Optical Features Retained in Argentina’s Revamped Tax Stamps

Argentina’s cigarette tax stamps have undergone a redesign following the transformation of the country’s tax authority from the Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos (AFIP) to the Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero (ARCA). While the change reflects new institutional branding and regulatory updates under General Resolution 5603/2024, the stamps’ core optical security features remain firmly in place.

The revamped stamps form part of the Traceability, Identification and Control Solution (STIC) – a physical-digital system introduced in 2023 to curb tax evasion in the tobacco industry. Developed by SICPA and printed by CAMOAR (Casa de Moneda Argentina, the state printer), the original stamp design integrated micro- lettering, guilloches, special QR codes, and high-security inks to ensure authenticity and traceability.

The new ARCA-branded stamps retain these advanced security elements, ensuring that visual and covert authentication capabilities remain unchanged despite the redesign.