According to EQS Newswire, the Swiss technology company SICPA, in collaboration with Cartor Security Printers, has been awarded a significant contract by the UK’s HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs). They will be responsible for implementing the UK Vaping Duty Stamps project. This project involves physical security tax stamps as well as a digital traceability system covering the entire supply chain.
This project aims to establish a unified consumption tax ticket system for electronic cigarette products in the UK, and to deploy a digital traceability system (Track & Trace) covering the production, distribution and retail stages. The contract was determined through a multi-stage procurement process starting in July 2025. The winning proposal was approved after technical and financial evaluations. The initial project duration is five years, with an option for an additional one-year extension.
The system will be implemented in phases. Starting from April 2026, transitional electronic cigarette tax tickets will be introduced in the UK; starting from October 2026, an upgraded tax ticket system integrated with a complete digital traceability platform will be launched.
According to the division of responsibilities in the plan, Cartor is responsible for printing the tax tickets and providing anti-counterfeiting designs with bank-level security features. SICPA is responsible for additional physical and digital security technologies, tax ticket coding management, and the operation of the traceability software platform. At the same time, SICPA will also be responsible for the registration of supply chain participants, the management of tax ticket ordering and payment processes, as well as data collection and compliance monitoring.
The system will also include law enforcement auditing equipment and consumer verification tools to assist HMRC in identifying abnormal transaction patterns and potential fraud risks.
HMRC stated that this project will facilitate the collection of excise taxes on e-cigarettes, enhance market compliance, and strengthen the regulatory capabilities for illegal e-cigarette trade.
This measure marks a significant advancement for the UK in terms of electronic cigarette tax regulation and the establishment of a traceability system. It also reflects the government’s ongoing strengthening trend of ensuring compliance and tax management in the electronic cigarette market.
image source: EQS Newswire