@smbrnsn All good...I am very clear on the issue. Bottom line is that gift certificate is a misnomer for sake of clarity. What we hand out aren't actually gift certificates in a real sense. Celebs have to take action to accept the invitation to receive an actual gift certificate.
@smbrnsn It would be like saying if you invite a client to enjoy your Hamptons house and they decline that they should have to claim the value of renting your house as a business gift just because you invited them. No way. But thank you for your interest on this topic.
@smbrnsn It definitely matters according to the tax attorneys with whom I consulted. Which makes sense. Same reason, legally speaking, a purchased gift certificate can't expire but a donated one can. I stand behind my position based on the advice of some very expensive tax counsel.
@smbrnsn Actually i'm not. Our gift certificates are not purchased and therefore have no value unless they are redeemed. They are more accurately invitations. You would be correct if they were purchased and had a dollar value regardless of redemption.