Your SEC or DTI certificate creates the business. Before it can open its doors, bill a client or pay its first employee, business registration in the Philippines runs through four more offices — the barangay, the city hall, the BIR and the three employer agencies.
We file each one in the right order, then keep them current every time something changes.
Or call 0917 631 8876The SEC or DTI certificate creates the business. Four more offices decide whether it can operate.
Until the BIR registers you, you cannot issue a valid invoice — so you cannot bill your first client.
Every later change — address, name, capital, owners — has to be reported to more than one agency.
The Mayor's permit renews every January; most cities charge up to 25% surcharge after the 20th.
The order it happens in
Each office asks for what the one before it issued, so a delay or a typo at one step travels down the line.
You get: Certificate of Incorporation, or Business Name Registration for a sole proprietor
Watch for: This step is covered on our company registration page — the rest of this page starts where it ends. Company registration →
You get: Barangay clearance for the business address
Watch for: The address on your lease has to match your SEC record exactly. A mismatch here follows you to the city hall and the BIR.
You get: Mayor's permit (business permit), with zoning and fire-safety clearances
Watch for: The requirements and sequence vary by city. Some RDOs want the permit before they accept the BIR file; others take proof of application.
You get: Certificate of Registration (Form 2303), registered books of account and invoices
Watch for: Since RR 7-2024, the invoice is the primary document for goods and services alike. You cannot issue one until this step is done.
You get: Employer numbers with all three agencies
Watch for: Register before the first payroll. New hires are reported to the SSS within 30 days under RA 11199.
A foreign national working for your Philippine company generally needs an Alien Employment Permit, tied to your company and the position, before the work starts. Workplace safety registrations depend on your headcount and activity. We tell you which apply when we map the chain.
A company can be perfectly registered with the SEC and still not be allowed to issue its first invoice.
Business registration amendments
A change you make once usually has to be filed with three or four agencies. Find your change on the left; read across.
Filing or amendmentUpdate to records
*If your Articles state the full street address, the move is an amendment; if they state only the city, the GIS carries it.
Simplified on purpose. The exact filing depends on your entity type and your city, and we confirm it before anything is submitted.
Changing something this quarter? We file it everywhere it needs to go.
Route my changeBusiness permit renewal and beyond
Registration is the start of a calendar, not the end of a project. These are the dates that keep the chain intact.
No more BIR Form 0605 in January
The ₱500 annual registration fee ended on 22 January 2024 under the Ease of Paying Taxes Act. Your Certificate of Registration still has to be updated whenever your details change.
By 20 January
In most cities. Renewal needs last year's gross receipts, so the books have to be closed first.
Every month
Contributions are due whether or not anyone reminded you, and penalties run per month late.
By 15 April
For calendar-year companies, with the audited financial statements attached.
After the annual meeting
Plus the audited financial statements on the SEC's schedule for your registration number. SEC compliance calendar →
Whenever something changes
Use the router above. One missed update is how a renewal gets refused two years later.
What we do
We carry the same documents from barangay to BIR, so the address, name and signatory match everywhere the first time.
Lease, Articles and IDs are compared line by line before anything is submitted — the step that prevents most refusals.
We remind you ahead of the January permit renewal and manage it, instead of finding out from a closure notice.
Moving, renaming, raising capital or bringing in new owners: we file the update with every agency it touches.
Missed renewals, open BIR cases, unregistered employees — we sort out what is owed and bring the file back in order.
A business that stops trading keeps owing filings until it is formally closed. We close it with every agency.
Search by what you need to do — renewal, VAT, GIS, closure — or open an agency to see every filing we handle under it.
Browse by area
The SEC is the primary corporate registration authority under R.A. 11232 (Revised Corporation Code). Beyond incorporation, businesses must maintain ongoing compliance — annual GIS filings, amendments to articles and by-laws, share transfers, and corporate secretarial services. We handle initial registration and every post-incorporation requirement.
