Many tech startups are only a few steps away from being fully-fledged fly-by-night operations. Until they can grab a firmer hold on the market, only the grit and integrity of those running the company and working for it stands in the way of failure. It’s the sink or swim reality of the tech startup world. As such, it can be difficult to provide company-sponsored holiday cheer for employees until surer financial footing is reached. This is a shame considering how hard they’re working to help get the enterprise off the ground. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some holiday celebration ideas for cash-strapped tech startups: Gifts Most tech startup owners can’t afford to hand out bonuses to their employees. Many will opt to hand out gift cards instead. However, since gift cards and cash-equivalent certificates count as employee income in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service and must, therefore, be payroll processed and taxed, tech startup owners may want to take advantage of the de minimis fringe benefits rule. It allows for gift certificates for specific low-cost items such as turkeys and movie tickets to be distributed to employees during the holidays without being counted as income. Better yet, it’s possible these certificates can be deducted as a non-wage business expense. Treats Food and drinks provided within the workplace, such as coffee and donuts, is another employee perk covered by the de minimis rule. During the holidays, tech startup owners can take advantage of this by bringing in delicious baked goods and candy for employees to savor. While we suggest only doing this only once a week during the holiday season – for the sake of employee health – it’s a great way to treat your workers to something special on a tight budget. Parties Holding a holiday party at the end of the year is another way in which tech startup owners can put the de minimis rule to good use. The occasional workplace gathering falls under this category of employee gift and therefore the expense of hosting such an event can be deducted by the business at the end of the year. Time Off If business has slowed down due to the holidays, giving employees extra paid time off is a great way for the owners of a tech startup to show...