
Ever since news broke over a Lisa Frank Adult Coloring Book, fans can’t stop clamoring for more of her beloved ’90s rainbow-colored goodies. If you can’t get enough of the technicolor and animal print world of Lisa Frank, don’t stop short of these seriously *magical* back-to-school tech supplies. From portable charging stations to rad headphones, these accessories will have your BTS game on point. Scroll on for 13 of the best tech goodies to fulfill your ’90s nostalgia-fueled needs.
1. Lisa Frank Power Bank in Tie-Dye ($7): Power banks are undoubtedly practical, but now you can get one that’s especially pretty. Charge your phone on the go with this techie must-have that’s as colorful as it is functional.
2. Lisa Frank Three-in-One Stereo Combo Pack in Puppy and Kitty ($15): Jam out to your favorite songs without bothering your roommate with this adorable set of heart-patterned earphones. The three-in-one combo pack even includes overhead stereo headphones and a plug and play mini boom box. That’s a lot of bang for your buck!
3. Lisa Frank Power Bank in Animal Print ($7): If you’re all about the animal print, this ombre leopard-printed power bank is the one to get. Just throw it in your pocket or purse and you’re good to go.
4. Lisa Frank Blue Headphones ($29): Get on that homework grind distraction-free with this set of Lisa Frank headphones. Just turn up your study music playlist and you’ll be finished in no time.
5. Redbubble Lisa Frank Unikitty Phone Case ($25): Channel your favorite artist on your phone cover with this adorable Unikitty design. It’s magical; it’s imaginative and it’s cute. What more could you ask for?
6. Lisa Frank Pink Headphones ($29): Make a statement walking to class rocking these pink headphones that are decked out in rhinestone and shimmer details. It’s a lot of look but in the best way possible.
7. Case Persona Lisa Frank Neon Tiger and Monkey ’90s Samsung Galaxy S7 Case ($14+): Inject a little color into your life with this striking neon tiger and monkey phone case. It’ll both brighten up your day and protect your phone — it’s a win-win!
8. Redbubble Lisa Frank Unikitty Laptop Skin ($25): Add a little happiness to those drab lecture halls with the help of your Unikitty laptop skin. Its whimsical blend of your two favorite creatures (unicorns + kitties) is *literally* a dream come true.
9. Lisa Frank Snap On Case for iPhone 5/5s in Leopard Hunter ($10): If you’re a little on the clumsy side, a phone case is a BTS essential. Protect your phone from whatever accidents you’re prone to have with this fab and fun leopard-inspired phone case.
10. Lisa Frank Portable Bluetooth Speaker — Puppy ($15): You’ll be looking forward to your morning classes thanks to this puppy stereo speaker. Dial up the volume, connect via Bluetooth and get pumped while getting ready for class!
11. Lisa Frank Snap On Case for iPhone 5/5s in Majestic Rainbow Horse ($10): Whether you’re a fan of Markie or Skye, let everyone know you’ve got a thing for Lisa Frank’s rainbow horses with this rainbow-fab phone case. The added plus is that it’ll keep your phone scratch-free!
12. Lisa Frank Compact Star Speaker in Kittens ($12): This compact speaker makes any outing with friends a dance party waiting to happen. Petite enough to fit in your tote or backpack, this star speaker will let you blast your favorite songs no matter where your hangouts take you.
13. Lisa Frank Three-in-One Stereo Headphone-Speaker Set in Penguin ($20): Can’t get enough Lisa Frank? Opt for this three-in-one combo pack that includes overhead stereo headphones, in-ear stereo earphones and a mini boom box.
Which of these fab Lisa Frank tech goodies will you get just in time for school? Follow us on Pinterest for more BTS essentials!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
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