ITSA Takes Aim at Fake Tax Stamps Sold Online
9 Mar 2026 | Press Releases
In today’s hyper-connected global marketplace, fake tax stamps and security markings are made accessible by criminals on non-law-abiding internet platforms, particularly in regions where enforcement is weak and cross-border e-commerce flourishes.
While these forged labels are of poor quality, their mere visibility undermines confidence in tax stamp programmes, feeds criticism from digital-only advocates, and unfairly damages the reputation of legitimate tax stamp providers.
Counterfeits also potentially diminish government revenue by enabling illicit trade in excisable goods, a challenge embedded in the broader global economy where counterfeit goods are estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually across sectors.
Just as pharmaceutical and other industries benefit from collective actions by bodies such as the Pharmaceutical Security Institute to harmonise anticounterfeiting campaigns and enforcement partnerships, so do providers of sovereign tax stamp technologies need an independent voice to tackle fake stamps online.
In response, the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is implementing a coordinated initiative to defend members’ interests, strengthen the integrity of tax stamp programmes internationally, and continue upholding the interests of governments with regard to effective tax collection, market integrity, and the protection of legitimate industry.
This initiative aims to help close a gap in global anticounterfeiting efforts – one where tax stamp and security marking sellers have too often focused on national mandates, while the proliferation of fake stamps on online platforms increasingly threatens the credibility and effectiveness of excise tax controls, and requires a coordinated international response.
