Qatar implement ban on cigarettes and tobacco products without tax stamps
Qatar’s General Tax Authority (GTA) announced that starting today (February 1), tobacco products like cigars and shisha tobacco cannot be sold in the country without them having a valid and activated Digital tax stamp.
GTA had launched the Digital Tax Stamp System for imported cigarettes, other tobacco products and their derivatives, in October 2022.
Starting today, it will not be allowed to sell or trade other tobacco products without valid and activated Digital Tax stamps. pic.twitter.com/vu431axHZs
— General Tax Authority الهيئة العامة للضرائب (@tax_qatar) February 1, 2023
The new system had been implemented in phases. It started with a ban on imported cigarettes, without digital tax stamps, in October 2022, before moving on to a similar ban for other tobacco products on November 3.
In January 2023, the authority made it mandatory for all cigarettes sold in the country to have digital tax stamps.
From July 14, 2022, importers of cigarettes registered for excise tax had been able to submit requests for purchase of digital tax stamps electronically on the Digital Tax Stamp System. These would then be placed on imported cigarette packs.
Similar requests for other tobacco products had become open on August 4.
Qatar had set up the GTA in January 2019 with the aim of implementing tax laws and improving tax compliance in the country.
During Qatar's 2019 budget, a proposal had been made to implement taxes on certain health-damaging goods, including a 100% tax on tobacco and its products and energy drinks and a 50% tax on sugary drinks. It was implemented soon after.
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