Company Registration (5 or more incorporators)
Company Registration (fewer than 5 incorporators)
Company Registration — Branch Office
Company Registration — Lending Company
Amendment of Business Name
Amendment of Number of Shareholders
Amendment of Increase of Capital
Amendment of Articles of Incorporation / By-Laws
General Information Sheet (GIS) Filing
SEC Registration via eFAST / Online Submission Tool
Stock Transfer Agreement
Corporate Secretary (Outsourced)
Directorship (Outsourced)
SEC Compliance for Lending Companies
SEC E-Secure Registration
Retrieval of OST / eFAST / E-Secure Account
Foreign-owned corporations must file the General Information Sheet (GIS) within 30 days of their annual stockholders' meeting. Our corporate secretarial team manages all annual filings proactively.
The DTI governs sole-proprietorship registrations and several product and trade certifications. For individuals operating as sole proprietors, DTI registration is the mandatory first step before any other permit. The DTI also issues the Philippine Standard (PS) Quality Mark and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) for regulated products.
DTI Sole Proprietorship Registration
DTI Certificate of Exemption
DTI — Additional Line of Business (New Registration)
DTI — Issuance of Certificate of Registration
DTI — Philippine Standard (PS) Quality and/or Safety Mark
DTI — Import Commodity Clearance (ICC)
DTI Business Closure
The PS Quality Mark and ICC are mandatory for certain regulated products — particularly electronics, appliances, and construction materials — before they can be legally sold or imported.
Every business must secure a Mayor's Permit (Business Permit) from the Local Government Unit where it operates, under the Local Government Code (R.A. 7160). Permits renew annually in the first quarter. Requirements and processing times vary by LGU — making professional assistance especially valuable for foreign businesses.
Business Permit Registration — Main Office
Business Permit Registration — Branch Office
Business Permit Registration — Warehouse
Business Permit Annual Renewal — Corporation
Business Permit Annual Renewal — Sole Proprietorship
Amendment of Business Name (BPLO)
Amendment of Business Address (BPLO)
Amendment — Additional Line of Business
Business Permit Update (Change of Business Information)
Business Closure — Branch (Corporation)
Business Closure — Main Office (Corporation)
Business permits expire on December 31 and must be renewed between January 1 and January 20 to avoid surcharges. We remind clients and manage the full renewal ahead of the deadline.
BIR registration establishes your official tax identity and authorizes you to issue legally recognized receipts and invoices. Beyond initial registration, the BIR governs VAT registration, system enrollment, and documentary updates whenever your business information changes.
BIR Online Registration & Update System (ORUS) Application
BIR TIN Application — Personal
BIR TIN Application — Foreign Company
BIR TIN Updating & Re-printing
BIR Certificate of Registration (COR) — Business Tax / Tax Type
BIR Certificate of Registration — Non-VAT to VAT Conversion
BIR VAT Registration & Service Fee
BIR Authority to Print (ATP) Application
BIR E-Sales Registration (New)
BIR E-Invoicing Service
BIR Business Address Amendment / Update
BIR Share Transfer
BIR Book of Accounts Registration
Foreign companies must obtain a BIR TIN for the Philippine entity — separate from any personal TIN — before operating. All receipts and invoices must be BIR-registered and authority-to-print compliant before issuance.
Every employer must register with — and remit monthly contributions to — the three mandatory benefit agencies: SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG (HDMF). These are non-negotiable obligations under Philippine labor law and must be completed before hiring. We manage employer registration, employee enrollment, and ongoing contribution compliance across all three.
Employer Registration — SSS, PhilHealth & Pag-IBIG (all three)
Amendment of Start Date of Operations (all three agencies)
Employee Membership Registration — with ID (per employee)
Employee Membership Registration — without ID, with number
Change of Registered Address / Signatories (per agency)
Change of Email Address & Contact Number (per agency)
Online Mandatories Access — Password Reset
Filing of Closure / Dissolution (mandatories)
Filing of Temporary Suspension
SSS Case Settlement & Payment of Penalties
SSS Sickness Benefit Application
SSS Maternity Application
SSS Loan Processing
Pag-IBIG (HDMF) Loan Processing
Directorship for Labor & Employment Mandatories
Foreign-owned companies hiring Philippine-based employees must register as employers before the first payroll. Late registration or remittance exposes the company and its directors to penalties and legal liability.
