
If there’s anything we’ve learned from keeping up with the latest fashion trends, it’s that we should keep a special spot in our closet for old clothes, because they’ll be stylish again at some point in our lives. Seriously. First overalls came back, then colorful geo prints and, now? Off-the-shoulder necklines. That’s right, ladies! Check out these 18 modern ways to rock the revived ’80s/’90s trend without looking like Kelly Kapowski. Although, that’s never really a bad thing.
1. Off-the-Shoulder Dress With Embroidery ($121): During the dog days of summer, all we want to wear is a flowy dress like this one. The boho chic style is going nowhere… and we’re not complaining.
2. Janelle Top ($48): Those sleeves are absolutely marvelous. Can we attach them to all our clothes?
3. Mini Off-the-Shoulder Skater Dress ($27): Sometimes all you need is a bold color to take something from ordinary to extraordinary. This dress would work for any casual summer event you can possibly think of. And those silver sandals aren’t too shabby, either!
4. Printed Off-the-Shoulder Dress ($40): We’ve been really into tropical prints this summer, so this leafy dress is right up our alley. Imagine how trendy you’d be walking along the beach in it!
5. Skater Dress With Bardot Neckline ($48): Every woman needs a simple LBD like this in her closet. This one even comes in a shade of red, for those of you who love LRDs (yup, it’s a thing now).
6. Pleated Peplum Top ($32): Peplums are still going strong, and it looks like that’s going to continue. That being said, this delicate pleated top is definitely worth the investment.
7. Crisscross Off-the-Shoulder Top ($34): This is literally one of the coolest and most unique crop tops we’ve ever seen. It’d look so fab with a super bright scuba skirt.
8. Off-the-Shoulder Dress in Lace ($48): Unconventional brides-to-be, take note! This lace number could totally work for a smaller, intimate wedding.
9. Off-the-Shoulder Top ($19): Simple off-the-shoulder tops and sweaters like this one are definitely what the women of the ’80s rocked. This shade of cobalt blue is so, so pretty.
10. Printed Off-the-Shoulder Top ($70): This beautifully bohemian pick looks perfect when paired with denim, be it cutoffs or distressed jeans.
11. Off-the-Shoulder Dress in Morris Flower Print ($29): This dress is ideal for those of you who aren’t fans of over-the-top floral prints. It’s subtle, but totally cute.
12. Off-the-Shoulder Prom Dress ($130): They’re calling this a prom dress, but you could definitely wear it to other non-high school formal events. Although, how fun would it be to host a mini adult prom with your friends? Just don’t forget to send us an invite.
13. Maggie Off-the-Shoulder Lace Dress ($92): This lace dress is both modest and sexy at the same time. Date night, here we come!
14. Off-the-Shoulder Mini Dress ($20): This vintage floral print’s been brought to this century with the help of the off-the-shoulder style. It’s an excellent mix of old and new.
15. Off-the-Shoulder Smock Dress in Daisy Lace ($126): Once you try this on, you’ll never want to take it off. Paired with a fresh floral crown, this dress’ll make you the perfect image of summer.
16. Off-the-Shoulder Openback Top ($50): Looking for something to wear over your swimsuit at the beach? Check out this open back top!
17. Sweetheart Off-the-Shoulder Jumpsuit ($24): We know we said tops and dresses, but we just couldn’t resist sharing this jumpsuit. It’s pretty simple, but that’s what makes it so amazing.
18. Off-the-Shoulder Flounce Dress ($18): We needed a little bit of blue in this roundup, didn’t we? This dress’ll soon become one of your favorites.
What do you think of this revived trend? Share your opinion with us 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