Quick answer: Send client gifts in the first half of December, before the USPS send-by dates of Dec 17 to 19 and before offices empty for the holidays. Write two specific sentences and sign by hand. Check limits first: federal executive branch employees may accept $20 per occasion and $50 a year from one source, and employers set their own policies.
A client gift is judged on three things: when it lands, what the card says, and whether the recipient is allowed to keep it. Here is how to get all three right. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
| Topic | Rule or date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal executive branch employees | Unsolicited gifts of $20 or less per source per occasion, no more than $50 a year from one source, never cash | 5 CFR 2635.204(a) |
| A federal employee's gift to a supervisor | Non-cash items of $10 or less per occasion; food shared in the office | 5 CFR 2635.304(a) |
| Massachusetts public employees | Anything worth $50 or more is "of substantial value" and barred when given because of their position | G.L. c. 268A, § 3; State Ethics Commission |
| Health care professionals, from drug companies that follow the PhRMA Code | No items for personal benefit, no logo reminder items such as pens and mugs, no cash or gift certificates | PhRMA Code, section 10 |
| Your tax deduction | $25 per recipient per year | 26 U.S.C. 274(b) |
| USPS Christmas 2026 send-by dates | Ground Advantage Thu, Dec 17; Priority Mail Fri, Dec 18; Priority Mail Express Sat, Dec 19 | USPS |
| Our Christmas order-by dates | Standard Tue, Dec 15; Express Fri, Dec 18 | Exclusive Gift House |
When should you send client gifts?
Aim for the first two weeks of December. A box that lands then reaches people at their desks, before year-end leave and before the carriers' busiest days. USPS lists Thu, Dec 17 as the last recommended send-by date for Ground Advantage and Sat, Dec 19 for Priority Mail Express, for Christmas delivery in the lower 48 states.
For our boxes, order by Tue, Dec 15 with Standard shipping or Fri, Dec 18 with Express. For a quote of 5 or more boxes, approve it at least 10 business days before the gifts must arrive. A box that lands in the last week before Christmas can sit in an empty office until January.
Thanksgiving is the quieter option: a thank-you box that arrives by Tue, Nov 24 has the desk to itself. Order by Fri, Nov 13 for Standard shipping. Every carrier cutoff is in our 2026 holiday shipping deadlines guide and on our order-by dates page.
What should you write on a client gift card?
Two sentences, one specific detail, a real signature. Name something you did together this year, thank them for it, and stop. Leave out sales language; the gift is not a pitch.
- "Thank you for trusting us with [project]. Working with your team was the best part of our year."
- "Thank you for a year of straight answers and fast approvals. Here's to [next milestone] in 2027."
- "We are grateful for your business and your patience in [month]. Enjoy the coffee, and please share the chocolate."
Sign with a person's name, not only the company's. Our gift notes take up to 200 characters, and we write every one by hand.
Should a client gift carry your logo?
Put the logo on the card, not on the gift. The gift should be about the person who receives it, and a logo on the card still tells them who sent it. From 10 boxes, we add a printed logo card to each box at no charge, next to the handwritten note.
What makes a good gift for a whole team?
Choose things people share and finish: coffee, tea, chocolate, olive oil. Every box we sell lists its allergens, and the Matcha Ritual Gift Box lists none, which makes it easy for a mixed team. When the gift is for named people, send one box each; it is easier to track against a per-person limit.
Public offices have their own rules. Massachusetts lets public employees accept unsolicited perishable items when they are made generally accessible to agency staff and members of the public (930 CMR 5.08(11)).
What limits apply to client gifts?
Federal employees. Under 5 CFR 2635.204(a), an executive branch employee may accept unsolicited gifts worth $20 or less per source per occasion, up to $50 a year from any one person, and never cash. If a gift is worth more than $20, the employee cannot pay the difference to keep it. Pooling money into one bigger gift does not help: the regulation's own example rules out a $120 clock bought with $20 from each giver. Every box we sell costs more than $20, so for a federal client, a handwritten card alone is the safe gift. Gifts to a federal supervisor follow a $10 rule, covered in our Boss's Day etiquette guide.
Massachusetts public employees. The State Ethics Commission treats anything worth $50 or more as "of substantial value," and such gifts given because of an employee's position are barred under G.L. c. 268A, § 3. A gift under $50 may still require the employee to file a disclosure.
Health care professionals. Section 10 of the PhRMA Code, a voluntary code updated effective January 1, 2022, says drug companies should not offer health care professionals items for their personal benefit, such as floral arrangements, artwork or sporting event tickets. It also rules out pens, note pads, mugs and similar reminder items, even of minimal value, and cash or gift certificates.
Everyone else. Check the recipient's company policy, and ask your contact when you are unsure. Your own tax deduction stops at $25 per recipient per year; see the IRS $25 rule, with examples.
Shop the guide
- The Thank-You Note Gift Box, $68, 5 items: coffee, a chocolate bar duo and a mini candle.
- The Matcha Ritual Gift Box, $118, 6 items, with no allergens listed.
- The Corner Office Gift Box, $138, 7 items for the desk.
- The Boardroom Client Gift Trunk, $265, 11 items for your top accounts.
Browse Client and Corporate Gift Boxes, see our published corporate price ladder, or request a quote on Corporate and Client Gifts.
Questions people ask
When should I send client holiday gifts?
In the first half of December. For Christmas delivery from us, order by Tue, Dec 15 with Standard shipping or Fri, Dec 18 with Express.
How much can a federal employee accept from a client?
Gifts worth $20 or less per occasion, and no more than $50 a year from one source, with no cash, under 5 CFR 2635.204(a).
Can drug companies send gifts to doctors?
Not under the PhRMA Code. Section 10 says companies should not offer health care professionals items for their personal benefit, logo reminder items or cash equivalents.
Should I put my logo on a client gift?
Put it on the card. From 10 boxes, we add a printed logo card to each box at no charge.
What should a client gift card say?
Two sentences: a specific thank-you for something from this year and a warm close, signed by a person.
Sources
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 5 CFR 2635.204, Exceptions to the prohibition for acceptance of certain gifts
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 5 CFR 2635.304, Gifts between employees: exceptions
- Massachusetts State Ethics Commission: Giving Gifts and Gratuities, Conflict of Interest Law Primer
- Massachusetts State Ethics Commission: Receiving Gifts and Gratuities, Conflict of Interest Law Primer
- PhRMA: Code on Interactions with Health Care Professionals
- United States Postal Service: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 26 U.S. Code § 274
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Ethics rules change; confirm with the recipient's ethics office or your adviser.
Last updated September 30, 2026 by Emir, founder of Exclusive Gift House.