
When you hear that the biggest stars in country music are all getting together for the genre showcase that is the Academy of Country Music Awards, it’s easy to envision a red carpet flooded with cowboy boots and checkered button-downs. That was not the case at last night’s 50th annual ACMs (although, Justin Moore did show up with a red Solo cup in hand). After sifting though the best arrival looks, we’ve uncovered a slew of trends that would suit your country and little more rock and roll sides just the same, including two must-have summer colors, some serious beach wave inspiration and the perfect-for-spring pink lipstick. Scroll down to check out nine copy-worthy trends from the star-studded event.
1. Electric Blue: While white was definitely the go-to color at the award shows earlier this year, it looks like this bold shade of blue was the top choice in Texas. Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum rocked the color in a ruffled gown, Danielle Bradbery opted for trendy matching separates and Luke Bryan’s beau, Caroline Boyer chose to step up the drama with some added embellishments.
2. Graphic Prints: It feels a little bit like we’re headed back to the ’60s in these ultra-graphic black and white looks. Jana Kramer and Dierks Bentley’s wife Cassidy Black walked the red carpet in similar patterns with drastically different hemlines, while Mickey Guyton took the look to a more tropical-feeling place by adding in a little floral action.
3. Beach Waves: Arlington, TX is about 300 miles from the nearest beach, but you’d never know it by the looks of this red carpet hair trend. The laid-back ladies of country music skipped the intricate updos and instead opted for loose, tousled curls. Ashley Monroe’s platinum locks were the tamest of the bunch, while Kimberly Perry and Jana Kramer totally embraced the messy, voluminous look.
4. Crystal Embellishments: It looks like these two co-stars/besties might just be spending too much time together. Sofía Vergara and Reese Witherspoon both walked the red carpet in black dresses full of heavy silver embellishments. They did differ slightly when it came to the hemline though: Sofía went for a long and lean look in a knee-length gown while Reese kept things short and sweet in a mini A-line number.
5. Hot Pink: Electric blue was definitely the winning shade of the night, but hot pink came in at a close second. Curly haired, Kimberly Schlapman definitely won for most dramatic in her belted ballgown while Justin Moore’s wife Kate rocked the same shade in a slender, strapless number. Jason Aldean’s new wife, Brittany Kerr sported a slightly less saturated version of the color in a high collared dress with a show-stopping slit.
6. Dual-Toned Jackets: ACM fashion wasn’t all about the ladies. The boys of country really brought it this year with one major sartorial risk: dual-toned jackets. Thomas Rhett opted for the color of night in his electric blue + navy ensemble, Scotty McCerry kept things simple in a black + navy combo and Frankie Ballard really went for it in a bold, red jacket with a contrasting black collar. (Photos via Jason Merritt/Getty)
7. Pink Lips: While the shades did vary slightly, pink was definitely the most popular lip color of the night. Both Beth Behrs and Kimberly Schlapman went for a warm, glossy version of the hue while Miranda Lambert took us straight back the ’90s in a frosty rendition of the color.
8. Embellishments + Sheer: Taking Reese and Sophia’s trend one step further, these looks were all characterized by dramatically beaded or sequined embellishments with a little bit of see-through action. Both Kellie Pickler and Beth Behrs opted to dawn the style only on top while Jamie Lynn Spears spared no subtlety in a mermaid-tastic, black sequined number. (Photos via Jason Merrit/Getty)
9. Romantic Braids: From the runway to street style to the red carpet, it’s become pretty obvious that braids are a hairstyle that’s here to stay. Kacey Musgraves rocked a side fishtail with some added volume on top while Kelsea Ballerini sported a similar but slightly messier version of the look. Kellie Pickler put her own spin on the classic style by twisting it up into a tousled updo that we’re dying to DIY for our next fancy event. (Photo via Jason Merritt/Getty)
What was your favorite look from the 50th ACM Awards? Share with us in the comments below.
(Photos via Jason Merrit/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