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From Stamps to Systems: Why ITSA Has a New Name
The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) has adopted a new name that reflects a major shift in the technologies and systems used to control regulated products.
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Vapes: Emerging Challenges for Tax Administrations in Latin America
The following was written by ITSA for the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT) and appeared on their website 9 December 2025. The vape market is booming, despite products being banned in most Latin American countries. This creates huge levels of illicit trade and enforcement challenge
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ITSA Raises Concern Over Weakened DPP Provisions
This summer, the draft versions of several European standards for digital product passports (DPPs) were published for public review and enquiry. One of these drafts – prEN 18246:2025 – covers the authentication, reliability and integrity of DPP data, with the aim of minimising product fraud and coun
Interviews
Interview with Incoming ITSA Chair Tim McIntyre
This month, we sat down with the new Chair of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), Tim McIntyre of Canadian Bank Note Company Limited, to discuss his background, his thoughts on the industry and how he plans to support an evolution of ITSA to take a more agile and proactive leadership pos
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LatAm Tax Authorities Share Updates at ITSA Event
In October, 40 participants turned up for the latest International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) webinar, which was in Spanish only and directed towards tax and customs authorities across Latin America. The webinar provided updates on information presented at ITSA’s in-person seminar in June, in Sant
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The Strength of a ‘Phygital’ Approach
Combining physical and digital elements on tax stamps ensures that the strengths of both are exploited, and the weaknesses of each are covered. The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is pleased to announce the launch of a social media campaign examining the topic in depth, featuring quotes f
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ITSA Seminar for Latin American Tax Authorities – A Review
As has thankfully become a bit of a tradition again, post-COVID, ITSA (International Tax Stamp Association) recently held a pre-conference seminar on the occasion of the High Security Printing™ Latin America conference, which this year took place in Santiago, Chile. With a focus on the importance of
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Fortified Defences: The Power of Combining Physical and Digital Elements in Tax Stamps
In a rapidly evolving excise landscape in which counterfeit goods and tax evasion pose major challenges, the incorporation of both physical and digital elements on tax stamps has emerged as a critical strategy for governments and businesses alike. Leveraging the strengths of traditional physical sec
Interviews
2024 Interview with an ITSA Member – Chanwanich Security Printing
In this month’s interview with a member of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), we delve into Thailand’s tax stamp and security printing market courtesy of Chanwanich CEO Ronnachai Kongboonma, exploring how the nation’s industry has developed over the past century and how it’s likely to e
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – Securikett
In our third 2024 interview with a member of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), we speak to Marietta Ulrich- Horn, Co-Founder and CEO of Securikett. As both an entrepreneur and scientist, and with a background in social and cultural anthropology and business administration, Marietta foc
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – JURA
In our second 2024 interview with members of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), we speak to Barna Barabás, Co-Managing Director of JURA, a global brand name in security printing. Barna’s responsibilities lie in research and development, marketing, and operations, while Co-Managing Direc
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – OpSec Security
In the first of our 2024 interview series, we explore the tax stamp industry from an insider perspective, delving into its challenges, opportunities, and potential developments with International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members. This month, the insights are courtesy of Steven Proudfoot, Product
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – Uflex
This month, we are pleased to present the latest entry in our ongoing interview series exploring the professional perspectives of International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members. Our interview this month is with Mr G P Pathak, Sr Vice President of Uflex Ltd’s Holography Division. Mr Pathak, with
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ITSA Counters Claim that Tax Stamp-Based Track and Trace Not Compatible with FCTC Protocol
The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) has responded to a claim by economic advisory firm Oxford Economics (OE) that tax stamp-based track and trace systems are not compatible with the WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, while ‘fully digital’ solutions, based on
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Tobacco Track and Trace in Africa: Separating the Wheat From the Chaff
In a world where tobacco and other excisable goods are exposed to high levels of illicit trade, the role of tax stamp programmes and other countermeasures naturally becomes the subject of debate and scrutiny by stakeholders. When done in a neutral and unbiased way, such debate contributes to enrichi
Interviews
Interview with APO Production Unit
This month, we continue our interview series exploring the experiences of International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members, who offer personal perspectives on the tax industry, today’s challenges and opportunities, and tomorrow’s potential progress. Jaime H Aldaba Jr. Our eighth interview is with
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – SICPA
We continue our interview series exploring the perspective of International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members, who offer some of their experiences within the tax stamp industry, and their predictions of challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Our fifth interview – following Luminescence Sun
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – Garsu Pasaulis
This month, we continue our series of interviews with members of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), who share their experiences of the tax stamp industry and look ahead to some of the challenges and opportunities yet to come. We began the series in the February issue, talking to Gerben
Interviews
