
You know the drill: Temperatures begin to drop, pumpkin flavored everything is everywhere you look and suddenly it’s *officially* fall. Once you’re done binging on pumpkin soup, we highly recommend switching gears and indulging in something warm, creamy and cheesy (OBVI). Cue the cheese soup! It’s good with beer, bacon, veggies and, of course, served in a chewy bread bowl. Sit tight, friends, and get your stretchy pants ready, because you’re about to be hit with 12 of the best cheese soups out there.
1. Cider Cheese Soup Shooters in Mini Pretzel Bread Bowls: We officially give you permission to get back on pumpkin with this AH-MAZING combo. This soup actually calls for pumpkin cider — what could be more fall-tastic than that? (via How Sweet It Is)
2. The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup: Broccoli cheese soup is pretty much THE original cheese soup. Tons of cheddar and half and half will make this so creamy, you’ll be thankful for the crunchy broccoli. (via Averie Cooks)
3. Beer Cheese Soup: Beer and cheese is a classic combo we all need in our lives. This recipe calls for Fat Tire beer, but you can use virtually any variety. For even more deliciousness, dip your popcorn in it. (via Garnish With Lemon)
4. Chipotle Bacon White Bean Soup With Jalapeno Cheddar Crumble: Chipotle powder is the secret to the smokiness in this off-the-beaten-path cheese soup — not to mention the paprika, coriander, garlic and cumin. Don’t forget the bread crumbs for an extra crunch. (via Climbing Grier Mountain)
5. Spicy Crab Bisque for Two: We had to have a bisque on this list because it includes another one of our favorites: crab! And spicy crab at that. Whip this up in no time for your next let’s-stay-in date night. (via Dine and Dish)
6. Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup: This is a combination we aren’t so familiar with. Who knew sweet potatoes and cauliflower made such a mouthwatering cheese soup? Made in the slow cooker, this dish takes no time to prep for an easy dinner tonight. (via Peas and Crayons)
7. Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup: When you’re craving a cheeseburger but it’s fall and your grill is out of commission, THIS is what you make. Bonus: If you’re missing the bun, toast slices of your fave baguette and use it to dip into your soup for an added bite. (via Life in the Lofthouse)
8. Ham and White Cheddar Beer Cheese Soup: It’s no secret that beer and cheese go together like chocolate and peanut butter, but when you top it off with ham, bacon and green onion — well, that’s just magical. This soup will be your new go-to dish. (via With Salt and Wit)
9. The Perfect French Onion Soup: French onion soup cannot be ignored on this list of best cheese soups. To get to the broth, you have to find your way through a super gooey layer of Gruyere cheese — ’nuff said. (via The Garlic Diaries)
10. Irish Beer Cheese Soup: What makes a beer cheese soup Irish, you ask? The two main ingredients. Harp beer and Kerrygold cheese give this soup its distinctive twang. (via A Spicy Perspective)
11. Panera’s Broccoli Cheese Soup: We love it when veggies are included in our favorite copycat comfort food dishes. Admit it — it makes you feel a little less guilty too, doesn’t it? (via The Girl Who Ate Everything)
12. Slow Cooker Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Soup: You’re going to need a tall glass of milk with this bowl of cheddar, because it’s a spicy one. Not only do the jalapeños add a nice kick, but the cayenne pepper gives this soup a double dose of flavor. (via Well Plated)
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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