
If you’re born between October 23 and November 21, listen up! You’re a Scorpio-born babe and *proud* of it. So celebrate your birthday with DIY zodiac decor that best reflects your passionate but private personality. Transform your space with your favorite aesthetics which include raw industrial elements, contemporary accents and mid-century modern furnishings. Whatever your preferred decor style, read on to see how you can give your Scorpion home the upgrade it deserves with these 20 stylish zodiac DIYs.
1. DIY Yarn Tassel Curtains: Curtains are an essential for Scorpios who love their privacy. Add a little texture to them with this colorful yarn tassel DIY. The cute and cozy accessory will be a welcome addition to brighten up your home during the colder months. (via Love and Renovations)
2. DIY Modern Leather Tufted Bench: This gorgeous DIY leather tufted bench is the perfect complement to any living space, whether it’s displayed in your entryway or at the foot of your bed. Cozy it up with a vibrant patterned pillow to balance out its retro feel with a contemporary flair. (via Bre Purposed)
3. DIY Mid-Century Wall Clock: Here’s a stylish wall clock that your home can do *with.* Scorpios will appreciate the mid-century modern vibes this clock gives off. (via Sugar & Cloth)
4. DIY Mid-Century Side Table: Set aside this weekend to put together this pretty side table your living room *totally* needs. Balance out the vintage wood finish with a refreshing pop of color. (via Sugar & Cloth)
5. DIY Printable Skincare Labels: As a water sign, chances are you take your bathroom accessories *very* seriously. If you pride yourself on your impressive collection of bath and body products, these printable skincare labels will definitely come in handy. (via Proper)
6. DIY Marble Shelving: With so many bath accessories, additional shelving may be in order. Add these DIY marble shelves to your bathroom to give your space a luxurious touch. (via A Beautiful Mess)
7. DIY Painted Mid-Century Drawer Pull Starburst: Give any old nightstand a mid-century modern makeover with a starburst drawer pull. Check out your local thrift store for a budget-friendly way to find the perfect antique accessory. (via Dream Green DIY)
8. DIY Concrete Paperweights: Regardless of your home decor style, solidity is one factor Scorpios can appreciate. Spruce up your desktop space with these concrete paperweights that’ll appeal to your grounded personality. (via Burkatron)
9. DIY No-Paint Black and White Curtains: If you’ve got some curtains in need of sprucing up, give them an elevated look with this DIY black and white pattern. The best part of this mess-free DIY is that it doesn’t require any paint! (via Cuckoo4Design)
10. DIY Abstract Art: Scorpios are recognized as one of the most mysterious of the zodiacs. Have your home reflect this notable trait with thought-provoking works of art, like this abstract watercolor print. (via Earnest Home Co.)
11. DIY Wood and White Desk Organizers: These desktop organizers will feed your need for clean, uncluttered surfaces. Their white and wood finish will further cater to your appreciation for mid-century modern aesthetics. (via Drawn to DIY)
12. DIY Subway Tile Candle Holder: As a sensual type, you’ve got quite the collection of candles to boast. If a couple of them can do with an aesthetic upgrade, make this candle holder that’ll add a sophisticated touch to any surface of your home. (via Drawn to DIY)
13. DIY Nightstand Makeover With Americana Decor Satin Enamels: True to your zodiac’s intense personality, you love your share of dark and brooding colors. Give your outdated nightstand a Scorpio-approved update with a wash of black paint finished off with matching black enamel knobs. (via By Brittany Goldwyn)
14. DIY Full Wall Industrial Piping Shelves: It’s no surprise your taste for dark colors and dense materials translates to an industrial home decor style. If you agree, install some piping shelves to give your space that quintessential warehouse look. (via One Broads Journey)
15. DIY Pendant + Leather Tassel: Mood lighting is one of the most important aspects of a Scorpion home. So light up your home with this DIY pendant featuring an industrial light bulb cage and a stylish burgundy leather tassel. (via Jojotastic)
16. DIY Lucite Bathtub Caddy: If bathing is one of your favorite pastimes, let yourself indulge in a pampering sesh with this luxurious bath caddy. This handy DIY is a great spot to set your bath salts, a candle or a book if you enjoy reading in the tub. (via A Beautiful Mess)
17. DIY Marble Lamp: A plain lightbulb gets a fancy upgrade thanks to a splash of modern marble. Use marble paper or sticker to achieve this chic finish. (via Weekday Carnival)
18. DIY Black Dip Dye Pillow: It’s likely you’ve come across the dip-dyed look if you keep up with decor trends. Bring the style favorite to your home by painting a plain white pillowcase half black. (via Homey Oh My)
19. DIY Painted Eye Statement Wall: Boring white walls won’t stand a chance once you’re done with this DIY. Not to mention, the mysterious eye pattern will appeal to your fascination with deciphering meaning from things. (via A Beautiful Mess)
20. DIYÂ Hand-Brushed Containers: Give ordinary containers, cups and candle holders a bold transformation with as little as black paint. Plus, this DIY will save you money on this trendy decor look. (via Passion Shake)
How will you be doing up your Scorpio home? Follow us on Pinterest for more zodiac-inspired decor!
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