The DOLE regulates employment standards, workplace safety, and the hiring of foreign nationals. Companies employing alien workers must comply with the Alien Employment Permit (AEP) process. Businesses with 50+ employees must meet occupational safety standards under Rule 1020, and contracting firms need Rule 174 certification.
DOLE — Employer Registration Number (ERN) & AEP Application
DOLE — Rule 1020 Occupational Safety & Health Standards
DOLE — Rule 174 Certificate of Registration
DOLE — Safety Officer & Company Compliance Assistance
DOLE — Outsourced Safety Officer
Foreign nationals must hold a valid Alien Employment Permit (AEP) — employer- and position-specific — secured before work begins and renewed annually. We manage the full AEP application and renewal.
Beyond agency-specific registrations, businesses frequently need ancillary compliance services — from updating registered purposes and addresses across agencies to printing SEC-compliant receipts and handling sworn statements. We manage these so your core operations are never disrupted.
Amendment of Business Purpose (SEC / BIR / BPLO)
Amendment of Business Address (all agencies)
Service Invoice / Collection Receipt Printing
Sworn Statement / Certifications
SEC Appearance Fee
Your registration map
FAQ
The questions founders ask us most once the SEC or DTI paperwork is done.
The SEC certificate creates the company; it does not let it operate. A corporation still needs a barangay clearance and a Mayor's (business) permit from the city where it operates, a BIR Certificate of Registration with registered books and invoices, and — before its first payroll — employer numbers with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG. Sole proprietors follow the same chain starting from their DTI certificate.
No. Without a Mayor's permit you are not allowed to operate in the city, and without a BIR Certificate of Registration you cannot issue a valid invoice. A business can be perfectly registered with the SEC and still be unable to bill its first client.
Once the documents are complete, our working turnaround for a BIR Certificate of Registration is about 7 to 10 working days. Most of the delay we see comes before that point — a lease that does not match the permit address, or a Mayor's permit still in process in a city that wants it before the BIR file is accepted.
No. The Ease of Paying Taxes Act (RA 11976) removed the ₱500 annual registration fee from 22 January 2024, so there is no more BIR Form 0605 to file every January for it. Your Certificate of Registration no longer needs a yearly payment to stay valid, but it still has to be updated whenever your registered details change.
In most cities, the Mayor's permit and local business tax are due within the first 20 days of January. Late payment lets the LGU impose a surcharge of up to 25% and interest of up to 2% a month under Section 168 of the Local Government Code, and some cities follow up with closure orders. A few LGUs extend the window in a given year, so we confirm each client's city every December.
Usually all of them. A move to another city means amending the principal office address in the Articles of Incorporation with the SEC, retiring the permit in the old city and taking out a new one, transferring your BIR registration to the new Revenue District Office, and updating your employer records with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG. A move within the same city is lighter, but the BIR and the LGU still have to be updated.
Before you run your first payroll. Employer registration with all three is what gives you the numbers you remit under, and new employees must be reported to the SSS within 30 days of hiring under the Social Security Act of 2018 (RA 11199). Registering late does not erase the contributions that were due — it adds penalties on top of them.
Yes. A foreign national working for a Philippine company generally needs an Alien Employment Permit from DOLE, which is tied to the employer and the position, plus the matching visa. Both have to be in place before the work starts.
In the reverse order it was opened, and with every agency. That means retiring the business permit with the LGU, filing for closure and settling any open tax cases with the BIR, closing the employer accounts with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG, and — for a corporation — dissolution with the SEC. A business that simply stops operating keeps accruing filing obligations and penalties until it is formally closed.
From the barangay clearance to your first payroll — and every renewal and change after — one team files it, in the right order, with every agency.