(a) The department shall by regulation require every cigarette stamping agency or ultimate consumer, to use cigarette tax stamps to evidence the payment of the tax imposed by this article unless such stamps have been affixed to the packs of unstamped cigarettes and properly cancelled before such cigarette stamping agency or ultimate consumer received them or unless otherwise provided in subsection (g).

(b) The department shall by regulation authorize the sale of cigarette tax stamps at such places and at such times as it deems necessary and the department shall prescribe the manner, time and conditions under which the payment of tax shall be made.

(c) The department shall also prescribe the type of cigarette tax stamps which shall be used, to evidence payment of the tax. Nothing in this provision shall be construed as a limitation upon the department to prescribe various methods of affixing cigarette tax stamps and said department shall have the authority to prescribe one or more of several types of tax stamps which shall be used by a particular cigarette stamping agency whenever, in the reasonable exercise of its powers, it shall be deemed necessary for the protection of the revenue.

(d) Under no circumstances shall any cigarette stamping agency be permitted to sell, transfer or deliver to any person any unstamped cigarettes, or any unused cigarette tax stamps unless specifically permitted by the provisions of this article.

(e) The department shall by regulation permit a cigarette stamping agency to pay for purchases on a deferred basis, upon the filing of a surety bond, of the type approved by the department, with the department, in an amount deemed sufficient by the department to protect the revenue, said bond to be executed by the cigarette stamping agency as principal and by a corporate surety company, duly authorized to engage in such business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as surety. In lieu of the bond required by this subsection, the department shall accept other forms of security, such as a line of credit, if the department deems the security sufficient to protect the revenue. The department shall deny deferred purchase plans to any stamping agency in any state where such state denies stamping agencies in Pennsylvania the right to use deferred purchase plans. The department may deny any cigarette stamping agent the right to purchase cigarette tax stamps if the cigarette stamping agent is delinquent in remitting cigarette taxes or fines owed the Commonwealth.

(f) The department shall, upon application, permit a cigarette stamping agency to post a surety bond with the department for fifty per cent of the amount of the tax stamp purchase, provided that the agency has a record of timely payments of the tax for a three-year period prior to application and further provided that the agency files with the department a financial statement that demonstrates assets sufficient to protect the revenues. To preserve the discounted bond arrangement an agency may be required to provide an updated financial statement at the request of the department. If the department determines the cigarette stamping agency's financial condition and the type and amount of security posted by the cigarette stamping agency is insufficient to protect the revenue, the department may require additional security in the type and amount necessary to protect the revenue. If the cigarette stamping agency fails to post the type and amount of security requested within ten days of the mailing date of the request, the department may revoke the cigarette stamping agency's license.

(g) Stamps shall be affixed to all individual packages containing from twenty to twenty-five cigarettes. Individual packages containing less than twenty or more than twenty-five cigarettes shall have stamps affixed unless the department determines the affixing of stamps is physically impractical due to the size or nature of the package or determines that the cost of affixing the stamps is unreasonably disproportionate to the tax to be collected. Stamps shall not be required to be affixed to containers of roll-your-own tobacco.

(h) Where the department has determined that a cigarette package is not required to be stamped under subsection (g), the tax shall be collected on the sale of the cigarette from the wholesaler to the retailer. To verify the payment of this tax, the following shall be required:

(i) For purposes of determining the weight of little cigars, a person shipping little cigars within or into this Commonwealth shall provide the department with the weight per thousand shipped, segregated by brand name, package type, number per package and any other information required by the department. This information shall be reported on a form prescribed by the department and shall be filed with the department within fourteen days of shipment or on a schedule determined by the department by regulation. If the person shipping the little cigars into this Commonwealth is not the manufacturer, the person shall obtain the information as to the weight of the little cigars from the manufacturer and report the weight on the form and by the date referred to in this subsection.