
With summer in full swing, a quick jaunt to the beach is on many of our agendas. And since you’re daydreaming about a tropical getaway, why not bring along some of that ocean spirit even when you’re stuck at the office? Forget the sand and sun — these 14 beach-themed nail art ideas will put you in a summer-state-of-mind in no time! Let your newly playful mani help you escape the reality that is your desk and computer screen.
1. Color-Changing Nails: For color chameleons, Ruby Wing’s color-changing polish is a must-try. Create zany half-moon designs or alternate your nails in an assortment of vibrant hues for a mani that is anything but boring. (via Refinery29)
2. Fish Nails: You know what they say… just keep swimming. No matter how old we get, Nemo look-a-like fishies in the form of nail art never get old. (via Style Craze)
3. Watermelon Nail Art: Nothing says, “day at the beach” like juicy watermelon nails. Pair your fruity nails with a black bikini and some shades for maximum awesomeness! (via Rookie Mag)
4. Pineapple Mani: This sweet tropical mani has got us pining for pineapples. We can taste the rum-infused fruit smoothies already! (via Polish You Pretty)
4. Beach Ball Mani: Get the party started with this instant mood-lifting manicure! Playful beach balls in a fun palette of colors evoke endless summer fun. (via Divine Caroline)
6. Summer Ombré Nails: A subtle ocean-inspired mani that combines all of our favorite shades of blue-greens evokes calming blue seas and glistening sand (on the tips!). (via Top Dreamer)
7. Shark Nails: As the summer winds down, you’re going to want to flaunt these nails inspired by Shark Week. August 10th cannot come soon enough! (via Trophy Wife Nail Art)
8. Blue Tiki Manicure: While the pattern may not automatically read beach, this funky design is guaranteed to put you in beach-mode. We’re not sure which we like better: the mesmerizing blues or bold aztec design. (via Sephora Glossy)
9. Sea Turtle Nails: Snorkeling much? With this mani, you can get a glimpse of all the exotic flora and fauna at the bottom of the ocean with every email you type out. (via Polish Me, Please!)
10. Sailboat Nails: You don’t have to be a Lilly Pulitzer fan to fall in love with this preppy-inspired print. You’ll be smooth sailing in no time. (via I Like Painting My Nails)
11. Palm Tree Nails: This snazzy palm tree mani is one to watch! The combination of mint green nails, gold glitter and palm trees (!!!) is seriously too cute. (via Elle + Ish)
12. Starfish Nails: We love this easy-peasy mani that involves a white base, a touch of turquoise shimmer and painted-on starfish. (via Kelsie’s Nail Files)
13. Retro Tropical Nails: Yes, you CAN rock black nails at the beach! Part retro, part tropical, this refined mani exudes just the right amount of beachy-cool. (via Byrdie)
14. Fruit Cocktail Nail Wraps ($13): All of your favorite fruit — kiwis and strawberries and pineapples, oh my! — compiled into one beautiful manicure. Could these fruit cocktail nail wraps be any cuter? We don’t think so!
Which beach-inspired nail art design will you be flaunting on your next vacay? Let us know in the comments below or Tweet us a pic of your nail art!
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