
October is the month for creative DIY costumes, cheeky pumpkin-filled cheat days and, yes, lovely autumn weekends filled with tea, cozy throws and good reads. This month we’re satisfying our young adult addiction with these awesome new titles. Enjoy!
1. Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven ($11): After the blockbuster hit that was All the Bright Places, author Jennifer Niven is back with a love story that’s breaking down barriers and finding a true authentic voice amongst the cluttered high school genre. It’s definitely a must-read for fall.
2. Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa ($11): You may know him as the bubbly YouTube vlogger who’s obsessed with his two huskies, but now Joey Graceffa is a fab young adult novelist too. His debut novel is a science fiction about a young stowaway who risks everything to see a world she’s not allowed to. Consider us intrigued.
3. Rejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions and Heretics by Jason Porath ($16): Based on the popular Tumblr blog, this awesome collection of kickass women will definitely make you smile. From real life heroes to killer women in mythology and folklore, it’s a great read for when the patriarchy’s got you down.
4. The ABC’s of LGBT+: Understanding and Embracing Your Identity by Ashley Mardell ($13): Understanding the complexities of language, subcultures and stereotypes in LGBT+ culture can be tricky… and no one wants to be the person who gets it wrong. In this new book from YouTube superstar Ashley Mardell, you’ll find in-depth definitions, helpful infographics and personal anecdotes to help teens and adults navigate LGBT+ identities.
5. When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore ($11): A beautiful teenage love story with twists of magic at every turn, Anna-Marie McLemore’s newest novel will surely inspire some fall wonder.
6. Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz ($12): Jasmine de los Santos has studied hard for her full college scholarship and she’s excited to start school ASAP. But when she suddenly learns that her Filipino immigrant parents are actually in the country illegally, her plans are thrown out the window… and she might lose more than just her scholarship.
7. Still Life With Tornado by A.S. King ($13): A beautifully written tale that screams with authenticity, this iconic story about how sixteen-year-old Sarah comes to grips with her parents’ divorce after years of lies and domestic abuse is definitely on our Goodreads list.
8. At the Edge of the World by Kari Jones ($13): A book about true friendship in the wake of life’s many hardships, Kari Jones’s latest novel will bring you to the edge of your seat (okay, bed) over and over again.
9. Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst ($11): This isn’t your typical princess story. Although Princess Dennaleia has been betrothed since birth, a new mission takes her on an exciting journey with a new friend… or at least she thought they were just friends.
10. Color Blind by Sheila Sobel ($18): When April tragically loses her mother and father, she is forced to move with her Aunt in Louisiana. Tying the complex string between the past and the present beautifully, Sheila Sobel’s newest undertaking definitely justifies our massive Amazon order.
11. Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson ($11): This is the third installment of the Seeds of America trilogy, and the exciting conclusion to this authentic American Revolution tale will definitely satisfy any diehard fan.
12. This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills ($11): Spoiler alert: This awesome new novel will have you calling (NOT texting) your bestie after just the first few pages. Shocked that she actually found a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida, Sloane quickly learns about the complexities and sheer amazing-ness that is finding your true best friends.
What are you reading this month? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
(Featured photo via Getty)
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:
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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.
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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