When it is a matter of gifts, goods or money donations worth less than $30, I always wonder the same thing. We can sometimes receive gifts whose value we personally deem to be below $30, but whose value is huge in reality. We don't know how to gauge their value. In the beginning, we tell ourselves it must be worth $15 or $20, so we won't talk to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner about it. However, given our ignorance about the value of every single thing, we end up with goods whose value may be extremely high.
What will happen to me if I accept a gift whose value I assess at less than $30, but, following a complaint, I realize that it is worth a lot of money?
I assume that you advise us to meet with the commissioner in that case, even if we deem the value to be below $30. Is that right?