Tax Stamps for Hong Kong in 2026

Hong Kong’s new Commissioner of Customs and Excise Chan Tsz-tat has announced that a tax stamp system for tobacco could be introduced in the third quarter of 2026 at the earliest, with a pilot scheme set for mid-2025.

Speaking to reporters, Chan said that, in 2024, the government commissioned a consulting firm to study the system, which is now nearing completion. The stamps will carry anticounterfeiting features and a barcode for identification and traceability purposes.

Chan advised that as a result of two significant tobacco tax increases in Hong Kong, in 2023 and 2024, illicit cigarette seizures soared by 80%, with most cigarettes being smuggled into Hong Kong by sea.

Customs officials also noticed a significant rise in travellers entering Hong Kong with cigarettes exceeding the duty-free limit. In 2024, 19,000 passengers were caught with such cigarettes, marking a 94% increase over the previous year