of the kiddie tax.