Stamp Act Timeline

The Stamp Act 1765, formally titled the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765, imposed stamp duties in the British American colonies.

Image source: Stamp Act 1765

Unlike the Albany Congress of 1754, which had been urged by royal officials, the Stamp Act Congress was strictly colonial and represented the first significant joint colonial response to a British measure.

Image source: Stamp Act Congress

The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York City on 7 October 1765, with nine colonies in attendance. Other colonies might have participated had earlier notice been provided.

The Stamp Act was repealed in early 1766, although the accompanying Declaratory Act maintained Parliament's asserted right to tax the colonies.

In 1862, the United States government began taxing a variety of goods, services, and legal dealings to raise revenue for the substantial costs of the Civil War.

The United States excise tax introduced during the Civil War continued while the federal government worked to pay the war debt.

The United States repealed the Civil War-era excise tax in 1883 after the federal government finished paying the war debt.

Revenue stamps were issued again in the United States in 1898 to provide funding for the Spanish–American War.

Revenue stamps in the United States were finally discontinued on 31 December 1967.

Various Australian states began enacting stamp acts in 1878, establishing duties on documents and transactions.

Additional Australian state stamp acts were enacted in 1882 as stamp-duty systems developed across the country.

Australian states enacted further stamp acts in 1886, extending the use of document-based duties.

Further stamp acts were enacted in various Australian states in 1890.

The Australian stamp-duty measures enacted in the late nineteenth century received amendments from 1892 through 1907.

Various Australian states enacted additional stamp acts in 1894.

From 1914 to 1928, the Director of Stamping at the British Stamp Office oversaw production of Treasury Notes, a type of banknote distinct from United States Treasury notes.

Image source: HM Revenue and Customs

Western Australia overhauled duties of this type through the Western Australian Stamp Act 1921.

South Australia first enacted its Stamp Duties Act in 1923.

After its first enactment in 1923, South Australia's Stamp Duties Act was revised or amended almost yearly until its current 2017 version.

In 1963, production of postage stamps passed to the General Post Office.

The Finance Act 1986 introduced Stamp Duty Reserve Tax in the United Kingdom.

From 27 October 1986, the charge was imposed on closing transactions at the London Stock Exchange. Previously, such transactions did not use a document and were therefore exempt from Stamp Duty.

China's stamp taxes came to be governed by the Provisional Regulations of the People's Republic of China Concerning Stamp Tax and detailed rules for its implementation, put into effect in 1988.

A public display of Stamp Office artefacts and records was held at the Courtauld Institute in 1994 to commemorate the three hundredth anniversary of the introduction of UK stamp duty.

In 1997, stamp taxes produced 26.63 billion yuan in China and comprised 3.6% of the country's gross domestic product.

Israel repealed its stamp duty on signed documents as of 2006. The former tax had been regulated by the 1961 Stamp Tax on Documents law, the 1965 regulations, and subsequent additions.

The overhaul made by the Western Australian Stamp Act 1921 took effect on 1 January 2010.