Tax patent

A tax patent is a patent that discloses and claims a system or method for reducing or deferring taxes. Tax patents have been granted predominantly in the United States but can be granted in other countries as well.^[1] They are considered to be a form of business method patent. They are also called "tax planning patents", "tax strategy patents",^[2] and "tax shelter patents".^[3] In September 2011, President Barack Obama signed the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act passed by the U.S. Congress that effectively prohibits the granting of tax patents in general.