by Sequoia Blodgett

April 10, 2024

Are You Electronically Filing In The Best Way Possible And Clocking Those Deductions?

Here how to file your taxes electronically and a list of deductions that you should take advantage of.

Originally Published Apr. 15, 2019.

April 15 is the day that all taxes are due. So how do you digitize your taxes and claim your deductions? For starters, use online services like TurboTax and the IRS’s E-filing system. It makes filing extremely seamless. Here is a list of deductions that you should look into and take full advantage of:

Home Office Tax Deduction

The eligibility rules for claiming a home office vary, but remote workers and self-employed filers make sure you claim this break. You are also eligible to write off expenses that are associated with the portion of your home where you exclusively conduct business. These expenses include rent, utilities, insurance, and housekeeping.

Business Expenses

If you drive for Uber on the weekends or rent out your house on Airbnb, you could qualify as a business owner and should be filing a Schedule C tax form. As a general rule, freelancers can write off business-related expenses, but they have to be necessary.

Student Loan Interest Paid

You can deduct up to $2,500 of student loan interest per return, per year. You can claim the student loan interest tax deduction as an adjustment to income. You don’t need to itemize deductions to claim it. Go to your student loan provider to access the forms and upload them on TurboTax.

Moving Expenses

Don’t be fooled. The moving expense deduction is no longer available in tax years 2018-2025 due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) but there are some exceptions to the rule. If you moved to a new location because of work and are a member of the military, you may qualify to use IRS Form 3903 to claim the cost of your moving expenses as a deduction on your federal income tax return.

Claim your Dependents

New tax laws allow you to claim a dependent credit, either $500 or $2,000 depending on the status of the dependent.

Don’t be late and remember if you need to file an extension, you can do so here.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 10, 2024

Roc Nation’s Lenny S. Kept On Payroll By JAY-Z When There Wasn’t Work

"I don't even want to take your money. He was paying me as a staff and I didn't even want to take your money and he was like, 'You're good.'"

Senior Vice President of Roc Nation, Lenny S., is also a photographer who has worked with JAY-Z for many years in various roles in his companies.

In a recently resurfaced clip originally aired on the popular financial podcast Earn Your Leisure, the executive revealed that Shawn Corey Carter (JAY-Z) paid him out of his pocket when the billionaire was between record labels and didn’t have employment for Lenny.

During a discussion with podcast hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, the Roc Nation executive explained that JAY had officially retired before running Def Jam and years before he started Roc Nation, and Lenny was still an employee of Roc-A-Fella Records. Although he received offers from other record labels yearning for his A&R services, JAY-Z advised him to chill. But Lenny took a job with Virgin Records and worked there for about a year.

“When he retires, I leave to go to Virgin Records for a year. I didn’t want to work anywhere else, but Jay really, really wasn’t doing anything, like really. Like, he was done, and there was no work. There was no label. But, I was still on his staff, and I was like, JAY, I’m getting these offers from all these labels, like, yo, let me just come, and he’s like, no, you good, just stay here, and I’m like, we’re not doing anything.”

“I don’t even want to take your money. He was paying me as a staff and I didn’t even want to take your money and he was like, ‘You’re good.’

Lenny said he went to work with Big John Platt at Virgin Records for a year, but not before getting the blessing from JAY-Z because the rapper and Big John were great friends. That made it easier for Lenny to break away from JAY-Z. When JAY-Z became the president of Def Jam, Lenny went back into the fold and has been working with the Brooklyn-bred businessman ever since.

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Sipho Mdanda, Fortunate Mdanda, Hino Dealership, South Africa, Isipho Capital Ventures

by Rafael Pena

April 9, 2024

Isipho Capital First 100% Black-Owned Hino Dealership In South Africa

Isipho Capital founders Sipho and Fortunate Mdanda have stepped into history with South Africa's first 100% Black-owned Hino dealership.

Isipho Capital founders Sipho and Fortunate Mdanda have stepped into history as the new owners of South Africa’s first 100% black-owned Hino dealership, according to Times Live. Located in Pomona, Johannesburg, this dealership is also 65% woman-owned.

