
Fact: Here at Brit + Co HQ, we love wearing sequins. We love wearing sequins so much that we’ve made a pledge to wear them beyond the countless holiday soirees and New Year’s Eve shindigs. Because, if you ask us, a little extra sparkle is just what the doctor ordered. How else will we be able to combat those dreaded January blues? Check out these 18 blogger-inspired looks that make sequins completely wearable… even during the daytime.
1. Pop of Red: Sequins with an edge. We like it. Kimberly Pesch’s bright red trousers and black leather jacket make for a rock ‘n’ roll look that is unstoppable. (via Eat.Sleep.Wear.)
2. Everyday Sequins: Looking for a surefire way to take your outfit up a notch? Just add a sequined top, of course. When layered underneath a utilitarian vest and jeans, you’ll be well equipped for a low-key Saturday. (via Bows and Sequins)
3. Green With Envy: Part sporty, part glam — we’re totally digging this chic sweatshirt-approved style that has cool girl written all over it. You know what they say — go bold or go home. (via Style Scrapbook)
4. Sequined Tee: “No biggie, I woke up like this.” For an Insta-worthy #ootd, don’t hesitate to pair a sequined tee with boyfriend jeans. (via A Song of Style)
5. Business Professional: Step up your professional look by throwing a sequined skirt into the mix. When paired with a chambray shirt and schoolboy blazer, this look will take you from the conference room to after hours in no time. (via Casual Glamorous)
6. The Layered Look: Calling all prepsters, this look is for you. Layer your sequined top over a gingham shirt for an outfit that is visually on point. (via A Little Dash of Darling)
7. Minimal Sequins: Sequins need not be flashy and over the top to be deemed cool. As exhibited by Julie Sarinana, black sequins are fierce and daring in their own right. (via Sincerely Jules)
8. Sequined Shorts: DO wear sequined shorts throughout the holiday season, in celebration of New Year’s AND beyond. Just add a silky blouse and tights for an A+ look. (via A Little Dash of Darling)
9. Striped Sequined Shift Dress: Slip on a sequined shift dress with little to no accessories. For that finishing touch, add a crisp white collar like Bee did and you’ll be in business. (via Atlantic-Pacific)
10. Sequins Dressed Down: Casual is the name of the game most days. When you’re looking to add a bit of sparkle to your everyday getup, pair a striped sequined top with denim for a look that is the epitome of effortless. (via Cupcakes and Cashmere)
11. Plaid and Sequins: Not just restricted to the holiday season, we vote in favor of pairing sequined skirts with plaid well beyond NYE. (via Pink Champagne Problems)
12. Little White (Sequined) Dress: That. Back. Please excuse us as we swoon over how *utterly* perfect this LWD is. (via Sequins & Things)
13. Party Sequin Dress: Party, party! Whether it’s NYE or your birthday, treating yourself to an uber sparkly dress is obligatory. Pink polka dot party balloons not included (unfortunately). (via Sterling Style)
14. So Fancy: Is it just us or does this dazzling blue sequined skirt have serious mermaid appeal? And in case there was any doubt, Mara Ferreira’s tee says it all. (via M Loves M)
15. A Touch of Sequins: Yup, it is possible to fly under the radar in sequins during the daytime. Emily Schuman manages to do just that by dressing down her sequined skirt with a plaid button down and green utility jacket. (via Cupcakes and Cashmere)
16. Sequined Pants: Fancy pants much? These chic and oh-so-haute sequined leggings are the ultimate in sparkle style. (via Sequins & Things)
17. Season Sequins: ‘Tis the season to don sparkly sequined skirts, gold pumps and plaid blanket scarves. However, we think this sparkly skirt would be perfect for almost any occasion. Just replace the plaid scarf with a bold or floral pattern. (via A Lacey Perspective)
18. Stripes + Sequins: Say hello to the easiest styling trick in the book for pulling off sequins post-holidays. Just like Blair Eadie, we are prone to pairing our fave sequined skirt with a striped tee. (via Atlantic-Pacific)
How will you be wearing sequins this winter and beyond? Tell us in the comments below!
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