
Okay, we know it’s still 90 degrees in some parts of the country, but we’re just getting really excited about the revival of coats and cold weather clothes. When we think “keeping warm,” we think about fur. Now, before you reach for the red paint, hold up a sec. It’s all faux. Actually we take that back… it’s all faux-bulous (sorry, couldn’t help it). These 20 faux fur and leather finds are bound to get you stoked for the eminent cold front headed our way. Eventually.
1. Luxe Faux Fur Boxy Gilet ($130): This is it — your cuddly winter staple that can be thrown over practically anything.
2. Burgundy Faux Leather Pants ($38): Whoa mama! Paint the town (and your legs) red in these sassy skintight pants.
3. Unreal Fur Candy Blossom Coat ($298): Um, did we just travel back in time? Whether you’re looking to channel Kate Hudson à la Almost Famous or Bianca Jagger, you’ll be the most stylish ’70s style icon of them all.
4. Faux Leather Midi Skirt ($119): In our opinion, a girl can never have too many midi skirts. The length is long enough not to spend the day worrying about an exposed behind and short enough to still look fun. Give the trend a tougher edge in faux leather.
5. Mabel Color Block Faux Fur Coat ($995): My oh my, color blocking never looked so cozy. Keep things bright even in the darkest days of winter in this playful, sadly spendy piece.
6. Peplum Top ($20): A little bit naughty and a whole lot of nice — balance out your wild life and your working life with the laser-cut peplum top that kind of has it all.
7. Women’s Military Coat ($90): If all this fur is a little too much for your subdued taste, take it down a notch. Try this military coat with fur only on the hood.
8. Kwiato Crop Top ($102): Yes, it’s white. Yes, it’s after Labor Day. Yes, it’s totally okay.
9. Wayne Faux Fur Coat ($895): Mary-Kate? Ashley? Can we have your autograph? Don’t be surprised if you get stopped for a photo in this frock. It’s dramatic enough to win an Oscar all on its own.
10. Fit and Flare Dress ($98): The leather trim takes this basic black dress from blah to voila. Perfect for work or family dinners, this piece is a great way to wear leather in a sophisticated way.
11. Motel Fudge Leopard Coat ($160): Mix old glamour with new trends in this warm leopard coat that’s totally ameow-zing.
12. Faux Leather Dungarees ($94): The ’90s fashion staple has officially risen from the dead. If you’re not so sure about the trend maybe hold off and opt for a classic denim pair to get you started. But if you’ve been an overall advocate for some time now, here’s a chance to really up your dungaree game.
13. Borg Faux Fur Sweater ($52): Let’s face it: It doesn’t always get fur-coat-cold everywhere. If you’re still dying to sport the trend or want something that’s wearable in warmer weather, try this furry sweater.
14. Vegan Leather Moto Jacket ($80): Sometimes nothing beats a classic. Hit the open road or a rock show and look like the baddest gal in the place.
15. Faux Suede Moto Jacket ($57): Motorcycle jackets look awesome. But they’re definitely not the coziest of outwear. Meet somewhere in the middle with this jacket that has all the iconic moto details.
16. Faux Real Sweatshirt ($82): Fur sleeves seem like an odd choice at first, but we have to say, it’s totally working here. Although we can’t help but wonder if this would create some weird body temperature situations. What happens if you need to put a coat on? Hot arms and a perfectly warm chest, that’s what.
17. Rose Faux Leather Bustier ($25): Who says a leather skirt has to be plain? Take the leather look to a whole new level with this matching floral skirt and bustier.
18. Rusty Denim Jacket ($475): Denim jackets aren’t just for summer nights. This classic, laid-back shearling jacket will keep you nice and toasty with its faux-shearling hood and sleeves.
19. Club L PU Sleeve Swing Dress ($14): You know you want it — a sweet purple mini dress with just a touch of leather.
20. Animal Ear Hood Coat ($152): Somebunny better hand this coat over ASAP!
What’s your favorite faux fur or leather piece you own? Snap a pic and share it with us on Twitter!
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