On The Record with Gerben van Wijk, Luminescence Sun Chemical Security
Gerben van Wijk is Sales and Marketing Director of Luminescence Sun Chemical Security (LSCS) and has been a Board Member of the International Tax Stamp Association since 2018, taking over as Chair in May 2022. In a recent interview, he sat down with Tax Stamp & Traceability News™ to explain the orig
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – Authentix
This month, we continue our series of interviews with members of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), who share their experiences of the tax stamp industry and look ahead to some of the challenges and opportunities yet to come. We began the series in the February issue, talking to Gerben
Interviews
Interview with an ITSA Member – ANY Security Printing
We continue our series of interviews with members of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), by talking with Gábor Zsámboki from ANY Security Printing in Hungary. Coming from a background of telecommunications and economics, Gábor Zsámboki has worked at ANY Security Printing Company for 23 y
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Corrigendum Note Issued by Itsa
Further to its press release dated January 17th 2022 entitled ‘INTERNATIONAL TAX STAMP ASSOCIATION RAISES CONCERNS OVER ECUADOR’S FISCAL TRACEABILITY MOVE’, the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) would like to issue the following corrigendum upon INEXTO’s request: In Chile, INEXTO’s partner
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ITSA CALLS FOR EU TPD IMPROVEMENTS
The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is calling for improvements to a directive that controls the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products in the European Union. ITSA believes that while the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), which is currently undergoing a mandatory review
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ITSA Welcomes New Member
The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is delighted to announce that a new member has joined its ranks as of August 2021: Demax Holograms Plc, headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria. As well as being a leading security printer, Demax Holograms is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of securit
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ITSA Appoints New Board
Following its 4th Annual General Meeting, held in May 2021, the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) has appointed four directors to its board. Juan Carlos Yañez Arenas of Thomas Greg & Sons, Gerben van Wijk of Luminescence Sun Chemical Security and Zbigniew Sagan of Advanced Track & Trace, ha
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ITSA in Tobacco Journal International – April 2021
The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is urging greater clarity around the definition of the tax stamps used to secure excise revenues from tobacco products.
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ITSA in Tobacco Reporter – April 2021
The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is urging greater clarity around the definition of the tax stamps used to secure excise revenues from tobacco products.evices to better protect brands, as well as secure government tax revenues (pages 36 and 38)
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ITSA Calls for Tax Stamp Clarity
The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is urging greater clarity around the definition of the tax stamps used to secure excise revenues from tobacco and alcohol products. The move comes in the wake of the continued misuse of the term ‘tax stamp’ by some sector solution providers, which is ra
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ITSA in Tobacco Reporter – April 2021
Nicola Sudan, ITSA General Secretary, tells Tobacco Reporter how the massive rise in illicit trade during the pandemic is expected to boost demand for security and authentication devices to better protect brands, as well as secure government tax revenues (pages 36 and 38)
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ITSA in Tax Stamp & Traceability News – December 2020
It may not have been like the in-person seminars we’re all accustomed to, or yearning for, but we were very happy to report that the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) webinar for the Latin American region, held on 3 December under the title ‘Illicit Tobacco during Lockdown: Controlling Toba
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ITSA in Scientific Review
Parallel Tobacco Trade during COVID-19: From Learnings to Expectations
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Tax stamps can boost government finances in post-COVID world
Trade bodies, government officials and NGOs have highlighted the crucial role of tax stamp and traceability programmes in boosting government finances strained by the COVID-19 pandemic. An online webinar held by the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) brought together 160 stakeholders from ar
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ITSA hits back over tax stamp criticism
Amended version of press release dated 22 May 2020, which contained erroneous information. A high-profile trade association has responded to criticism of tax stamps in a new report on the impact of blockchain technology on excise duty payments. The study by Deloitte highlights the potential benefits
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EUCJ rejects legal appeal against Tobacco Products Directive
ITSA has criticised the decision to reject its legal claim against the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), calling it “disappointing and curious”.
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Recruitment campaign aims to stamp out fraudulent trade
Building on its success, ITSA is now looking to widen its membership base to include government authorities, universities, foundations, NGOs and other associations.
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ITSA in Tobacco Reporter
Guidelines issued – To encourage compliance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) has produced an advisory note that analyses the different stages of a full track and trace system.
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ITSA in Tobacco Reporter
A recent World Bank report outlined a number of key measures that could reduce illicit activity in the trade of tobacco products, including effective systems that can track the secure movement of cigarettes and other items through the supply chain from production or import to point-of-sale.
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ITSA in Professional Security
Excise tax stamps against illicit tobacco – An international conference will showcase excise tax stamps against illicit tobacco trade. The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is hosting a workshop at the High Security Printing conference in San José, Costa Rica from June 3 to 5, to highlight