
Music festival season is officially upon us (YASS, winter is finally over!). That means festival style essentials like graffiti hair and (TBH with this crazy weather) rain boots are on our radar. If you’re still devastated from Beyoncé’s Coachella announcement and want to branch out to different festivals, but are feeling a bit overwhelmed by your choices (it’s not just Coachella anymore), we’re with you. To help narrow down your options, we’ve put together a festival guide based on the personality traits of the zodiac signs. Let your horoscope guide you to the perfect music party below.
aries (MARCH 21 – APRIL 19)
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1. Governor’s Ball (June): Your constant need for change and fierce independence just don’t do well in an isolated environment, Aries, which is why you should definitely head to NYC this summer to check out Governor’s Ball. After you get your fill of Lorde and Childish Gambino, you can head back into the chaos of the city to find a whole new adventure before bedtime.
taurus (APRIL 20 – MAY 20)
2. Bonnaroo (June): Taurus, no one’s more connected to the Earth than you, which is why camping in the middle of Tennessee in order to listen to your favorite musicians just makes astrological sense. You crave simplicity, nature, and peace, so spending a few days with The XX, The Weeknd, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers under the summer sun is sure to satisfy your sensitive soul.
gemini (MAY 21 – JUNE 20)
3. Austin City Limits (October): We know how much you love learning, Gemini, so why not head down to Austin this October and fall in love with a whole slew of new musicians you’ve never heard of? Austin City Limits is all about celebrating superstars and up-and-comers alike, which falls right in line with your uber-curious nature.
cancer (JUNE 21 – JULY 22)
4. Floydfest (July): Summer’s your time to shine, Cancer, and there’s no better way to celebrate your birthday season than with a lineup featuring Thievery Corporation, Keller Williams, and Buffalo Mountain Jam. These homegrown musicians totally get your emo vibes.
leo (JULY 23 – AUGUST 22)
5. Coachella (April): It’s all about star power, baby. We know how much you dig the limelight, Leo, so it only follows you should spend your summer singing along with some of the most famous musical acts on the planet. Plus, your fiery disposition will feel right at home in the desert heat.
virgo (AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22)
6. Outside Lands (August): Held in San Francisco, the startup capital of the universe, Outside Lands is the kind of festival perfect for a perfectionist, self-disciplined Virgo like yourself. Plus, this festival works with a bunch of non-profits making substantial positive change in the world, which speaks to your service-oriented heart.
libra (SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22)
7. Jazz Fest (April/May): Since you’re all about balance and harmony, it only seems right you’d think Jazz Fest is rad, Libra. It’s not a genre that’s for everyone, but we have a feeling you’ll fall in love with the complexities of the Southern-rooted sound. Plus your hospitable, authentic nature is a perfect fit for New Orleans’ soulful vibe.
Scorpio (OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 21)
8. Ultra Music Festival (March): With a true Scorpio’s constant craving for drama and intensity, we know you’d totally be down for an EDM festival in Miami. It’s hot, it’s sexy, and it’s pulsing with passionate people just like you.
Sagittarius (NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 21)
9. Lollapalooza (August): Ever the optimist, you’ll be sure to get down with Lolla’s live-and-let-live vibe. One of the oldest and most beloved music festivals around, Lollapalooza is all about having fun, making memories, and listening to some really awesome music. As the zodiac’s resident philosopher, Sag, we know you’re totally game.
Capricorn (DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19)
10. Sweetlife (Various): With its roots in Washington, DC, the power capital of the world, the Sweetlife Festival totally vibes with your success-driven life-force, Cap. This year, the festival will travel all over the country to jam in smaller venues rather than over one huge weekend, which definitely speaks to your need for structure and stability (no sweaty masses for you, please and thank you!).
Aquarius (JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 18)
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11. Warped Tour (June-August): As the resident rebel of the zodiac, we think you’ll appreciate Warped Tour’s punk rock beginnings, Aquarius. Skate culture, ska, and a serious case of independence will make you feel right at home in the Warped Tour pit (or with VIP passes, if your pit days are behind you). Either way, the infectious energy will lift you up.
pisces (FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20)
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12. Burning Man (August/September): You’ll take your festival with a side of spirituality, please. Pisces, we dig the fact you’re such an intuitive dreamer — and Burning Man is just the place to open your third eye wider. You’re all about energy and dissolving boundaries to reach a higher plane, which is exactly what Burning Man is all about (we think?).
Do you have plans to hit up a festival (or two!) this summer? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know who you can’t wait to see perform!
(Featured photo via Getty)
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