{"id":37019,"date":"2026-04-22T11:23:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T03:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/?p=37019"},"modified":"2026-04-22T11:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T03:41:08","slug":"avoid-ipos-excess-claim-fees-2026-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/avoid-ipos-excess-claim-fees-2026-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid IPOS Excess Claim Fees: 2026 Singapore Patent Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Draft Compact Patent Applications to Avoid New IPOS Excess Claim Fees (2026 Guide)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the competitive landscape of Singapore\u2019s &#8220;Smart Nation&#8221; initiative, intellectual property is a critical asset. However, as of April 1, 2026, the cost of securing that asset has changed. The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has introduced a revised fee structure designed to encourage &#8220;compact&#8221; patent applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Senior Managers and founders, failing to adapt your drafting strategy could lead to thousands of dollars in unnecessary &#8220;excess claim&#8221; fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. The 2026 Shift: What Has Changed?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, many applicants relied on the &#8220;20-claim threshold&#8221; and paid excess fees only at the final grant stage. That era has ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Lowered Threshold: 15 Claims<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The threshold for excess claims has been officially lowered from 20 to 15 claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Cost: Every claim exceeding the 15th claim now incurs a fee of $S\\$80$.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Trigger: This applies to all requests for Search and Examination (PF11) or Examination (PF12) filed on or after September 1, 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The PF13A Trigger: A New Financial Milestone<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the most significant change effective April 1, 2026, is the timing of the payment. Excess claim fees are no longer deferred until the grant (PF14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Critical Update: If you amend your claims during the prosecution phase\u2014specifically when filing a Response to Written Opinion (Form PF13A)\u2014and your new set exceeds 15 claims (or the number previously paid for), the $S\\$80$-per-claim fee is triggered immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Strategic Drafting: How to Maintain Scope with 15 Claims<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Compact drafting&#8221; does not mean reducing the protection of your invention. It means utilizing the Singapore Patents Act more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A. Master &#8220;Multiple Dependencies&#8221;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike the United States (USPTO), where multiple dependent claims are heavily taxed, the IPOS allows multiple dependencies without extra fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Strategy: Instead of having three separate claims for three different embodiments, draft one dependent claim that refers back to &#8220;any of the preceding claims.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Benefit: This exponentially increases your protected permutations while keeping your total claim count under the 15-claim limit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>B. The &#8220;Broad-to-Narrow&#8221; Description Bridge<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>To avoid fees at the PF13A stage, ensure your Description is highly modular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Draft your description with clearly defined &#8220;sub-features&#8221; that can be moved into the claims later if needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This allows you to start with a compact set of 15 broad claims, adding specific limitations only if the examiner raises an objection, rather than paying for 30 &#8220;just in case&#8221; claims at the start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Comparison: Old vs. New Fee Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pre-Sept 2025<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2026 Current Standard<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Free Claim Limit<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>20 Claims<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>15 Claims<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Excess Fee (Per Claim)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$S\\$40$<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$S\\$80$<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Primary Payment Point<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Grant (PF14)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Search\/Exams (PF11\/12)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Secondary Payment Point<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>N\/A<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Response to Opinion (PF13A)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Why &#8220;Compact Drafting&#8221; is a Business Win<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond saving costs, compact applications often lead to faster examination. Examiners can navigate a concise, 15-claim set much more quickly than a bloated 40-claim filing, reducing the time-to-grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Singaporean SMEs and tech startups, staying under the 15-claim limit is not just about being &#8220;frugal&#8221;\u2014it is about demonstrating IP Maturity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>FAQ: Navigating the 2026 Fees<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Can I wait until grant to pay for excess claims?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> No. For filings after Sept 2025, fees are paid upfront at the Search and Examination request. For amendments after April 2026, they are paid at the PF13A stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Do multiple dependent claims count as &#8220;extra claims&#8221; for the $S\\$80$ fee?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A: <\/strong>No. In Singapore, a claim is counted as one unit, regardless of how many other claims it refers to. This is your most powerful tool for cost-saving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What if I reduce my claims from 20 to 10 during examination? Do I get a refund?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A: <\/strong>Generally, no. IPOS does not provide refunds for claims &#8220;dropped&#8221; after the fee has been triggered at the PF11\/12 or PF13A stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Secure Your Innovation with Pintas Singapore<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Need a strategic audit of your patent draft? At Pintas Singapore, we specialize in &#8220;Compact Patent Engineering.&#8221; We help you maximize your IP protection while navigating the 2026 IPOS fee increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Take the next step:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Request a Strategic Claim Audit: Ensure your 15-claim set provides maximum protection at minimum cost.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a Fee Optimization Consultation: Let our experts restructure your existing portfolio for the 2026 landscape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visit us at: <a href=\"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/singapore-patent-filing\/\">pintas-ip.com\/singapore-patent-filing\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expertise. Precision. Global Protection.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Master the new 2026 IPOS patent fee structure. Learn how to draft compact 15-claim applications and avoid the $S\\$80$ excess fee triggered at the PF13A response stage.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":37020,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,159],"tags":[178],"class_list":["post-37019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-patent-protection","tag-ipos-excess-claim-fee-2026"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pintas-ip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pintas-banner-3-224.jpg?fit=2240%2C1260&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37019"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37019\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37024,"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37019\/revisions\/37024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pintas-ip.com\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}