
Fall shenanigans, here we come! While September serves as a transitional month, October is devoted to all things Halloween. Cue the endless costume DIYs and pumpkin spice everything. Before you settle on any group costumes just yet, brace yourself for retrograde, which lasts through October 9. As September winds down, start making those new to-do lists + scroll on for the best parts of your AstroStyle horoscope.
In both your personal and professional life, you’ll find yourself meeting new people who pique your interest and push you to think outside the box. Romantically speaking, don’t be surprised if you find yourself attracted to deep thinkers and artsy types. This week, challenge yourself by calling all the shots. Take matters into your hands by asking your S.O. out on a date. The same goes for the boardroom: Start making proposals and watch your power soar.
Read This: From one #girlboss to another, we can’t get enough of Olivia Pope’s flawless Scandal style. Because sharing is caring, here’s how to copy Olivia Pope’s favorite shoe style for way less. You’re welcome.
Scorpio: October 23 – November 21
Cue the stress levels. Before things can calm down at work, it looks like you’re going to have to deal with one more week of chaos. When the going gets tough, you just need to keep on going. Allow this to serve as your mantra for the week. With a positive attitude, logical thinking and teamwork, you’ll be amazed at what you’re able to accomplish. Major bonus: At the end of the week, you have our permission to treat yo’self to a new pair of kicks.
Read This: Got a case of the post-summer blues? Here’s why you’re feeling blah about your job right now. Rest assured that you’re not the only one.
Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21
Fall’s recent arrival has you itching for a new cashmere sweater and contemplating some of the season’s hottest trends. While you wouldn’t normally consider yourself a style chameleon, you can’t help but find yourself attracted to button-front skirts and boho flares. Our advice: Think it over and pin some outfit inspo, so that you can invest in all of the must-have pieces that you really love. No buyer’s remorse here!
Read This: We’ve got 15 fall wardrobe must-haves that will make you stop missing summer. Bow-neck blouses and playful overalls FTW!
Capricorn: December 22 – January 19
With yet another new month on the horizon, there’s no time like right now to re-evaluate your goals for the year. While it’s okay for your priorities to shift, don’t shy away from making all of your dreams a reality. You’ve got this, Cap! As Mercury is still in retrograde, it’s best to hold off on any major launches until after October 9.
Read This: Change can be a good thing. Take a look at these three questions to determine whether you’re on the right career path. You’ve got nothing to lose.
Aquarius: January 20 – February 18
While everyone else is starting to slowly slip into hibernation mode, you’re feeling more energized than ever to get moving. From training for the Turkey Trot to taking your deskercise routine to the next level (oh, the cubicle life!), use this week to ease back into things. If you’ve been feeling stressed lately, a yoga retreat in foreign lands could be just the thing to remotivate you.
Read This: It’s time to spruce up your workspace with these 17 Halloween decor ideas for a spooky office or cubicle. We want this pretty fall tassel garland asap!
Pisces: February 19 – March 20
Watch those spending habits! While the sartorial gods are whispering in your ears to spend, spend, spend, you need to resist the urge to indulge in retail therapy this week. Pay off some lingering bills and download a budgeting app STAT, so that you won’t find yourself in debt when all of the new October arrivals hit stores as early as this Thursday. In the meantime, treat yourself to activities that won’t rack up charges on your credit card. Partake in yoga in the park or — here’s an idea — call up the gal pals for a potluck dinner.
Read This: Here’s a sneak peek at the three weird fashion trends you will be wearing very soon. Definitely hold off until after the retrograde to make sure you’re still feelin’ these looks.
Aries: March 21 – April 19
Brace yourself for a week of major breakthroughs (yay!) and potential reunions with blasts from your past. Your eureka! moment is so close, it could happen any second now. As Mercury is still in retrograde, you’ll want to hold off on sharing the good news until everything’s official.
Read This: To keep you going through the work week, we have good news. Starbucks has a new latte flavor you’ll *fall* for… and it’s nothing short of ah-mazing. (Photo via Starbucks)
Taurus: April 20 – May 20
Bye, bye drama! In the midst of long-time grudges and a slew of individuals who have done you wrong one time too many, you’re ready to just let it go. Let bygones be bygones and call it a new day. While you don’t have to suddenly become buddy-buddy with a former nemesis, you can now at least call them an acquaintance.
Read This: Take your mind off things by pursuing these 12 pretty fall DIYs to get you in touch with nature. Trust us, you’ll feel so much better. (Photo via Brit + Co)
Gemini: May 21 – June 20
There could be some major shake-ups within your #girlgang this week. After some big revelations and a few tense arguments, you’ll quickly discover who your real friends are. Once you’ve talked things out, leave any baggage behind and set your sights on fun events, like a wild Halloween soiree.
Read This: Gather up the squad and get ready to dress up like sushi for the best group Halloween costume ever.
Cancer: June 21 – July 22
An exciting new project at work has you calling all the shots and feeling like a total girl boss. Watch out, Jenna Lyons and Sophia Amoruso! Don’t be afraid to accept help when the requests start piling up — you are human, after all. Outsource any tasks that leave you feeling overwhelmed or just plain stressed, so that you can focus on the larger issues at hand. When work leaves you feeling burned out, it’s okay to sneak in a little pinning sesh during your lunch break. We won’t tell!
Read This: Go ahead and press the snooze button, ‘cuz science says we should be starting work at this glorious time.
Leo: July 23 – August 22
While retrograde normally brings on destruction and deceit, this go-around, happy reunions are on the horizon. Friends who you haven’t seen since way back when will have a crazy way of re-entering your life this week. Play major catch up over dinner and vino at your favorite restaurant, and make plans to hang out more.
Read This: You know what they say: Friends who stay together drink together. Here are 10Â Halloween punch recipes to get the party started. (Photo via Honestly Yum)
Virgo: August 23 – September 22
When the dating pool grows dry, take matters into your own hands by treating yourself to a date. Until Prince Charming decides to show up, you only deserve the best. From a day of pampering at the spa to a relaxing bike ride to clear your head, there’s nothing more invigorating than living life on your own terms. Who needs flowers when you can splurge on a killer pair of ankle booties or a getaway-for-one instead?
Read This: First things first: A new manicure is in order. Check out these nine nail art designs inspired by fall. We promise they’ll complement your PSL cup just perfectly.
What are you planning to do this week? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to check out your full AstroStyle horoscope!
(h/t AstroStyle)
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