The FTA has implemented a Digital Tax Stamp (“DTS”) regime which requires the marking of certain excise goods with a physical and digital marker – also referred to as marks. The purpose of the mark is to validate authenticity of excise goods, as well as to track and trace the goods throughout the supply chain in order to verify whether tax has been paid on those goods.
Cabinet Decision No. 42 of 2018 on Marking Tobacco and Tobacco Products includes a number of scenarios where marks must be returned to the FTA. This public clarification provides further guidance on certain practical scenarios likely to be faced by manufacturers dealing with the application of marks to tobacco and tobacco products.
In certain cases, persons in possession of DTS marks will be required to return those marks to the FTA. In practice, this will be achieved by physically returning the marks to the appointed operator of the DTS scheme to manage on behalf of the FTA, which is currently De La Rue.
Where there is a requirement to physically return marks, the return should also be reported to ...