It is ISO practice to review standards every five years, and when this one was reviewed in 2023 it was agreed that a) it is a valuable standard, but b) it needed updating.

So for the last couple of years that updating review has been taking place, through a small drafting group of experts, chaired by Ian Lancaster as Project Leader, with support and input from the International Tax Stamp Association.

At the time of writing, the draft revised standard is going through the ISO committee approval processes, which should see the updated standard published in the first half of 2026.

At this workshop, Ian will explain the main revisions to the standard, then in small group discussions you be able to see for yourself some of those changes and to work with others to consider what they mean for you.

If you work in a tax authority – which is who the standard is for – you will be able to discuss with like-minded people the suitability of those changes and how you could start to implement the standard’s recommendations in your workplace.

If you are a producer of tax stamps, or a component or consumables supplier, then you will also be discussing with others how these improvements impact you and your relationship with tax authority customers.

Examples of improvements in the standard include an expanded section on the function of tax stamps and a new annexe on assessing the efficacy and suitability of authentication features – both in response to suggestions during the review stakeholder consultation.

Another important change is removing ‘excise’ from the standard’s title, on the grounds that the range of directly taxed goods has expanded significantly, so that it is no longer only excisable goods that have a tax stamp.

Come to this workshop to learn more about these and other changes and to explore how you and your organisation can follow the recommendations in this standard.

This event will be useful for both tax stamp issuers and suppliers.