Corporate Gift Giving Made Easy

One of the more ingenious expressions of the American way of life has come to my notice recently, a combination of the pleasures of giving, receiving and tax exemptions that would warm the cockles of any misanthrope’s heart. It is called The Corporate Holiday Gift and it makes any non-corporate mind, such as mine, reel at its width, depth and scope. The Corporate Holiday Gift is not what I had always assumed, one or a couple of bottles of liquor for the men, or perfume, toilet water or dusting powder for the ladies (according to the giver’s temperament) to show us that the spirit of the Holy Yuletide season touches the most callous merchandiser’s heart. No, dear reader, the Corporate Holiday Gift is so magnificent and munificent that it reached a volume of $350 million in 1967 and will go even higher this year, so the experts say. The august emporiums of the rich, such as Tiffany’s and Cartier’s, cater to it just as the bazaars where slide rules and glassware are sold, and mighty glad they all are of the business too. There is no limit to what you can spend on giving, though there is one as to what you can tax deduct, of which more later. And the gifts, all in all, are mighty nice things that I, for one, would be mighty glad to have.

Business gift giving has a special etiquette of its own. Before we go into what to give and how to give it, a word about them who receive. Mainly, they are good customers, especially purchasing agents, and no more needs to be said. Recipients are also people in the donor’s firm—his secretaries and assistants, for example, but rarely, aside from the standard Christmas cash bonus, all employees. Regardless of who receives, there is a definite straightforward attitude in the giving, which is now prevalent, compared to former days, and well enforced. Many purchasing agents, for instance, are forbidden by their employers to accept gifts at all, or they may only accept gifts of a certain cash value. The giving of straight cash to purchasing agents is universally frowned upon and no kidding about it. I also heard about a young assistant purchasing agent in a friend’s firm who was about to pop the question to his young lady. Hearing of this, a major supplier offered to buy the engagement ring. The young man told his boss—and the supplier lost the firm’s business.

NH

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Nika Hazelton

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One of the more ingenious expressions of the American way of life has come to my notice recently, a combination of the pleasures of giving, receiving and tax exemptions that would warm the cockles of any misanthrope’s heart. It is called The Corporate Holiday Gift and it makes any non-corporate mind, such as mine, reel at its width, depth and scope. The Corporate Holiday Gift is not what I had always assumed, one or a couple of bottles of liquor for the men, or perfume, toilet water or dusting powder for the ladies (according to the giver’s temperament) to show us that the spirit of the Holy Yuletide season touches the most callous merchandiser’s heart. No, dear reader, the Corporate Holiday Gift is so magnificent and munificent that it reached a volume of $350 million in 1967 and will go even higher this year, so the experts say. The august emporiums of the rich, such as Tiffany’s and Cartier’s, cater to it just as the bazaars where slide rules and glassware are sold, and mighty glad they all are of the business too. There is no limit to what you can spend on giving, though there is one as to what you can tax deduct, of which more later. And the gifts, all in all, are mighty nice things that I, for one, would be mighty glad to have.

Business gift giving has a special etiquette of its own. Before we go into what to give and how to give it, a word about them who receive. Mainly, they are good customers, especially purchasing agents, and no more needs to be said. Recipients are also people in the donor’s firm—his secretaries and assistants, for example, but rarely, aside from the standard Christmas cash bonus, all employees. Regardless of who receives, there is a definite straightforward attitude in the giving, which is now prevalent, compared to former days, and well enforced. Many purchasing agents, for instance, are forbidden by their employers to accept gifts at all, or they may only accept gifts of a certain cash value. The giving of straight cash to purchasing agents is universally frowned upon and no kidding about it. I also heard about a young assistant purchasing agent in a friend’s firm who was about to pop the question to his young lady. Hearing of this, a major supplier offered to buy the engagement ring. The young man told his boss—and the supplier lost the firm’s business.