Minecraft server - safety and tax implications?

[Stephanie2000]

My 13yr old DS is obsessed with playing Minecraft and I am aware it has been discussed on MN before. He now wants me to use my PayPal a/c to fund him running his own Minecraft server. He also wants to run some kind of donation engine when people can buy equipment or ranks or whatever (I've never played the game myself). - Just wondering has anybody else had their 13yr old run a Minecraft server? I am not very IT literate so wouldn't be able to supervise him very effectively at all. I worry about dodgy characters joining the server and messing with my son's mind as he will be keen to make a 'success' of it. Also, seems to me if people 'donate'for some kind of service it isn't a donation at all but could be seen as MY income!? Very sceptical that I WOULD generate any money but has anybody else grappled with this before?

Dd 12 has own server, very little if any money involved. You're right to be but I am bumping this so someone more geeky than me can comment.

DS1 has been going on and on about doing this. I don't like the idea at all, although I think that's because I have no idea what it is/how it works.

I've told him I'll think about it when he can explain it to me properly (seems he doesn't really understand either)

DH (our chief Tech) says that what OP's son proposes is to rent a hosting package (renting a dedicated service). This costs ££/month he guesses. He assumes there's a model in the game where players can contribute to the server costs (but he's not familiar how that works, voluntarily, I guess).

It's basically setting up a business; maybe he's very enterprising?? I would examine his business model with care, you'd need to talk to an accountant about the tax implications of a teenager running a business.

We have 2 M/C servers in this house which run when our own PCs are on. Only costs are for equipment we already have & electricity. To run own m/c server you don't need to set it up in an expensive/risky/business way.

i linked DP to this thread as he knows all about it, but I see he has yet to reply. Will give him a poke when he gets in!