Christmas is fast approaching and that means approximately 465 billion dollars are going to be spent across America on gifts.

While you may know exactly what to buy when it comes to your partner, your children or close friends, buying Christmas gifts for clients can be a lot more complicated.

What does your client want? What can they accept per corporate policies? Are there certain gifts clients might find offensive or insensitive?

All of those questions are perfectly natural to worry about and taking the time to think on what’s appropriate when it comes to client gift-giving is time well spent.

To help bring clarity to your gift-giving efforts, below, our team shares with you a few do’s and don’ts of business gifts. We will also turn you onto a few safe and specific gift suggestions.

DO Be Mindful of Taxes

Christmas gifts for clients can be a great way to earn tax write-offs but it doesn’t give the kind of robust deductions some business owners assume.

When it comes to client gift-giving, you’re allowed to write off $25.00 per gift which does not include things like wrapping paper, boxes, etc. If you’re planning on spending more than that on a client gift, the amount is going to come out of your taxable income.

DON’T Get too Personal

Sometimes you think you and a client are really close and consequently, give a gift like a seductive fragrance only to find that you’ve misread your relationship. You don’t want your Christmas gifts for clients efforts to backfire in a way that they lose you business.

Because of that, always err on the side of caution and go with safe and practical gifts.

DO Check Corporate Policies

If the client you’re thinking of giving a gift to works for a large company, there may be limits to the value of gift they can accept.

Inquire with the business’ HR department to see if there are guidelines you’ll need to follow to ensure your recipient won’t have to reject your gift. Doing so can help you avoid awkward situations and will help you not get your gift recipient into trouble.

DON’T Assume Cultural Similarities

Does your client celebrate Christmas? Do they celebrate Hanukah? Do they celebrate the holidays at all?

Remember, there are a lot of different religious and cultural preferences out there. Make sure you’re not mistakenly violating your client’s.

DO Aim for Quality

If you’re going to give a gift, no matter what it is, make sure it’s of good quality.

The quality of the gift you give to a client may lead them to draw conclusions about the quality of your business. For that reason, you’re better off not giving a gift than giving a gift that’s cheap and tacky.

DON’T Forget to Handwrite Your Card

If your Christmas gifts for clients package is going to include a card, be sure that the note on your card is handwritten. A handwritten card speaks a lot louder to how much you care than one that’s just printed off.

Safe Christmas Gifts for Clients Suggestions

Now that you understand some of the implications around client gift-giving, we’ll share with you a few suggestions on safe gifts you might want to consider going with.

Corporate SWAG

It’s perfectly acceptable to send your customer a corporate SWAG bag as your Christmas gift. This SWAG bag could include a number of products branded with your logo like coffee mugs, notebooks, pens, pencils, and more.

Edible Gift Baskets

Edibles are one of the most popular gifts you can give to clients. You can give fruit baskets, chocolate baskets, sausage platters, cheese platters, and more!

If you can, see if the client you’re delivering to has any dietary restrictions so you can ensure that they’ll be able to enjoy whatever edible gift you send their way.

Coffee or Tea

The business world runs on drinks like coffee and tea. That’s why it’s always a good idea to send premium brand beverages in that vain to clients.

See if you can find out if your client has a preference between coffee and tea. If they do, run a Google search of “coffee gift basket high quality” or “tea gift basket high quality” to find a pre-arranged assortment you can send!

A Simple Christmas Card

At the end of the day, it’s the thought that matters when it comes to the holidays.

If you’re looking for simple Christmas gifts for clients idea that will save you some money and achieve the effect you’re looking for, send your client a Christmas card. Something as simple as a picture of your family or of your small team can do wonders when it comes to giving your clients a sense of how their business helps you live your best life!

Wrapping Up The Do’s and Don’ts of Christmas Gifts for Clients

There you have it! A comprehensive overview of what to consider when buying Christmas gifts for clients as well as some safe suggestions you can lean on if you’re having trouble finding inspiration.

We hope that our information above will help you build stronger ties with the people you do business with.

Happy holidays, from our team to yours!

If you’re looking for more of the best information when it comes to holidays and gift giving, check out more of our content on Wishes Planet today!