A practice manual for annuities on Taiwanese design patents. Taiwan uses the same annuity structure for patents and designs, so the rules can be shared, but two elements differ from most other jurisdictions: the anchor is the publication date rather than the registration date, and the due date is the day before the anniversary rather than the anniversary itself.
1. At a glance
- System type
- Annual annuities
- Anchor date
- Publication date Not the registration or filing date
- Due date rule
- The day before the publication anniversary
- First payment
- Year 1 annuity plus the certificate fee of TWD 1,000 Within 3 months of service of the decision
- Grace period
- 6 months — 20% per month, capped at 100%
- Restoration
- Unintentional — within 1 year of grace expiry, at three times the fee
- Reduction
- Flat-amount deduction Years 1-3 come out at zero
- Term
- Filing date + 15 years
- Risk level
- Normal
2. Anchor date and due-date calculation
The anchor is the publication date — importantly, not the registration or filing date. The annuity for year n falls due on the day before the (n−1)th anniversary of publication.
Worked example
For a design published on 2023-03-10 the due dates are as follows. Year 1 has already been paid with the certificate fee within three months of service of the decision, so management begins with year 2.
| Instalment | Formula | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | Day before publication + 1 year | 2024-03-09 |
| Year 3 | Day before publication + 2 years | 2025-03-09 |
| Year 4 | Day before publication + 3 years | 2026-03-09 |
| … | Same each year | … |
| Year 15 | Day before publication + 14 years | 2037-03-09 |
3. When payments begin
- The year 1 annuity is paid within three months of service of the decision, together with the certificate fee of TWD 1,000. That payment produces publication and the grant of the right.
- Payment is then annual from year 2.
- The term is 15 years from the filing date.
4. Grace period and surcharge
There is a six-month grace period with a surcharge accruing at 20% per month up to a cap of 100% — double the original amount by the end of the grace period.
| Elapsed | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| 1 month | 20% |
| 2 months | 40% |
| 3 months | 60% |
| 4 months | 80% |
| 5-6 months | 100% (cap) |
5. Lapse and restoration
The right lapses once the grace period expires. Restoration is available on an unintentional standard within one year of grace expiry, but requires payment of three times the annuity.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Standard | Unintentional |
| Time limit | 1 year from expiry of the grace period |
| Amount payable | Three times the annuity |
6. Reduction
Natural persons, schools and small and medium enterprises qualify for a reduction. It is a flat-amount deduction rather than a percentage, so its effect is greatest in the early years.
| Band | Standard fee (TWD) | Deduction | Net payable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years 1-3 | 800 | −800 | 0 |
| Years 4-6 | 2,000 | −1,200 | 800 |
| Year 7 onward | 3,000 | — | 3,000 |
7. Early and bulk payment
Several years may be prepaid together. Where fees are later increased, no top-up is required for amounts already prepaid, so prepayment can be advantageous ahead of an expected increase.
8. Official fees
| Band | TWD per year |
|---|---|
| Years 1-3 | 800 |
| Years 4-6 | 2,000 |
| Year 7 onward | 3,000 |
9. Term extension
Designs have no equivalent of pharmaceutical term extension. Protection runs for 15 years from the filing date and cannot be extended beyond that by any means other than continuing to pay annuities.
10. Management checklist
Fields to populate first
- The publication date — not the registration date. If it is missing or substituted with the registration date, the whole schedule is wrong.
- The filing date, from which the 15-year term is calculated.
- Reduction eligibility. For natural persons, schools and SMEs the net payable for years 1-3 is zero.
- Whether year 1 has been paid with the certificate fee, after which the schedule starts at year 2.
Payment cycle
- On receiving the decision, pay the year 1 annuity and the certificate fee within three months.
- From year 2, manage to the day before the publication anniversary — not the anniversary itself.
- Where the client qualifies, file the reduction request at the same time; the net payable can be zero in the early years.
- If the client wishes to prepay, handle several years at once — no top-up is owed on a later increase.
- For cases in the grace period, round the elapsed months up and calculate the surcharge in 20% steps.
Easily confused points
- The anchor is the publication date; calculating from the registration date is wrong.
- The due date is the day before the anniversary — the opposite of Japan, so take particular care when managing both.
- The surcharge accrues in 20% steps and part months count as whole months.
- The reduction is a flat amount, not a percentage. A net payable of zero in the early years is correct.
Sources, cut-off date and disclaimer
This manual is based on iphere's August 2026 survey of country-by-country overseas maintenance rules, together with values produced by the deadline engine that runs on those same rules. Official fees and deadline rules change by office notice, so please confirm against the official source and your local agent before any actual payment or filing.