The acquisition of the Hino Pomona dealership marks a significant milestone in South Africa’s automotive landscape. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a comprehensive parts and service center capable of servicing modern trucks and trailers, the dealership sets a new standard in customer service and support.

“We at Isipho Capital are truly honored and excited that we are members of the Hino family and look forward to positioning our dealership as one of the star performers in Hino South Africa’s countrywide network of 67 dealerships,” Fortunate Mdanda said.

Anton Falck, vice president of Hino SA, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of the dealership’s location in Gauteng. “Hino Pomona is an important member of our network, located in the fastest-growing logistics hub in Gauteng, along the R21, in proximity to OR Tambo International Airport, as well as being within the Ekurhuleni manufacturing hub,” Falck said.

The acquisition aligns with Isipho Capital’s broader business interests. The company’s diverse portfolio includes an 80% stake in Mr Coach, specializing in ambulances, mobile clinics, hearses, buses, and other conversions, as well as 100% ownership of Kholeka Engineering, renowned for manufacturing truck bodies, trailers, people carriers, water tankers, and more.

This deal reflects Isipho Capital’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the business landscape and underscores its strategic vision for growth and expansion across various sectors.

As Isipho Capital ventures into uncharted territory with the Hino Pomona dealership, it paves the way for future generations of Black entrepreneurs in South Africa’s automotive industry. The Mdandas are poised to make a lasting impact, setting a new standard of success in the nation’s business landscape.

Bryson Tiller, Video Game, break, industry, trap soul games,

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 9, 2024

Bryson Tiller Focused On His Video Game Debut In 2025

Bryson Tiller's self-titled album will likely be his last for a while as he focuses on a career transition into the video game industry.

Bryson Tiller just released his self-titled album on Friday, April 5 and it will likely be his last for a while as he focuses on a career transition into the video game industry.

The “Don’t” singer released his fourth studio album with a goal of letting “the masses hear everything I’m capable of doing,” and remain loyal fans, he told Billboard. It makes sense, with the album serving as a “see you later” rather than a farewell for the Kentucky native who has plans of taking a break from music to release the video game he’s been working on for three years.

“I would love for this one [Bryson Tiller] to be the last one for a while,” he told Complex last month. “I’ve been saying that regardless if it performs well or not. This is probably gonna be my last one for a minute. I just want to take a hiatus because my No. 1 passion is video games.”

“I’m a designer in my spare time. I’ve been designing a game for the past three years. I’ve been looking into internships for different companies. That’s what I want to prioritize after this album comes out,” he added.

With the 2023 launch of his company Trapsoul Games, Tiller hopes to put more focus into developing the business and spending more time with his two daughters.

“I want to focus on first getting closer to my daughters. My oldest daughter is 10 years old now, and I’m tired of telling her that I have to work, or I have to be in the studio and make an album, before we can hang out,” he explained.

“I’m just getting tired of telling her that. Game design is super cool because I could do it from anywhere. I could be next to her while she’s gaming, working on my game. It’s just what I love to do. It doesn’t feel like work.”

As for when he’ll finally unveil his debut video game to the gaming world, Tiller hopes the game can be released by later this year or coincide with the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. It’s one he loves and has been playing “every day.”

“I would love for it to drop this year. If not, it would be dropping the same year as GTA 6, which I’m not mad at, because I love GTA,” he shared.

RELATED CONTENT: NBA Fans Are Heckling Players Over Losing Bets On Games

Tik-Tok Ban, Minority Businesses, Social media

by Daniel Johnson

April 9, 2024

Oxford Study Reveals TikTok’s Benefits To Minority Businesses Amid Proposed TikTok Ban

The report also indicates that minority-owned SMB’s are given access to brand deals that they wouldn't otherwise have access to without Tik-Tok.

Although TikTok is currently fighting to remain in American app stores over concerns of national security, minority-owned small and medium sized businesses (SMB) say that the app is vital to helping them find success in a crowded marketplace.

