We get it. Q3 is just around the corner, and that means: it is summer, the fans are spinning, and the last thing on your mind is Christmas. But if you are the one who has to organize the Christmas hampers soon - whether it is an end-of-year gift for the team, a thank you for clients, or both - then this is the story you will search for in November wishing you had read it sooner.

Because arranging Christmas gifts in December is a bit like booking your holiday in July. It is possible. But you pay the price in stress, limited options, and at least three hasty Teams messages to finance asking if there is still budget available.

You do not plan your WKR budget in December

For many HR teams, the work-related expenses scheme (WKR) is one of those topics that only feels urgent when it is too late. But your tax-free allowance is finite, and Christmas gifts are often one of the larger expenses drawn from it. If you only start calculating in November, you run the risk of hitting the limit and still having to cut back on something that was actually meant as a gesture of appreciation.

In Q3, you still have an overview. You know what has been spent in the first half of the year on staff outings, anniversaries, and other tax-free allowances. You can quietly coordinate with finance about what is still available. And you can determine a realistic budget per employee without anyone frantically throwing a spreadsheet together while Mariah Carey is already blasting through the speakers.

The exact WKR percentages and thresholds are regularly adjusted. Always check the current regulations with the tax authorities or your tax advisor before attaching specific amounts to them.

Three stakeholders, one opinion, and a Slack thread

Anyone who has ever been responsible for corporate gifts knows it: a lot goes into it. Who decides on the budget? Does every employee get the same, or do we differentiate by department? Do we also give clients and partners something? And is marketing perhaps already sending something of their own - and if so, does that not clash? And you have not even had a chance to think about what you actually want to give yet.

Those questions sound simple. In practice, the answer takes three meetings, a poll in Teams that 40% does not vote on, and many lost hours. In December, you simply do not have time for that. In July, August, and September, you do. And once those decisions are made, execution is the easy part.

December-you vs. September-you

Let us paint a picture. December-you has a quarterly report on the desk, two Christmas drinks in the diary, a team outing that still needs to be organized, and somewhere in between, gifts to buy for three birthdays and holidays at home. On December 12th, December-you opens a browser, types "order Christmas gift corporate" into Google, clicks on the third result because the first two look too sponsored, and chooses something that is "fine" within ten minutes. Done? Technically, yes. But it was not exactly thoughtful.

September-you, on the other hand, has just had a holiday. September-you is rested, clear-minded, and has half an hour to spare to quietly look at what is possible. September-you compares options, coordinates with a colleague, chooses something that truly fits the organization, and gets it sorted right the first time. The exact same task, completely different experience. And above all: a completely different result.

And how much work is it really?

We understand that "starting earlier" sounds like "more work." But with a choice-based gift via Cadeo, the turnaround time is short. You choose a budget per recipient (from €15), personalize the choice portal with your company name and a message, and send the link. Every recipient chooses what they want from more than 1,200 products. The gift is delivered to their home. No boxes at the office, no collecting delivery addresses, no reserving space in the mailroom.

The setup normally takes 2-5 business days, and if it really needs to be fast, it can even be done within 24 hours. No minimum order quantity, no long-term contract, and you only pay for gifts that are actually redeemed. With a redemption rate of 95%, you know that almost everyone actually chooses something.

Starting in Q3? Then you have plenty of time to set up the portal, prepare the communication, and get everything ready so that in December, all you have to do is wait for the thank-yous to roll in.

Schedule an introduction and we will think along about what fits your organization. Even if it is only for December - especially then, actually.