Interviews with International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members in 2023 – common threads and differences; implementing Lebanon’s tobacco authentication and traceability solution. Some of the year's headlines.

It was 15 years ago, in July 2009, that the very first Tax Stamp News™ (now called Tax Stamp & Traceability News™) was published. To mark the occasion, we thought it would be interesting to go back in time, to the main news items covered by the newsletter between 2009 and today, and how they have developed over this period.

To mark 15 years since the first Tax Stamp News™ was published, Tax Stamp & Traceability News™ is going back in time to the main news items covered by the newsletter between 2009 and today, looking at how they have developed over this period.

It was 15 years ago, in July 2009, that the very first Tax Stamp News™ (now called Tax Stamp & Traceability News™) was published. To mark the occasion, we thought it would be interesting to go back in time, to the main news items covered by the newsletter between 2009 and today, and how they have developed over this period.

Looking back over the year that was, three key developments stand out from the rest, as captured in this article.

Tax stamp and traceability developments in Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela; Kenya Revenue Authority seeks tax stamp price increase in bid to grow revenue collection;

Looking back over the year that was, a few key developments spring to mind including: new programmes, illicit tobacco soaring, emerging technologies, the ISO tax stamp standard coming of age, and a ground-breaking study spotlighting track and trace breakeven cost.

A review of this year's headlines.

No review of 2021 would be complete without mention of the COVID-19 pandemic and the dramatic effect it has had on almost everything – including illicit trade.

An ongoing issue of concern to the tax stamp world has recently resurfaced. It refers to the use of the term ‘tax stamp’ to describe security features that have nothing to do with tax collection.