As Inc. reported, a study from Oxford Economics indicates that Black, Latinx, and Asian/Pacific-Islander-owned businesses consider the app to be a lifeline. TikTok commissioned the study to gauge the economic impact of the app on the American business landscape.

According to the study, “Social media provides these businesses with opportunities that may have historically been denied. Barriers such as access to capital, contracts with marketing firms, and access to media all may be much less critical when promoting business capabilities on TikTok.”

The report also indicated that minority-owned SMBs are given access to brand deals that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to without TikTok. “Nearly half (45%) of SMBs from minority groups say that TikTok enables them to establish lucrative brand partnerships and sponsorships that would have been more difficult to establish without the app.”

Small business owners, like the CEO of Brandon the Plant Guy, Brandon Hurst, recognize that a ban on TikTok would represent an incalculable loss. Hurst told Inc. that TikTok has a unique ability to provide SMBs with reach they would not have from other apps.

“I think they (legislators) think there are a lot of social media apps, and we could just go join another app and still continue to promote our business.” Hurst said. “I don’t think they realize that TikTok has the true unique ability to reach people you would never reach on any other app.”

Corroborating Hurst’s claim is a report from Business Wire, which maintains that TikTok results in more engagement than Instagram. Molly Burke, a senior retail analyst at Capterra, told the outlet, “SMB performance on TikTok is strong. Most are seeing a positive return on ad spend, rising sales attributable to TikTok, and engagement above and beyond what they receive on any other social media app, including Instagram and Facebook.”

Capterra also expects TikTok to have a strong 2024 as their survey of SMBs indicates that they will increase spending on marketing on the platform over the rest of the year. Although it is unclear if the reports of TikTok’s assistance to SMBs will be successful in staving off a potential ban, the $24 billion the app helped to generate in economic activity is difficult to ignore.

As TechCrunch reported, although the bill went through the House of Representatives quickly, the forecast for the Senate is less positive. Senators like Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) acknowledge the national security concerns, but also know that if the bill passes, there are potential First Amendment challenges that would likely come up.

Sen. Cantwell emailed TechCrunch a statement: “These are national security threats and it is good members in both chambers are taking them seriously,” Cantwell said. “Following today’s House vote, I will be talking to my Senate and House colleagues to try to find a path forward that is constitutional and protects civil liberties.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 9, 2024

These Top Cities To Move To Also Host The Most Black Residents

With new cities ranking as go-to places to move, these specific cities in the top 10 also host a range of Black residents.

Where one lives is a choice derived from many factors. For Black people, that choice often considers how well the Black community thrives and already exists in it. Out of these go-to cities to move into, BLACK ENTERPRISE has picked out the ones hosting the most Black residents.

A new study released by relocation tech company MoveBuddha shared the top cities people are flocking to. The COVID-19 pandemic saw abrupt remote workers shifting their environments from big cities to bigger homes. However, those factors are less prevalent than many returning to the office.

The top 10 cities to move to are not all along the coastline or even premier destinations. Regardless, their move-in-to-move-out ratio suggests an undeniable charm and quality of living that attracts newcomers to stay. For the Black community, some places have diverse neighborhoods and cultures, making them the new hot spots.

The platform listed the top move-in cities in all 50 states, but the top 10 range in region and diversity. Placed the highest is The Villages, located in Central Florida. While known for its senior community and pristine weather, 2022 Census data reported a .4% Black population.

Fortunately, a high-ranking city with a higher percentage of Black residents is only two states away in Tennessee. Chattanooga, located in the southeastern part of the state, has Black people contributing to almost a third of its population. With the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and historical markers for Black people in tact, Black residents remain a fixture in this town.

While other move-in cities don’t have Black residents at this level, there are still diverse places rounding out the highest rankings. Decatur, Georgia, is minutes from Atlanta. However, it holds its own, with over 20% of its population consisting of Black people in 2018.

Next are the Carolinas, specifically Asheville, North Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which continue the Southern charm with a sizable Black population. While the North Carolina town attributes 10% of its population to the racial group, those wanting an ocean breeze can go to South Carolina’s beach city, where 15.6% of residents are Black. The Alamo state also has a featured spot on the list, with Conroe, Texas, featuring almost 12% of Black residents.

