US ethics thresholds: reporting and event attendance differ

Two different kinds of threshold

The Office of Government Ethics published a final technical rule effective on 28 October 2026. For specified financial-disclosure reporting under sections 2634.304 and 2634.907, gifts or reimbursements from one source exceeding an aggregate of $525 are reportable, subject to the applicable rules. Official source.

Individual items of $210 or less need not be counted toward that aggregation. These reporting figures apply retroactively from 1 January 2026. They concern disclosure calculations, not a general permission to accept benefits from any source.

Event attendance has a different start date

The ceiling for qualifying free attendance provided by someone other than the sponsor of a widely attended gathering rises from $480 to $525. This change applies from October 28 and is not retroactive.

The other conditions remain relevant, including the agency’s interest determination and an expectation of more than 100 attendees. The standards governing gifts should be applied alongside the particular exception.

Separate acceptance from disclosure

Hypothetically, an official attended a conference before October 28. A later increase in the event-attendance ceiling cannot simply be applied backwards to justify acceptance at that earlier date. The different retroactive treatment of disclosure thresholds does not change that point.

For a new invitation, identify who provides the benefit, its value, the event’s circumstances and the relevant ethics approval. Describing something as below $525 is not a complete legal assessment.

Keep records fit for the relevant question

Financial-disclosure preparation may require reviewing the year’s items by source and applying the correct aggregation rules. An attendance decision instead needs the conditions of the relevant acceptance exception and the date of the benefit.

Agency ethics officials can assess those distinct issues using the invitation, valuation and other facts. The technical adjustment should not be advertised as a blanket $525 safe harbour, and it does not erase unrelated gift restrictions.

Legal check date

Sources and law checked on 28 October 2026. Later developments are not reflected automatically. Application of the rules depends on the individual facts.