
No matter which way you sauce it, BBQ has always been a meat eater’s game. Times are changing, though, as popular diets go mainstream (hey, Beyonce ;) and we’re more down to try new things. We’ve got the goods on all things vegan for some meat-free, dairy-free dishes at your 4th of July cookout — all certain to satisfy everyone‘s appetite. Fire up the grill and get ready to serve these 18 delicious recipes at your next summer BBQ.
1. Super Creamy Mac and Cheese: You can’t forget the mac and cheese. After all, it’s a classic BBQ side dish. Faux or no, this creamy recipe is one of the best there is. (via Vegan Yumminess)
2. Quinoa and White Bean Burger: Packed with protein and fiber, this burger will satisfy your appetite and your healthy food quota. (via One Green Planet)
3. Artichoke and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps: Don’t forget the veggies! Artichokes are hearty enough to stand the heat, and they are delicious when grilled. (via One Green Planet)
4. Messy Cheesy BBQ Portobello Burger: Mmm, messy and cheesy?! And better than a burger patty. (via Babble)
5. BBQ Sriracha Tempeh With Black Rice: We’re totally on board with adding sriracha to any dish. Spicy, saucy deliciousness is just what a good BBQ meal needs. (via Food Fitness Fresh Air)
6. Portobello and Peach Burgers: Take advantage of peaches while they’re in season. Pair them with some portobellos and you’ll have a match made in grilling heaven. (via Green Kitchen Stories)
7. Pumpkin Burgers: Pumpkins aren’t just for pie anymore. Turn your pumpkins into patties and get them grilling! (via Peas + Crayons)
8. Chili Lime-Marinated Seitan Kebabs: A chili and lime spice is the perfect addition to some smokey, savory kabobs. (via That Was Vegan?)
9. Grilled Tofu Tacos: Every part of this taco screams summer goodness. Vegans and carnivores alike won’t be able to resist. (via Love + Lemons)
10. Cucumber Salad: Take a break from the grill with this light, simple salad topped with roasted chickpeas. (via Audrey’s Apron)
11. Grilled Pizza Dough With Veggies and Almond “Ricotta”: If you thought pizza didn’t belong at BBQs, think again. (via Beard + Bonnet)
12. Grilled Corn and Quinoa Salad: When in doubt, bust out the corn and avocado. Grill ’em up before tossin’ them in for an added smokey flavor. (via Begin With Nutrition)
13. Pulled Eggplant: You may never go back to pulled pork again once you try this pulled eggplant meal. (via Chubby Vegetarian)
14. Chile Lime Grilled Corn: Corn is best when it’s cooked on the grill. And it’s always vegan friendly! (via Something Edible)
15. The Bad Ass “Lamb” Burger: No meat, but plenty of flavor. And you can’t resist the catchy name. (via One Green Planet)
16. Potato and Kale Salad: Skip the stop at the deli and try out this vegan take on a classic potato salad that’s fit for any picnic table. (via With Food and Love)
17. Smoky BBQ Tempeh Pizza: We told you that pizza can be made for a BBQ, and we think this one is an amazing choice to include at your next cookout. (via Vegan Richa)
18. Easy Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad: Whip up this creamy concoction to get the party started or to munch on between dishes. (via Oh How She Glows)
Are you grilling up any vegan goods for 4th of July? What’s your favorite BBQ food? Fill us in below or on Twitter.
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