Not every city in the top 10 is a haven for Black people, as Billings, Montana, and Boulder, Colorado, have less than 1% each. Despite this, Black people ready to explore can stay on trend with these other towns that just might be one’s go-to residence.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 9, 2024

Employer Settles Federal Lawsuit After Firing Woman For Wearing Natural Hair

Imani Jackson has reached a settlement with her former employer after she was allegedly fired for wearing her natural hair.

A Louisiana employer has settled a federal lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Imani Jackson alleges the termination occurred shortly after she stopped wearing her wig to work, revealing her natural hair.

When Jackson was hired as a sales associate at American Screening LLC, she wore a straight-haired wig. However, the African American woman switched to remove the wig and began wearing her natural hair to work. The lawsuit detailed Jackson’s former employer criticizing her natural hair, calling it “unacceptable” despite Jackson claiming she placed it into a “neat bun,” as reported by the Miami Herald.

The court documents then alleged that the employer asked Jackson to continue wearing her wig instead. However, Jackson refused to oblige the discriminatory request, leading to her termination two months later in October 2018. A white employee later took her place.

The lawsuit claimed the firing violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 due to racial discrimination. According to the court documents, Jackson’s “4-A” curl pattern is typically associated with Black people, thus making the employer’s comments on when she will “fix” her natural hair a racist remark.

“Just as an employer may not ask an employee to change or conceal their skin color, an employer may not ask an employee to change their natural hair texture,” explained EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows in a press release. “Unfortunately, this form of discrimination continues to limit employment opportunities for Black workers, even today.”

Years after the incident, Jackson will receive a monetary settlement from American Screening for the unjust firing. According to a consent decree filed on April 3 in Louisiana, she will receive $50,000 in compensation for the ordeal. The company must also create new policies that protect employees who choose to wear their natural hair.

This lawsuit contributes to a growing cause against hair discrimination, also impacted by the legalization of the CROWN Act in several states. As other cases fight against natural hair prejudices, resolving this legal battle is a step in the right direction.

Billy Dee Williams, Actor, Blackface, maher, podcast, victim, mentality, blackface

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 9, 2024

Not Billy Dee Williams Believing Actors Should Be Able To Do Blackface

Billy Dee Williams has no quarrels with actors performing in blackface because he refuses to take on a "victim" mentality.

Billy Dee Williams has no quarrels with actors performing in blackface because he refuses to take on a “victim” mentality.

The Star Wars star recently sat down with Bill Maher for a deep dive about his acting career on Maher’s Club Random podcast. With a resume spanning 50 years, Williams recalled some projects from yesteryear that inspired his Hollywood pursuit.

Among his favorites include the 1965 Stuart Burge-directed British Othello which starred Laurence Olivier as the title character in blackface. Williams shared his amusement with Olivier’s performance, which included changing his voice to sound deeper and more exotic as well as changing his style of walking.

“When he did Othello I fell out laughing. He stuck his a** out and walked around because Black people are supposed to have big a**es,” Williams told Maher.

“And Bradley Cooper thinks he’s got a problem with the nose,” Maher said, in reference to Cooper wearing a prosthetic nose to play Leonard Bernstein in 2023’s Maestro.

“I thought it was hysterical. I loved it. I love that kind of stuff,” Williams said of Olivier.

However, Maher reminded Williams about the change in time and how controversial it is for people to don blackface for a character or costume.

“Here’s the thing,” Maher said. “Today, they would never let you do that.”

“Why?” Williams asked.

“Blackface?” Maher replied.

But Williams shut down the controversy surrounding an actor’s use of blackface as he feels it should be accepted.

“Why not? You should do it,” Williams replied. “If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.”

According to the Lady Sings the Blues star, getting offended by blackface is a form of victimhood, which Williams refuses to live by.

“The point is, you don’t go through life feeling like, ‘I’m a victim.’ I refuse to go through life saying to the world, ‘I’m pissed off.’ I’m not gonna be pissed off 24 hours a day,” he said.

