
We like our fair share of fashion here at Brit + Co, but we also consider comfort to be one of our top priorities. And contrary to popular belief, you can have both at the same time! Case in point? Drawstring pants, your new best friend — these guys have been around for practically forever, but designers are starting to utilize bold and fun prints that absolutely fulfill all of our fashion needs. After checking these 14 pairs out, you’ll be ready to rock them in the office, on a date or even to an interview. Yup, believe it.
1. Drawstring Sweat Pants ($39): These are one of the trendiest animal print pants we’ve ever seen. Dress these up with a nice blouse and wear ’em to work.
2. Tribal Print Drawstring Pants ($18): A funky mixture of different tribal prints? Yes, please. We’re totally diggin’ this patchwork style that is best worn to the beach or on a lazy weekend day.
3. Geo Print Drawstring Pants ($98): We heart the tailored look of these geo-print pants. Put on a pair of black heels, and instantly go from comfortable to formal.
4. Drawstring Camo Trousers ($198): Let’s be real. When was the last time you saw a pair of camo print pants look this fashionable?
5. Scarf Print Drawstring Pants ($11): This outfit is so hot; we absolutely adore the way it was styled. It’d be so great for a late night outdoor party.
6. Nomadic Fanatic Pants ($118): Show off your deep love for tribal prints in these nomadic pants. Music festival, anyone?
7. Monochrome Square Print Trousers ($36): As much as we love color, we just can’t get over how lovely these monochrome trousers are. Throw on a bright color top and let the compliments roll in.
8. Printed Baggy Trousers ($35): Pockets make every pair of pants, dress, shirt, jacket, etc just that much better.
9. Lorissa Floral Pants ($68): It’s now time for the most unique pair of drawstring pants you’ll ever see. These semi-sheer pants definitely have that light and summery vibe.
10. Denim Baggy Trousers ($35): Just can’t go a day without wearing denim? No worries. These trousers have the same look in a softened texture.
11. Bright Eyes Pants in Autumn Rose ($108): Dark floral prints are the perfect way to bring a little flower power into your evening outfits.
12. Mason Drawstring Pants ($195): This pair may be covered in circus stripes, but they definitely belong on the runway. So chic.
13. Geo Tropical-Print Drawstring Pants ($80): Kudos to Guess for creating one of the coolest tropical prints ever. It’s the perfect combination of a warm, floral print and some snazzy geometric stripes.
14. Drawstring Pants in Cove Floral ($72): Okay, so we still kinda miss our traditional tropical prints. Summer’s not over yet, folks!
Which bold print is your favorite? Let us know 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