A
stamp act is any legislation that requires a tax to be paid on the transfer of certain documents. Those that pay the tax receive an official stamp on their documents, making them legal documents. The taxes raised under a stamp act are called
stamp duty. This system of taxation was first devised in the
Netherlands in 1624 after a public competition to find a new form of tax. A variety of products have been covered by stamp acts including
playing cards,
patent medicines,
cheques,
mortgages,
contracts and
newspapers. The items often have to be
physically stamped at approved government offices following payment of the duty, although methods involving annual payment of a fixed sum or purchase of
adhesive stamps are more practical and common. Stamp acts have been enforced in many countries, including Australia, People's Republic of China, Canada, Ireland, India, Malaysia, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.