<P> In the UK , excise stamps have been in use for spirits since 2006 . While these are usually printed on the back label of the bottle by the manufacturer rather than being a special security bought from the government , they still have to adhere to strict specifications , such as containing UV - visible inks . UK law does not require such physical stamps for cigarettes , either - instead , the words `` UK Duty Paid '' are printed in bold on all packs as part of the manufacturing process , while other forms of control are implemented by HM Revenue & Customs to verify that this is indeed the case . Meanwhile , foreign - bought cigarette packets bearing revenue stamps can be widely seen across the UK , mainly due to the comparatively high price of British cigarettes , leading people to ( often illegally ) import them from abroad . </P>
<P> In the UK , excise stamps have been in use for spirits since 2006 . While these are usually printed on the back label of the bottle by the manufacturer rather than being a special security bought from the government , they still have to adhere to strict specifications , such as containing UV - visible inks . UK law does not require such physical stamps for cigarettes , either - instead , the words `` UK Duty Paid '' are printed in bold on all packs as part of the manufacturing process , while other forms of control are implemented by HM Revenue & Customs to verify that this is indeed the case . Meanwhile , foreign - bought cigarette packets bearing revenue stamps can be widely seen across the UK , mainly due to the comparatively high price of British cigarettes , leading people to ( often illegally ) import them from abroad . </P>
excise duty stamps of central govt. are printed in
excise duty stamps of central govt. are printed in
UK Duty Paid
UK Duty Paid