Key facts for Italy
Christmas is the main business gifting occasion; the gift season runs from early December to Epiphany.
How companies in Italy give year-end gifts
Italian companies give Christmas gifts (strenne natalizie) to clients, suppliers and staff in December. Food gifts are the classic choice: hampers (cesti natalizi) with panettone or pandoro, chocolate, coffee and regional specialties. Quality and presentation are taken seriously; elegant packaging and a personal card signed by a manager are expected. Many companies keep client gifts at or below EUR 50 per unit, the threshold for VAT deduction on representation gifts. Deliveries should arrive before mid December, as 8 December is a public holiday and many offices slow down from the 20th. Cards are in Italian with formal address (Lei); 'Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo' or 'Buone Feste' are standard. Public employees are subject to a code of conduct that allows only gifts of modest value.
Gift occasions in Italy
Immacolata
public holiday that traditionally opens the Christmas season
Christmas
main occasion for client gifts (strenne natalizie) and staff hampers
Epiphany (Befana)
public holiday; sweets for children
Good practice
- Plan client gifts around the EUR 50 per unit VAT threshold
- Invest in elegant packaging and a signed Italian card
- Deliver before 8 December or in the following week
- Pay for gifts by traceable means (card or bank transfer) for tax deductibility
Avoid
- Avoid chrysanthemums, which are associated with funerals
- Do not send gifts in quantities of 17, which is considered unlucky
Design and wording
Christmas themes are fully appropriate.
Gift policies
Under the public employees' code of conduct (DPR 62/2013, art. 4), civil servants may accept only gifts of modest value, indicatively up to EUR 150, and often lower under their own administration's rules.
Tax rules on business gifts
| Clients and partners | Input VAT on gifts to clients (representation expenses) is deductible only for goods costing up to EUR 50 per unit; a hamper is valued as a whole. Above EUR 50, gifts are representation expenses with income-tax deductibility capped as a percentage of revenue. Since 2025, payment must be traceable for deductibility. |
|---|---|
| Employees | — |
General information, not tax advice. Check with your accountant. Sources: [1] [2]
Delivery to Italy
Intra-EU shipment from Poland: no customs declarations or import duties; prices are quoted with the applicable VAT treatment for your company.
Planning dates for Italy
| Order personalized stock advent calendars by | 20 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Order Christmas hampers by | 1 Dec 2026 |
| Fully custom calendars for 2027 — order between | 01.2027 – 08.2027 |
Indicative planning dates; exact dates are confirmed in your proposal.
Recommended formats for Italy
Chocolate advent calendars
Twenty-four chocolates and your brand on the front from 1 to 24 December.
Tea & coffee calendars
A tea or coffee advent calendar with your logo is a measured, practical gift for clients and colleagues who prefer to avoid sweets.
Beauty calendars
A beauty advent calendar is a premium December gift.
Plush & merch calendars
A merchandise advent calendar distributes your branded items across 24 doors: socks, pins, stickers, small plush and treats, each carrying your logo.
Empty calendar boxes
For companies that already have the filling: custom printed advent calendar boxes in bulk, designed around your products and delivered flat or…
Christmas hampers
Corporate Christmas hampers with your logo on the box, ribbon or card, composed to your budget band and delivered to one office or to individual home…
Frequently asked questions
What is the VAT threshold for client gifts in Italy?
VAT on gifts to clients is deductible only for items costing up to EUR 50 each; a hamper counts as one item. This is general information, not tax advice.
When do Italian companies send Christmas gifts?
Mainly in the first half of December. 8 December is a public holiday, and offices slow down after the 20th.
What is a typical corporate Christmas gift in Italy?
Food gifts such as panettone, chocolate, coffee or a hamper (cesto natalizio), presented in elegant packaging.