
Perhaps you know the feeling all too well: Your heart is racing, your palms are sweaty and you are so freakin’ excited. No, you aren’t about to put on that graduation cap, get married, announce you’re preggo or any of the other life-changing events that can come your way. That high is just a typical feeling in the world of adrenaline junkies. These thrill-seekers are often addicted to the rush of excitement, and we can’t really blame them. To help fuel said addiction, we found 15 jaw-dropping, curse-inducing (sorry, Mom) activities around the world for all you adrenaline junkies out there. Buckle up; you’re in for a wild ride.
1. Paraglide in Interlaken, Switzerland: Interlaken is practically the capital of all things adrenaline, so of course this breathtaking city made the list. Paraglide your way through the jaw-dropping Jungfrau region of Switzerland to feel like a bird. (Photo via Aurelio Scetta / EyeEm/ Getty)
2. Become Weightless in Vienna, Virginia: Who hasn’t wanted to float around in space? Well, now’s your chance without going all intergalactic. At Space Adventures, you’ll board a specially modified Boeing 727. Once in the air, the plane dips and arcs its way to a weightless environment through movements called parabolas. Each series of dips and arcs takes 10 miles of airspace to perform, during which you get to float on and have a blast.
3. Wade in Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Africa: Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world, so that alone is worth the trip. But if you want to take things up a notch, head to Devil’s Pool. When the water levels are just right (usually between September and December) it forms a lovely rock barrier between you and the edge of a massive waterfall. (Photo via Westend61/ Getty)
4. Zorb in Rotorua, New Zealand: Truly a ball of fun, going zorbing is an experience like no other. Tossing and turning in what can only be described as a giant hamster ball, you’ll go over hills and through a fun-filled course. The best part? The water inside the ball that’ll make you slip and slide with every turn.
5. Hike the Most Dangerous Trail in the World on Mount Huashan, China: This hike is definitely not for those with a fear of heights. But if you’re an adrenaline junkie, that concept doesn’t exist. Labeled as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world, Mount Huashan features steep staircases, vertical ascents and some boards bolted into the mountainside. NBD, right? (Photo via Travel China Guide)
6. Cage Dive With Crocs in Darwin City, Australia: Dubbed the Cage of Death, on this adventure you and a friend can go face to face with some of Australia’s largest salt water crocs. The glass enclosure will make you forget that you’re actually in a cage, fueling that adrenaline rush of yours to the fullest.
7. Enjoy Dinner in the Sky: Talk about dinner with a view. Starting in Belgium, Dinner in the Sky has now spread to over 40 countries and is becoming all the rage. Imagine having an amazing dinner as you float high above gorgeous cities like Paris, Milan and Brussels. Don’t worry, you’re buckled in — but you can dangle your feet. In fact, we totally encourage it. (Photo via Sean Gallup/ Getty)
8. Wing Walk in Gloucestershire, England: Want to catch some major air? Wing walking is the answer. You’ll be taught by a team of wing-walking pros and then strapped to, that’s right, the wing of a plane. Then the pilot will work their magic in getting your heart rate up. Your daredevil wish is their command.
9. Bike Death’s Road in La Paz, Bolivia: The name of this road surely says it all. This 40-mile ride is inhabited by thrill-seeking cyclists on the daily. The 11,000-foot decent and narrow road with sheer drops — sans guardrails in most places — is the ultimate rush. (Photo via Tim Clayton – Corbis/ Getty)
10. Ride the World’s Steepest Roller Coaster in Fujiyoshida, Japan: Looking for a little speed in your life? Venture over to Fuji-Q Highland, an amusement park in Japan and home to the world’s steepest roller coaster, named Takabisha. This roller coaster uses launch motors to blast cars from 0 to 62 miles per hour in two seconds flat. It also holds the record for the highest angle of descent (121 degrees). And that view is definitely something to scream about. (Photo via Yamaguchi Haruyoshi/ Getty)
11. Walk on Water in the Florida Keys: Gaining in adrenaline popularity, jetpacks are bursting onto the scene. You’ll feel just like some sort of cool superhero as you float above the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. (Photo viaGabriel-m/ Getty)
12. Canyon Swing in Queenstown, New Zealand: If bungee jumping isn’t your thing, try the equally as awesome/less jerky canyon swing. You can hit up the world’s highest canyon swing in another adrenaline junkie capital: Queenstown, New Zealand. You’ll free fall for almost 200 feet and then swing out into the gorgeous Shotover Canyon. Oh, and you can pick from over 70 different type of jumps. Want to be strapped to a chair? You got it. (Photo via Lisa Wiltse / Getty)
13. Slide Down the World’s Tallest Water Slide in Kansas City, Kansas: This isn’t like the water slides of your youth. That is, unless you went down a slide that dropped 168 feet straight down and shot you back up only to drop you again 50 more feet. Totally your standard water slide, right?
14. Sky Dive from 20,000 Feet Up in Hawaii: Of course skydiving made the list. But this isn’t your standard jump. Take skydiving to new heights (literally) and do a H.A.L.O jump, where you’ll leap out at 20,000 feet. Yes, you read that number correctly. At that altitude, temperatures can be -25 degrees, not taking into account the windchill, as you reach up to speeds of 120 mph. (Photo via WADA/ Getty)
15. Bungee Jump Off Macau Tower in China: This tower is home to the highest bungee jump in the world (764 feet, to be exact). You can choose to take the plunge during the day or at night and then brag to all your friends about what an adrenaline junkie you are. (Photo via AJ Hackett Macau Tower)
What has given you the biggest adrenaline high? Tell us in the comments below.
(Feature photo via The Original Alpin Raft)
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