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SKSC has been awarded a major contract by the Irish Government to produce tobacco tax stamps, in the wake of tax increases introduced in 2024 and 2025
Irish security print solutions company, Smurfit Kappa Security Concepts (SKSC), has been awarded a major contract by the Irish Government.
Following a competitive tender, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, the Irish Government agency responsible for customs and excise, has awarded a contract to SKSC to supply tobacco tax stamps. The contract has previously been held by SKSC for 20 years.
Under the terms of the deal, SKSC will be responsible for the printing and supply of the tax stamps to be applied to specified tobacco products for the Irish market. The stamps are designed to demonstrate that the products are legitimate, and duty paid.
SKSC has designed the stamps with a range of security features, including several SKSC exclusive developments, to combat fraud and ensure tobacco revenue is protected.
A series of tax hikes on cigarettes and vapes has come into effect in Ireland in recent years with the aim of discouraging smoking, particularly among young people.
An increase in excise duty introduced in October, 2024, increased the cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes by €1 (83p).
Vaping is also set to become more expensive from the middle of 2025 with the introduction of a new tax on e-cigarettes.
Speaking of the contract, Peter Thomas, managing director at SKSC, says: “The fact that we have held this prestigious contract for over 20 years is testament to our bespoke, dynamic, and innovative solutions, that are designed to make the world a safer place, helping to protect against criminal elements.
“We keep up to date with the latest fraud and counterfeit trends, designing products to combat future attacks and address the ever-improving technological techniques used by ‘bad actors”.
SKSC’s other security printing contracts for the Irish Government include the production of passports, fiscal documents, and identity documents for seafarers.
In 2015 it managed the introduction of the Irish Passport Card, a travel document that Irish citizens can use for certain travel instead of the standard passport book.
Similar in size to a credit card, the card includes a SealCrypt strip, a secure data container which can be instantly accessed by smartphone, allowing for the integrity of a document to be verified.
