They want to postpone the launch of “eExcise” until 2027: business warns of risks and billion-dollar losses

Ukrainian business calls on the Verkhovna Rada to urgently consider draft law No. 15532, which provides for the postponement of the mandatory launch of the eExcise system from November 1, 2026 to July 1, 2027.

The European Business Association, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Association of Tobacco Manufacturers “Ukrtyutyun” made a corresponding appeal. Business representatives explain that additional time is needed for technical and operational preparation of the state and market participants.

What is happening with draft law No. 15532

The document was registered in the Verkhovna Rada on August 21, 2026.

On September 10, the relevant parliamentary committee recommended including the draft law on the agenda and, based on the results of consideration in the first reading, adopting it as a basis and in general with the necessary technical and legal amendments.

The Committee on Integration of Ukraine into the EU also concluded that the provisions of the draft law do not contradict Ukraine’s international legal obligations in the field of European integration.

However, as of September 22, the draft law has the status of “awaiting consideration”. On September 17, it was not included in the session’s agenda.

That is, the postponement of the launch of “eExcise” to July 2027 has not yet been approved.

What is “eExcise”

“eExcise” is an electronic system for the traceability of excisable products, which is to replace paper excise stamps with digital identifiers.

The system will cover alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and liquids for electronic cigarettes. It should allow tracking the movement of products from the manufacturer or importer to the final sale.

It is envisaged, in particular, the creation of electronic offices of economic operators, the formation of electronic excise stamps, the assignment of unique identifiers to goods and the accounting of the movement of products between market participants.

Why business asks to postpone the launch

Business representatives state that the time until November 1 is not enough for a full transition to the new system.

Among the problems, they name the need to complete the development of individual state software products, conduct end-to-end testing, integrate the state platform with corporate IT systems, reconfigure production equipment and logistics, train employees and check the interaction of electronic stamps with cash registers.

The new rules will apply not only to manufacturers. Importers, distributors, logistics companies, wholesalers and retailers, catering establishments and other participants in the excisable products market must connect to the system.

Business warns of possible budget losses

A separate problem was the uncertainty regarding excise stamps for November.

If eExcise starts operating on November 1, companies will need to switch to electronic stamps. If the launch is postponed, they will need to continue ordering paper stamps and working according to current procedures.

In fact, businesses have to prepare for two scenarios at the same time.

The European Business Association reports that representatives of the tobacco industry estimate the possible loss of revenue to the state budget due to the delay in the decision on the draft law at UAH 6.5 billion. This is an estimate by industry representatives, not an established fact of actual budget losses.

What is the launch date now?

The mandatory launch of the system has already been postponed previously – from January 1 to November 1, 2026. The relevant changes were enshrined in a government resolution.

Draft Law No. 15532 proposes to postpone the transition again – until July 1, 2027.

However, until the Verkhovna Rada adopts the relevant changes, the current date for the mandatory launch of eExcise remains November 1, 2026. A bill that would change this date is pending consideration by parliament as of September 22.