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, three key developments stand out from the rest, as captured in this article.

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.

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.

A review of this year's headlines.

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.

A review of this year's headlines.

Phew! What a year 2020 was! A year which had a profound, and mostly adverse effect on almost all countries and industry sectors – including those sectors concerned with excise administration and controlling the illicit trade of excise products.

An intriguing and important discussion regarding the relative role of human senses and digital methods in authentication has been sparked by two contrasting presentations at the recent Tax Stamp Forum™. Ian Lancaster, who presented one of those papers, here describes the contrasting presentations and the follow-up discussion.