
We know it’s still April but we’re already feeling a toasty vibe in the air and can’t wait to bask in the sunny glow of hot summer days. With that in mind, it’s almost swimsuit season! Naturally, we’ve rounded up a whole bunch of smokin’ little numbers, from one-piece to two-piece, striped to floral, neon to monochrome, and everything in between.
1. Deco Top + Bottom ($169): We love this simple, graphic, art deco print. This would be a great one to wear with brightly colored bottoms and a big chunky necklace.
2. Pop Art One-Piece ($98): Inspired by pop art prints from the 60s, this sleek one-piece would also work great as a top.
3. Kushcush One Piece ($167): This dreamy print makes us think of deep blue seas and underwater creatures.
4. Punk Floral Bikini ($44 and up): It’s a tall order to call a floral print “punk” but we do love the contrasting hues in this bright bikini.
5. Beach Riot Colorblock One-Piece ($133): Speaking of bright colors, this one-piece has 80s written all over it.
6. Hurley Geo-Stripe Bikini ($82): Inspired by tribal patterns and textiles, we love the boho vibe of this two-piece.
7. Jazz Club Fringe One Piece ($200): We admit, this looks a little bit like the top half of an ice skating outfit from the early 90s, but it’s still kind of awesome. Pretty perfect for a bachelorette or 4th of July beach weekend.
8. Reversible Cut Out Swimsuit ($165): This. Is. Reversible! What more do you need to know?
9. Zinke Starboard One Piece ($132): Pastel hues and a geometric print make this piece as modern as it is pretty.
10. Painted Neon Bikini ($140): Black boots with a bikini? Why not? :)
11. Yes Master Geo One-Piece ($68): This tie dye style halter is another one that would look great with a high-waisted skirt and statement necklace.
12. American Dream ($65): Now this is a Memorial Day or 4th of July swimsuit if we’ve ever seen one!
13. Mara Hoffman Rainbow Bikini ($220): We love the flirty bounce of the top on this pretty patterned piece.
14. Acid Setup One Piece ($98): Remember our Geek Chic Swimwear series?
15. Geo Pattern Bikini ($24): Another option with a flowy top layer, we’re digging the super bold prints and colors in this fun bikini.
16. Lauren Moffatt Challenger Bikini ($198): Hello there stripes, have you met color block?
17. Textile Pattern Bikini ($27): We do love us any print inspired by traditional textiles.
18. Mara Hoffman Pow Wow One-Piece ($275): This might be our favorite one-piece in the lot! It manages to be elegant and sexy all at the same time.
19. Graphic Bandeau + High Waisted Bikini ($47): The high-waisted bottom isn’t for everyone, but we think it totally works in this graphic pairing.
20. Fringe Bikini ($154): Fringe is a great way to make the top of any bikini a little more modest.
21. Day Dreamer Sea Green Swimsuit ($151): Now that is some neon! Love the lace detail on the back of this suit.
22. Araks for J. Crew Yanelis Top + Bottom ($350): Nautical, minimal, and color blocked. For some reason, this swimsuit makes us think of Helvetica.
23. Ikat Fringe Bikini ($160): More fringe! Love the combination of Ikat patterns and flirty fringe.
24. Dakota Colour Block Bandeau + Bottom ($50): The color blocking on this has a futuristic vibe, and we like it.
25. Mara Hoffman Luau Bikini ($229): Lastly, our favorite bikini of the bunch! It’s got chevrons, multiple prints, and two hooks in the back. So lovely!
What swimwear will you sport this summer? Tell 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