Latest news with #gifts
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Bonne Maman's limited-edition 2025 Advent calendar just dropped. Get it before it sells out
Though we're sweating away in record-breaking temperatures right now, the CNN Underscored team is already thinking about holiday gifting. And we're not the only ones with Christmas in July on the brain. Bonne Maman just dropped its 2025 Advent calendar, which you can buy now. Don't wait to add it to your cart, though; this adorable box of jams always sells out fast! Bonne Maman 2025 Limited-Edition Advent Calendar Back for its ninth year, this year's Advent calendar features a gorgeous redesign and 24 delicious Bonne Maman jam flavors to help you count down the days until Christmas. Each jam comes packaged in individual mini boxes, so you don't even have to worry about the gift wrap. While the holidays are still months away and we're not quite ready to put out the Christmas tree, it's never too early to get a head start on your gift shopping so you can save stress down the line (and actually enjoy the holiday season). Whether you're looking for a gift for the men in your life or a present for the women closest to you, this is a universal gift anyone will love — including yourself! This year's assortment includes some new flavors that already have my tastebuds watering. Some standout flavors include: Caramel Spread with Coffee, Mango and Ginger Spread, Pear and Mandarin with Cinnamon Spread and Strawberry with Passion Fruit Spread. And that's just a sampling of what you or your giftee has to look forward to, so we can tell it's sure to be a winning present. Once you've eaten up all the jams, you can repurpose the mini boxes into decor, place settings or use them to wrap up stocking stuffers. There's nothing better than a gift that keeps on giving! I've been covering Bonne Maman's cult-favorite Advent calendar drops for the last few years and can confirm it sells out in the blink of an eye. So, do yourself a favor and grab a few now so you'll be prepared for when the holidays roll around. Pro tip: It doesn't hurt to have a couple extra on hand for last-minute gifting needs! CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. Senior lifestyle editor Tamara Kraus has nearly a decade of experience writing gift guides and has tracked Bonne Maman's Advent calendar launches for about five years.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The innocent inheritance tax blunder that can cost your family dearly
Hundreds of bereaved families are being hit with unexpected inheritance tax bills after falling foul of rules around making gifts. Some 220 estates last year received a tax bill on £61 million worth of gifts given away incorrectly, according to HMRC data obtained by a Freedom of Information request by TWM Solicitors. More families could unwittingly breach the rules and be hit with unwelcome charges as they try to avoid inheritance tax. People making gifts slip up when they hand their loved ones assets, such as property, valuable artwork or fine wine, but still have use of them. This is known as Gifts with Reservation of Benefit – and the taxman treats them as if they have not been gifted at all. For example, a parent might give the family home to a child, which can be done tax-free as long as they live for seven years afterwards. However, if the parent then continues to live in the property they must pay rent at the market rate, or it will be considered a Gift with Reservation of Benefit because they are continuing to use the asset as though it is their own. If they fail to do this, HMRC does not consider it to be a proper gift and, when they die, it will then be taxed as though it is still part of the estate. Another example might be to give away a classic car, but then continue to keep it in your garage, or to gift a holiday home but still make use of it on a regular basis without paying a market rate. Duncan Mitchell-Innes, partner at TWM Solicitors, says: 'Making gifts is now one of the simplest ways of reducing an IHT bill, however many people are making mistakes in the process. Taxpayers should realise that simply handing over legal ownership of an asset isn't enough to satisfy HMRC.' Taxpayers paid a record £8.5 billion in inheritance tax in 2024-25 and £1.5 billion in the first two months of this tax year alone. Currently about 5 per cent of estates are liable for inheritance tax but more are being caught in the net as the thresholds at which IHT kicks in remain frozen but inflation pushes up the value of investments, property and assets. It is expected that the proportion of estates liable for IHT will rise to 8 per cent from 2027, when pensions are brought into the inheritance tax net. For many people, a pension is their most valuable asset, and this change in rules could tip them over the inheritance tax threshold. Kirsty Stone, chartered financial planner at The Private Office, says: 'We have seen a massive inflow of enquiries around inheritance tax and gifting since the pension changes were announced. 'A lot of people might think that giving away their home seems like a quick fix, without realising the intricacies of the rules.' Shane van Rossum, a retired school registrar, hoped to pass her pension pot to her daughter after she dies, but has had to change her plans since the Autumn Budget. Since the announcement that pensions would be liable for inheritance tax, she has started taking regular amounts from her pot to reduce its value and mitigate any future inheritance tax bill. 'I feel that I've worked hard to save money and I don't want it all taken away,' says Ms van Rossum, who retired ten years ago and lives in Fulham, west London. 'I'm not trying to avoid inheritance tax, but I want to be savvy about what I do.' She uses her annual £3,000 gifting allowance and also gives regular amounts to her family out of her surplus income. 'I really did my research first and I make sure to keep accurate records of any gifts,' she says. 'If you want to leave money you need to be really sure about what you're doing, and do your best to ensure that your family will get the best benefit from it.' You can make gifts out of income that you don't need so long as they are regular and come from income rather than assets.
