
Ah, cats: Let us count the ways we love thee. Whether they’re stealing our hearts in Halloween garb or slaying the great outdoors, there’s no denying that these strange little creatures have earned an irreplaceable spot in our hearts (and on the internet) forever. Thus, it only seemed fitting that on National Cat Day we’d pay homage to our feline friends with 10 of the best cat Instagram accounts around, each one unique in his/her own way. But instead of the usual suspects (we ALL love Grumpy Cat and ‘Lil BUB, after all), you’ll find some rising stars on the list who you need to know before they hit the big time (if they haven’t already). Read on to see who made the cut below!
1. @winstonsmushface, 20.9K followers: We can’t even begin to explain all the ways seeing Winston Smushface’s mug cross our feed brings us joy. Maybe it’s the completely ungentlemanly way he sits, or that look of complete bewilderment that seems to be permanently etched on his face… or maybe it’s just that ridiculous haircut. But whatever it is, we can not. get. enough.
2. @goalkitty, 31.7K followers: If you’re not familiar with Keys, AKA Goal Kitty, allow us to introduce you to your new obsession. Keys likes to raise his arms into the air like a field goal. A lot. For no particular reason. His owner can’t explain the behavior, but luckily, he documents it for us all and posts it to Instagram, and really, isn’t that reason enough?
3. @loki_the_sphynx, 23.7K followers: Not only is Loki the Sphynx unusual in breed (he’s hairless, in case you hadn’t noticed), he’s also… unusually well dressed? No, but seriously: This cat has a jumper collection like you wouldn’t believe. Those sweaters paired with those smoldering stares? Pure Instagram gold.
4. @soulpatchkat, 7,229 followers: Soul Patch Kat is a cool little chick — so cool, in fact, that she even has her own likeness on a pillow. Unique for (what else?!) the black soul patch she sports on her chin, this kitty recently underwent surgery on her hip, so here’s to wishing her a speedy recovery!
View this post on InstagramMorning agenda meeting. 📋 /\m/\ 📋 #PrincessMonsterTruck
A post shared by PrincessMonsterTruck © (@princessmonstertruck) on
5. @princessmonstertruck, 258K followers: With a face that only a mother (and the rest of the world) could love via Instagram, Princess Monster Truck has earned her right to her Instagram honors ― she was a stray rescued from “the mean streets of New York.” Now adored by 258K fans, she’s got all the reason in the world to grin that quirky, underbitten grin.
View this post on InstagramExcuse me, can we bring the weekend back please?
A post shared by Sam (@samhaseyebrows) on
6. @samhaseyebrows, 212K followers: Why, yes. Yes he does. And a whole lot of followers because of it. Whereas Grumpy Cat looks perpetually angry, Sam looks… perpetually alarmed, providing hours of entertainment.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by studleycat (@studleycat) on
7. @studleycat, 46.7k followers: Just TRY to tell us that Studley Cat doesn’t look like a tiny little grandpa! Though his round, saucer-shaped eyes and his pushed-in nose often makes him look slightly down in the dumps, he’s simply too cute to look away from.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by SPICE & LELE (@spicethebengal) on
8. @spicethebengal, 19.5k followers: Not only are these Bengal kitties (Spice + Lele) completely darling in and of themselves, the photography on the part of their owners is top notch. These are no amateurs: Even simple behaviors like sharpening claws become total works of art in the hands of this masterful account. Think National Geographic for cats.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Nala Cat ™ (@nala_cat) on
9. @nala_cat, 3.1m followers: With 3.1 million followers, Nala is a bonafide Instagram STAR, and it’s not hard to see why: Those wide baby blues paired with a love of… (is that cheese?), sheets and cardboard boxes make her impossible not to love.
10. @tidus03, 2,274 followers: Giving Grumpy Cat a run for his money is Tidus, who, quite frankly, always looks pissed. In all fairness, we’ve got a sneaking suspicion this COULD be due to the frequency with which his owners dress him up (to the amusement of us all).
View this post on InstagramSerial Chiller. Today's #peekatongue goes to @mycatkyle! 👅 #catswiththeirtonguesout
A post shared by Cats With Their Tongues Out (@catswiththeirtonguesout) on
Bonus: @catwiththeirtonguesout, 99.4k followers: The premise of this account is simple enough: Capture cats with — you guessed it! ― their tongues out, but it’s good for a laugh at LEAST twice a week, and, best of all, snaps come from followers, so your own Fluffy pal could get his/her 15 minutes, should you tag the right shot.
Tag your furry (or furless!) feline over @BritandCo.
(Photo via @winstonsmushface)
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
You X Ventures for Unsplash
Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures