The holidays are a great time to update. Whether you’re looking for a new everyday bag, tricking out your old winter hats, or updating your tech. But, if your actual gadgets don’t need an update, maybe they need a new outfit our two? Here are 20 smartphone cases on our list!
1. Leopard National Flag Smartphone Case ($35): We did not know that Leopard was a country, but we’re all over this national flag design. This case is available for iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy.
2. Hello Hello Galaxy S4 Case ($42): Oh hello there! Hello! This whimsical case is the perfect way to dress up your phone.
Watercolor iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Case
watercolor prints, how we love thee. Who knew your iPhone case could double as fine art?
5. Aztec Tribal Pattern Smartphone Case ($35): It was tough to choose just one tribal pattern case from Society6 but this one’s our pick, and we’re sticking with it. Like most Society6 cases, this case is available for iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy.
6. Rifle Paper Co. Galaxy S4 Case ($42): Wait, who knew Rifle Paper also landed their pretty floral prints to the world of smartphone cases? #winning
7. Calf Hair iPhone 4 Case ($30): This furry case is fit for an animal print-loving material girl.
8. Neutral Tan & Gold Tribal Ikat Smartphone Case ($35): We’re all about gold all year round and this case is just what King Midas ordered.
9. Mara Hoffman Egyptian iPhone 5 Case ($40): Walk like a… you know what ;)
10. Falling Watercolor Dots Smartphone Case ($35): This is obviously our favorite case on the list — it just screams Brit + Co!
11. Painted Wood iPhone 4 Case ($40): This gorgeous hand-painted case features quirky geometric shapes and a beautiful wood finish.
12. Mara Hoffman iPhone 5 Case ($40): More Mara! That girl really knows how to put a mesmerizing pattern together.
13. Color Block Glitter iPhone 5 Case ($25): Going glitter for New Year’s Eve? Then you clearly need a case to match.
14. Dark Geometric Pattern Smartphone Case ($35): For a moodier winter vibe, we’re digging the deep cool tones on this option.
15. Twinkle Lights Smartphone Case ($35): Blurry twinkle lights make for amazing photographs — and twinkle-filled photographs make for amazing iPhone cases!
16. Floral iPhone 5 Case ($18): These cases are light, airy, and topped with sweet Japanese-inspired blossoms.
17. Icelick iPhone 4 Case ($15): What! This is an iPhone case that looks like a popsicle, and the popsicle stick doubles as a phone stand. Awesome!
18. Mint Striped Smartphone Case ($22 and up): Okay, this one might actually be our favorite. The mint color block, the white stripes, the woodgrain — what’s not to love?
19. Geometric Galaxy Smartphone Case ($22 and up): The pastel tones on this case are decidedly Easter-y — bookmark for a spring update?
20. Gold Bee Smartphone Case ($14 and up): Now when your phone is buzzing all the time, you can blame this bee. Or not.
Bonus! Besties iPhone 5 Case, Set of Two ($25): Is this awesome or awful? Jury’s out.
Another Bonus!! You Are Beautiful Smartphone Case ($35): All pizza slices truly are beautiful.
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:
You X Ventures for Unsplash
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.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
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