Wall Street Journal
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
One Man's Quest to Break a Record for Birthday Freebies
The night before his birthday, Clint Svatos was up late worrying about whether everything would go to plan. His schedule was packed with stops all over Los Angeles, starting at 6 a.m. He anticipated eating a lot of sweets, receiving a bunch of gifts and returning home exhausted.
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Rachel Reeves unwittingly broke parliament rules by failing to declare gifts: watchdog
Rachel Reeves inadvertently breached parliamentary rules by failing to declare gifts on time, according to the standards commissioner. The breach involved free theatre tickets from the National Theatre, which she did not register within the required 28 days. Ms Reeves attributed the oversight to ambiguity regarding whether the hospitality was received in her capacity as a minister or an MP. Standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg accepted the breach was inadvertent but advised Ms Reeves to pay greater attention to the rules. Ms Reeves apologised for the error and pledged to ensure all future gifts are declared in line with Commons regulations. Rachel Reeves inadvertently breached rules on declaring freebies, watchdog finds
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Rachel Reeves inadvertently breached rules on declaring freebies, watchdog finds
Rachel Reeves inadvertently breached parliament's rules by failing to declare gifts on time, the standards watchdog has found. The chancellor was probed by the standards commissioner over free theatre tickets, which she failed to add to her register of interests within 28 days. She blamed 'an oversight' for her initial failure to declare the gifts, which included tickets to an adaptation of the classic children's novel Ballet Shoes at the National Theatre over Christmas. Ms Reeves had only listed the donation in the register for ministers, not MPs. In an email to standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg, Ms Reeves suggested the tickets were received in her capacity as chancellor, but that 'there is often ambiguity as to whether hospitality I receive is purely as a result of my role as a minister, or whether it is additionally received in my capacity as an MP'. 'Therefore, to be as transparent as possible, it is my ongoing intention to declare hospitality of this nature on both registers,' Ms Reeves added. After investigating the entry, Mr Greenberg accepted there had been an inadvertent breach, but told the chancellor she could have avoided the mistake by paying 'greater attention to the rules'. Ms Reeves apologised and promised future gifts would be registered in line with Commons rules. The investigation centred on two donations of tickets by the National Theatre. One was a show and dinner last March, valued at £265, and the other was for the December show, valued at £276. The inquiry came at a damaging time for Ms Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer, as it was announced on the eve of the local elections, in which the party suffered heavy losses. She previously faced criticism from MPs for accepting free tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter performance while outlining plans to cut benefits by £5bn. Last year, she also pledged she would not accept any more free clothes from donors after Labour's first months in power were overshadowed by a row over freebies. It came after the chancellor used her Mansion House speech to vow to 'take the boot of regulation off the throat of businesses', unveiling a bonfire of red tape to boost the economy. She said: 'In too many areas, regulation still acts as a boot on the neck of businesses, choking off the enterprise and innovation that is the lifeblood of growth. 'Regulators in other sectors must take up the call I make this evening not to bend to the temptation of excessive caution but to boldly regulate for growth in the service of prosperity across our country.' She told her audience of bankers and investors: 'We have been bold in regulating for growth in financial services and I have been clear on the benefits that will drive with a ripple effect across all sectors of our economy, putting pounds in the pockets of working people.'
