Corporate Tet Gifts: A Buyer's Checklist for Companies

Corporate tet gifts work best when you order early, check every label and ask for a proper VAT invoice. Tet falls on 8 February 2016, so there are about two weeks left. This checklist helps a company buyer finish the job calmly.

Start with the people who get the gift

Write down who will receive a gift: clients, partners, staff and suppliers. Set one budget for each group. Keep the list simple, because a long list slows every later step.

Think about the tone. Tet is a family holiday. It lasts from the first day of the first lunar month until at least the third day, and the days before it are busy with shopping, cooking and cleaning, often for one or two weeks. A gift that helps a family celebrate is usually welcome.

Money in red envelopes (lì xì in the South, mừng tuổi in the North) is a long-standing custom. Elders give the money to children. For business gifts, a hamper or a box is more common and easier to record in your books.

Sources: Wikipedia, Tết, description of the holiday and its customs.

Pick gifts that people expect at Tet

Traditional Tet foods include candied fruits (mứt), which are rarely eaten at any other time of year. Families also set out a tray of five fruits (mâm ngũ quả) at the home altar. These items are familiar, so recipients know how to enjoy and share them.

Choose food that keeps well. Pick sealed boxes with clear labels over loose items. Avoid anything that needs a fridge unless you can hand it over the same day.

Ask for a sample before you place a big order. Taste it, open the box, and look at the packing. A good supplier will not mind.

Sources: Wikipedia, Tết, section on food and offerings.

Check the label and the dates

Read the label on a sample box. Look for the product name, the maker or seller, the address, the weight, the production date and the use-by date. Check that the text is in Vietnamese. A seller who takes food safety seriously will answer your questions about where the food came from.

Count the days. If the gifts go out in the first week of February, the use-by date should be well after Tet, so recipients can still enjoy them. Ask the supplier to put the production date and the use-by date on the order form.

Do not buy a box with a torn seal, a smudged date or a missing label. Return it and ask for a fresh one.

Get the VAT invoice right

Companies need a valid invoice to record the cost. Ask the supplier before you order: "Can you issue a VAT invoice (hóa đơn giá trị gia tăng) for this purchase?" If the answer is vague, find another supplier.

When the invoice arrives, check these points. The seller's name, address and tax code should be correct. Your company name, address and tax code should be correct too. The items, quantity, unit price and total should match the order. The date should follow the tax rules: for goods, usually the day ownership passes to you, whether or not you have paid, and for services, usually the day the service is finished. Ask your accountant to confirm any other detail an invoice must carry, because the rules are set by the tax authority.

Fix mistakes right away. A wrong tax code or name is much harder to correct after the holiday, when many offices are closed.

Plan the order, delivery and payment

Place the order this week if you can. Many shoppers buy at the same time before Tet, so popular items can sell out. Ask for a written quote with the price, the number of boxes, the delivery address and the delivery date.

Agree on delivery times in writing. Offices close for the holiday, so deliver to clients before they leave. Ask for a delivery note signed by whoever receives the boxes.

Pay by bank transfer where you can and keep the receipt with the invoice. Keep the quote, the invoice and the delivery note together in one folder.

Last, send each recipient a short card in Vietnamese. A simple greeting for the new year, signed by a named person, makes the gift feel personal.

Quick checklist

Gift list and budget done. Sample tasted. Label and dates checked. Quote in writing. VAT invoice details confirmed. Delivery dates agreed. Paperwork filed. If every line is ticked, your gifts should arrive on time and your accountant will have what is needed.

This overview is for general reading only. For how gift costs are treated at tax time, ask your own accountant.

Sources: Wikipedia, Tết, as archived by the Wayback Machine on 24 January 2016. Invoice dates: Circular 39/2014/TT-BTC, Article 16. Buying advice in this post is general guidance from the editorial team.