Black Friday may be two days out, but it’s no matter: The deals start NOW (see our comprehensive list of holiday deals for proof)! If it's new threads you’re after, look no further: We’ve got you covered. Not only did we find the cutest deals around, but we found them at a SERIOUS discount. Scroll through to see 18 of the most fashionable Black Friday deals you can shop right now.
Kate Spade: From now through 11/25, Kate Spade’s famous surprise sale is here, with goods up to 75 percent off when you enter your email address and zip code. That means this pictured leather Grove Street Neda bag ($359) and wallet ($189), normally $548 combined, are on sale for $99 and $79, or $159 together when you add the coupon code MAKEITTWO (a 71 percent discount!). You can also snatch single items, like this leather Wright Place Karla bag, normally $299, for $89.
ban.do: Use code ITSBFBABY at ban.do to get 25 percent off everything from motivational pens and bags to clothing: We love this I Believe in Red Lipstick Tee, which drops from $38 to $29 with the code.
Express: Shop cozy sweaters, like this Cozy Chenille Cowl Neck Sweater, usually $70 and on sale for $35, to your heart’s content, right along with dresses, jeans, and the like, since the entire site is 50 percent off with free shipping.
Bon-Ton: If it's outerwear you're after, you’re in luck: Bon-Ton is offering an extra $60 off coats of $100 or more on top of sale prices with code DZATOT60F17. This Calvin Klein Short Colorblock Faux Fur Trim Hood Coat, already reduced from $280 to $168, drops to just $108 with the code!
Tommy Hilifiger: Get Gigi Hadid’s usually sold out Tommy Hilfiger collab at 40 percent off right now with coupon code THATSALE. The supermodel's Graphic Print Sweater, once $200 and on sale for $130, drops to $78 with the code.
UGG: With shoes up to 30 percent off and free shipping on orders of $160 or more through 11/26, UGG has plenty of discounted footwear up for grabs, but these Shelby Matte boots with sheepskin lining, once $85, are a steal in particular at $60.
Shopbop: Sale items are up to 75 percent off at Shopbop — we found these Vanessa Mooney Dakota Earrings, usually $50, for $15 — while full price items are 20 percent off with $200, 25 percent off with $500, and 30 percent off with $800 if you use code MORE17.
Bloomingdale’s: While Bloomie’s is keeping their doorbusters under wraps until Black Friday, you can still get plenty of deals ahead of time when you spend between $100 to $200 (15 percent off) or $200 or more (20 percent off). Designer bags (Tory Burch, anyone?) are also 30 percent off through 11/27. Yes, please!
Nike: Stock up on your athleisurewear at Nike, who just so happens to be offering an extra 25 percent off all its sale items when you type in EPIC25. Leggings, like the Pro HyperWarm Training Tights, for instance, go from $75 to $57 to $43 with the code.
Valfre: Our favorite cool-girl indie brand, Valfre, is 30 percent off sitewide, making new items, like the pictured Tita Dress, normally $85, drop in price to just $58. This satin Sorry Not Sorry bomber jacket, usually $125, falls to $65.
Kohl’s: Now’s your chance to get threads from celebs such as Sarah Hyland, who designs for Candie’s, and Lauren Conrad, who has her very own eponymous Kohl’s collection, for less: This LC Lauren Conrad Flocked Tulle and Flare Dress, once $68, has been marked down to $40 and falls even further to $35 with code SAVEBIG15 through 11/25.
Michael Kors:
With an extra 25 percent off sale items, you can find some serious steals in Michael Kors’ Black Friday sale, going on now through 11/27. Check out this Large Leather Hamilton Satchel, usually nearly $300, for $156!
AE: This AE Faux-Fur Hooded Parka, normally $150, is now $90, as part of the site’s 40 percent off site-wide sale, which also includes free shipping. Score!
Ann Taylor: Ann Taylor, which is offering 50 percent off sitewide with code THANKFUL, has you covered for New Year’s Eve with this Sequin Shift Dress. Usually $179, it drops to $90 with the code through 11/24, and with code GOPINK through 11/26.
Black Republic: Through 11/25, regular-price items, like this darling Velvet Wide-Leg Cropped Jumpsuit, are all 50 percent off in your cart. This guy’s just $74, down from $148.
Rebecca Minkoff: When else can you get an empowering designer sweatshirt for $59 (normally $88) PLUS get an extra 25 percent off when you spend $100 and add code BLACK25? NEVER, that’s when!
Missguided:
Take a whopping 50 percent off Missguided’s whole site when you enter FETCH50 through 11/26, from shirts (this Red Snake Print Twist-Front Shirt goes from $48 to $24), to outerwear, shoes, bags, and more.
State Bags: In lieu of a Black Friday sale, you can get your picture taken by renowned street photographer Jeff Thibodeau for free in all your new threads thanks to State Bags, who’s sponsoring the pro bono photoshoots in NYC on 11/25 and 11/27 at no charge. Check out all the deets here.
What’s the best deal you got for Black Friday? Tell us over @BritandCo.
What’s the best deal you got for Black Friday? Tell us over @BritandCo.
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
What’s the best deal you got for Black Friday? Tell us over @BritandCo.
What’s the best deal you got for Black Friday? Tell us over @BritandCo.
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
(Photo via Ann Taylor)
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