Business Government

BIR Registration for Your Business: Requirements and Guidelines

Start Here PHby
The Philippines' Tax Bureau provides updated and streamlined requirements for new business registrations in a Memorandum Circular. They also release Basic Registration Guidelines to help new taxpayers in the process.

by Eric Paolo Smith

The Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue or BIR released Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 57-2020 providing streamlined requirements for business registration with the tax bureau, including doing away with the mandatory requirement to provide a Mayor’s Permit.

Included in the Circular are Annexes that contain the Checklist of Documentary Requirements. These can be easily printed out for reference and tracking.

You will need to identify what forms are applicable to you.

If you are a sole proprietor, the Checklist would be for “Application for Registraion: Self-employed Individuals, Estates and Trusts” (CDR No. F1101).

Download the CDR – Checklist of Documentary Requirements here.

The BIR reminds you that they will return and/or not process applications with incomplete requirements.

Guidelines and Reminders

Furthermore, thru a subsequent Circular (No. 60-2020), BIR advices all persons who haven’t registered their businesses yet, those newly registered taxpayers and even existing ones, that they have until July 31, 2020 to register, or update their statuses penalty-free.

They also remind new and existing taxpayers to comply with the Tax Code especially on the following:

  1. Issuance of registered Sales Invoice or Official Receipt for every sale of goods or services to clients/customers/buyers;
  2. Keeping of registered Books of Accounts and other accounting records of business transactions;
  3. Withholding of taxes, as applicable;
  4. Filing of required tax returns; and
  5. Payment of correct taxes due on time.

In an Annex, the BIR also issues “Basic Registration Guidelines” to help new taxpayers in the process.

Basic Registration Guidelines

BIR registration and updates to your existing registration are generally done in the Revenue District Office (RDO) having jurisdiction over your company’s Head Office or for individual taxpayers, your place of residence.

These RDOs are basically BIR’s branches. View and locate the RDOs nearest you here. You will really need to know which branch has jurisdiction over your Head Office/residence as that branch is where you will submit your requirements, and receive your documents.

  • If you are doing business (online or not) with no TIN yet, register your business following existing policies in securing a TIN and registration of business (see the checklists above).
  • If you are doing business and already have a TIN but the business isn’t registered yet, then basically BIR says that you should register. Identify the applicable registration entity above and use their checklist.
  • You will receive the BIR Certificate of Registration (Form 2303) — a light brown or yellowish form printed in special fiber paper — if you’ve complied with the requirements.
Best to refer to the BIR’s Checklist of Documentary Requirements as outlined in the beginning of this post.

Upon completion of your requirements, the taxpayer shall receive:

  1. Your Certificate of Registration (aka COR Form 2303),
  2. Copy of the BIR-received Registration Form 1901 or 1903,
  3. Notice to Issue Receipt/Invoice (NIRI),
  4. BIR Printed Receipts (BPR)/BIR Printed Invoices (BPI) or Authority to Print (ATP) (depending on your choice),
  5. Proof of payment of registration fee.

Of course, don’t be afraid to ask the help of the Officer of the Day in the RDO that you will visit. Otherwise you can also approach the RDO’s GoD, or Guard on Duty. They more often than not, will have answers to the basic questions you may need clarifications with. Its best to be sure on your registration details as sometimes modifying details later on can be a hassle.

You can also message the BIR on their facebook page.