The best work anniversary gift is proportionate to the milestone, personal to the person and sent on time. For most UK employers that means about £10 to £25 at one year, £50 to £100 at five, £100 to £250 at ten, and up to £50 for every year of service from twenty years onwards.
This guide goes year by year, with gift ideas, a sensible budget for each milestone and a note on tax where it matters. If you want the full rules on what HMRC allows, our long service awards guide covers them in detail.
Work anniversary gift budgets at a glance
These are suggested starting points for UK employers, not an industry benchmark. Adjust them to your margins and your culture.
| Years of service | Suggested budget | What it can buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | £10 to £25 | A handwritten card with a small treat or wellbeing gift |
| 3 years | £25 to £50 | A quality food gift or a self-care gift |
| 5 years | £50 to £100 | A hamper, a plant, or a choice of gifts |
| 10 years | £100 to £250 | A premium gift, an experience or an extra day’s leave |
| 15 years | £150 to £400 | A larger gift plus a donation in their name |
| 20 years | £250 to £1,000 | A high-quality item or an experience for two |
| 25 years | £500 to £1,250 | A major gift, a trip or a team celebration |
| 30+ years | £750 to £1,500+ | Something personal and lasting |
A quick word on tax
Before you set budgets, it is worth knowing how HMRC treats work anniversary gifts, because it changes at twenty years. A non-cash award is tax-free only when the employee has at least 20 years’ service, the award is worth less than £50 per year of service, and you have not given them a long service award in the last 10 years. Anything earlier, or any cash, is a taxable benefit.
Many employers still give gifts at one, five and ten years and deal with the tax through a P11D or a PAYE Settlement Agreement. Our guide to the tax rules for long service awards explains each route, and our post on the trivial benefits exemption covers the separate £50 rule for small gifts.
1 year work anniversary gifts
A first anniversary is about showing that someone has been noticed. It is a small gift with a big job to do: it tells a new hire that the business remembers them.
- A handwritten card from their manager that names one thing they have done well.
- A small food or wellbeing gift delivered to their home or desk.
- A coffee or lunch with their team.
- A plant or flowers, which work well for remote and hybrid teams.
For something that arrives ready to open, browse our employee milestone gifts or our letterbox gifts, which post through the door without anyone needing to be home.
3 and 5 year work anniversary gifts
Three years is where early excitement fades and people start to wonder what is next. Five years is the first anniversary that feels like a career milestone. Both deserve something a step up from the one-year gift, ideally something people would not buy for themselves.
- A hamper of good food and drink, with a card from the whole team.
- A choice of gifts, so each person picks what suits their taste, diet and home life.
- A houseplant or flowers delivered to their home.
- A wellbeing gift such as candles, tea and a notebook for a proper break.
Choice matters more than most employers expect. A gift portal lets each person pick from a curated range, so you do not have to guess at dietary needs or preferences. If you are building a regular programme, our employee recognition gifts are a good place to start.
10 year work anniversary gifts
A decade is a big moment, and the gift should feel like it. Most UK employers spend between £100 and £250. Make it visible too: a message from the leadership team and a mention at an all-hands meeting often means as much as the gift itself.
- A premium gift they can choose themselves.
- An experience such as afternoon tea, a spa day or a day out for two.
- An extra paid day off, which costs little and is almost always valued.
- A charity donation in their name, alongside a smaller gift.
- A personalised keepsake that marks the decade.
At ten years the award is still a taxable benefit, because the tax-free long service exemption only starts at twenty years. Report it on a P11D, include it in a PAYE Settlement Agreement, or check whether another exemption applies.
15 year work anniversary gifts
Fifteen years is the milestone people forget, which is exactly why it lands well when you remember it. Budget between £150 and £400, and make it feel like a step on the way to twenty rather than a repeat of ten.
- A larger gift combined with a donation to a charity they care about.
- A hobby gift based on something they have mentioned, such as a gardening set or a cookery experience.
- A handwritten letter from a senior leader that mentions a specific project or moment.
- A weekend experience for two.
20 year work anniversary gifts
Twenty years is the milestone the HMRC long service exemption was written for. If the person has had no long service award in the last ten years, you can give a non-cash award worth up to £1,000 with nothing to report or pay. Personal beats expensive.
- A high-quality item they have said they would like.
- An experience for them and a partner, such as a weekend away or a special meal.
- A team celebration, with a letter from the CEO.
- A framed photo or memory book from colleagues past and present.
Keep a record of the date, the value and what you gave. That record is your proof that the ten-year gap has been respected the next time you give an award.
25 and 30 year work anniversary gifts
Few people reach 25 or 30 years with one employer. Treat it like the event it is. The tax-free limit rises with service, to £1,250 at 25 years and £1,500 at 30, so you have room to be generous.
- A trip or a day out, with a day or two of extra leave to enjoy it.
- A lasting keepsake, such as an engraved piece or a commissioned print.
- A paid sabbatical or extra leave alongside the gift.
- A celebration with the people who have worked beside them for decades.
How to choose the right work anniversary gift
- Let people choose where you can. Tastes, diets and home lives differ, and a gift that is not wanted feels worse than none.
- Avoid cash. It is taxable as pay and feels like part of the salary rather than a thank you.
- Name something specific. A message that mentions one thing the person has done always beats a generic thank you.
- Send it on the day. A gift that arrives late says the anniversary was an afterthought.
- Include remote and hybrid staff. Delivery to their home means everyone is treated the same.
How to automate work anniversary gifts
The hard part of a work anniversary programme is not choosing the gift. It is remembering every date, every year, for every person. Our Milestone Gifting service plans a full year of work anniversary gifts, with different gifts at the milestones you choose. There are no platform fees and no contract, and you only pay for the gifts you send. You can also schedule individual gifts with Send Now, Send Later, so a gift arrives on the right day without anyone setting a reminder.
If you are weighing up how much admin to automate, our post on how to automate corporate gifting walks through the options.
Work anniversary gift FAQs
What is a good gift for a work anniversary?
A good work anniversary gift is personal, proportionate to the length of service and delivered on time. A card that names something specific, plus a gift they can choose, works at almost every milestone.
How much should you spend on a work anniversary gift?
There is no set amount. Many UK employers spend £10 to £25 at one year, £50 to £100 at five years and £100 to £250 at ten years, rising to £1,000 or more at twenty years and beyond.
Are work anniversary gifts taxable?
Cash is always taxable. A non-cash gift is tax-free only if the employee has at least 20 years’ service, the gift is worth less than £50 per year of service, and they have had no long service award in the last 10 years. Earlier anniversary gifts are taxable benefits unless another exemption, such as trivial benefits, applies.
What do you get someone for 10 years at a company?
Typical gifts cost £100 to £250: a premium gift they can choose, an experience, an extra day of paid leave, or a charity donation alongside a smaller gift. Add a personal message from their manager.
Should you give a gift card for a work anniversary?
A voucher that can be exchanged for cash is treated as cash and is taxable. Other vouchers have their own rules, so check the type with your accountant before using one.
Keep going
For the full picture on budgets, wording and tax, read our long service awards guide. If you are looking for the right words to go with the gift, see our post on long service award wording and speeches. And if someone you value is moving on after many years, our guide to retirement gifts for employees is the natural next read.
