The General Tax Authority has announced the implementation of the Digital Tax Stamp System on excise goods, and it will be applied to cigarettes and other tobacco products. Under this system, a dedicated digital stamp will be placed, containing security features and codes aimed at preventing the circulation of unoriginal excise goods. Following the implementation of this system, no excise goods will be allowed to be imported into the country or traded without valid and activated digital tax stamps.

The General Tax Authority has decided to implement the Digital Tax Stamp System, by applying them to cigarettes and other tobacco products via the following stages: First: the launch stage (July 14, 2022), where the Digital Tax Stamp System will have been launched to enable importers of cigarettes registered for excise tax to submit applications for tax stamps digitally through the Digital Tax Stamp System. This stage has also been applied to other tobacco products on August 4, 2022.

The second stage: the customs enforcement (October 13, 2022, for cigarettes and November 3, 2022, for other tobacco products), which is the stage of enforcement on cigarettes and other tobacco products at imports. These products must be marked with activated digital tax stamps upon arrival at the customs ports (taking into account the exemptions).

The third stage: is the implementation within the local markets (January 11, 2023, for cigarettes and February 1, 2023, for other tobacco products); All cigarettes and other tobacco products available for sale in local markets must be marked with digital tax stamps; Where it is prohibited at this stage to import, transport, store or possess cigarettes and other tobacco products that do not bear digital tax stamps.

The implementation of the Digital Tax Stamp System comes in accordance with the strategic role of the General Tax Authority in limiting the trade of counterfeit goods within the local market. In addition to reducing tax evasion operations for excise goods within the State of Qatar. The General Tax Authority in cooperation with other enforcement Authorities has always sought to ensure that these goods do not enter the Qatari market while ensuring the collection of all taxes owed on it upon import.