He elaborated on this way of thinking earlier this year when he explained why he never looked at himself as the only Black character in a film.

“I never think of myself in terms of the only Black character,” he told The Guardian.

“Everybody else might think of it that way. In my reasoning in my own head, I’m just a character. A character has certain qualities that make a character a winning character in a movie or a character that is not able to translate very well. I’ve been able to translate very well across the board. . . I don’t really think in terms of Black. I couldn’t care less about all that garbage.”

by Rafael Pena

April 9, 2024

Ed Dwight, First Black Astronaut, Set To Soar Anew With Blue Origin’s New Shepard-25 Mission

Blue Origin's upcoming New Shepard-25 mission is poised to mark an occasion with Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate in the U.S.

Blue Origin’s upcoming New Shepard-25 mission is poised to mark a monumental occasion as former Air Force Captain and Kansas City native Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate in the U.S., is set to embark on this historic journey, according to AfroTech. Decades after being denied the opportunity to fly to space, Dwight’s inclusion in the crew for this mission symbolizes a remarkable full-circle moment in his storied career.

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Dwight’s seat aboard New Shepard-25 is sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity and the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation. His illustrious career has seen him transition from entrepreneurship to sculpting monuments honoring Black historical figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman, with over 130 of his works showcased in museums across the U.S. and Canada.

Selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the inaugural Black astronaut candidate, Dwight’s journey to space was thwarted despite completing the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) and earning a recommendation from the U.S. Air Force. Now, with Blue Origin’s invitation, Dwight is poised to realize his long-awaited dream of space travel.

Joining Dwight on this momentous journey are Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura, forming a diverse crew united in their shared quest for space exploration. Each member will carry a postcard created by students as part of Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s initiative aimed at inspiring the next generation of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) leaders.

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“Club for the Future is proud to make space accessible to all humans through the Postcards to Space program,” the initiative’s website states. “Anyone can draw or write their vision of the future on a postcard, and Blue Origin will fly it to space and back on a future New Shepard mission.”

Rumi Carter, Jay-Z and Blue Ivy Carter, youngest, female, artist, billboard, Hot 100, charts Blue Ivy, cowboy

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 9, 2024

Move Over Blue Ivy, Rumi Carter Is Now The Youngest Female On Billboard Hot 100

Beyoncé's new album "Cowboy Carter" made her daughter Rumi, 6, the youngest-charting female artist in Billboard Hot 100 history

Beyoncé’s daughters hold the record for being the youngest Billboard Hot 100 recipients. After eldest daughter Blue Ivy Carter held down the spot for five years, her little sister Rumi Carter beat her record.

With the release of Beyoncé’s new studio album Cowboy Carter, her daughter Rumi, 6, has become the youngest-charting female artist in Billboard Hot 100 history. Rumi appears on the track “Protector,” which debuted at No. 42 on the Hot 100 following the album’s March 29 release.

Rumi’s new Billboard record surpasses her big sister Blue Ivy’s previous holding as the youngest-charting female artist to reach the Hot 100 at 7 years old in 2019 with her featured appearance on Beyoncé, SAINt JHN and Wizkid’s No. 76-peaking “Brown Skin Girl,” from “The Lion King: The Gift.”

However, Blue Ivy still holds the record as the youngest artist to ever appear on any Billboard chart when her baby sounds were featured on Jay-Z’s “Glory” in 2012. The song made it to No. 63 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 23 on Hot Rap Songs.

The Carters are only solidifying their reign on the Billboard charts with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé now has charted 106 total songs on the Hot 100 (the third-most among women), surpassing Jay-Z’s 105.

The “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer has made history of her own as the first Black woman to ever dominate the Top Country Albums chart with her LP debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts, with 407,000 equivalent album units earned.

The decorated Grammy winner has the biggest first-week debut of 2024 with her first country music album. After Jay-Z called out the Recording Academy for repeatedly snubbing his wife in the Album of the Year category, there are growing murmurings that Cowboy Carter could be a frontrunner in the category for the 2025 Grammys.