How to use BIR ORUS to register your business online

What you can do in ORUS

BIR tells new businesses to register online by creating an ORUS account at orus.bir.gov.ph. After registration, online registrants can generate, receive and print their electronic Certificate of Registration once they pay the ₱30 loose DST online.^[1]

ORUS is also where you register your books of accounts. When the registration succeeds, the system generates a QR Stamp that you paste on the first page of each book. BIR lists no fee for registering books.^[2]

In May 2024, BIR announced a Taxpayer Classification Inquiry function in ORUS. Use it to see whether BIR has you as a micro, small, medium or large taxpayer, which affects some deadlines and penalty rates.^[3]

Signing up and registering, step by step

1. Prepare your filesScan your government ID, take a clear selfie holding the ID, and scan your DTI certificate if you use a business name. Keep each file small and readable.
2. Create the accountOpen orus.bir.gov.ph, choose to create an account, and use an email address only you control. BIR sends updates and your certificate to that address.
3. Start a new registrationPick the registration type that matches you: an individual (sole proprietor, freelancer, mixed-income earner) or a non-individual (corporation, partnership, cooperative).
4. Enter the business detailsType the business address exactly as it appears on your DTI certificate and permit. ORUS uses the address to assign your Revenue District Office.
5. Answer the tax type questionsState your expected yearly sales and, for individuals, whether you choose the 8% income tax rate. Read the tax pages first if you are unsure.
6. Pay ₱30 and printPay the documentary stamp tax online, then generate your electronic Certificate of Registration and print it for display.

Documents ORUS asks for

For individuals, BIR asks for any government-issued ID showing your name, address and birthdate, such as a PhilID or ePhilID, passport or driver's license. Online applicants upload a selfie holding that ID. A DTI certificate is needed if you operate under a business name.^[1]

Common reasons an upload gets returned: a blurry ID, a selfie where the ID text cannot be read, an address that does not match your DTI certificate, or a missing page. Check each file before you submit, because a returned application means another wait.

How ORUS sets your size classification

Businesses that register after RR 8-2024 took effect are first classified based on what they declare in the registration form. A micro taxpayer is one with gross sales of less than ₱3,000,000 in a taxable year.^[4]

Example: a home-based baker in Davao City who expects to sell about ₱600,000 in her first year declares that estimate. ORUS then treats her as a micro taxpayer. If sales grow past ₱3,000,000 later, BIR reclassifies her. See taxpayer classification.^[4]

When ORUS is not the right route

You can still register manually at the RDO by filing two originals of Form 1901 or Form 1903. Some owners do this when they have unusual documents, when uploads keep failing, or when they want to buy BIR Printed Invoices at the New Business Registrant Counter on the same day.^[1]

Whichever route you take, you register once. There is no yearly ORUS renewal. Log in again only when you need to update your details, register new books, or check your records.^[1]

Questions people ask

Is ORUS free?

Using ORUS costs nothing. The only registration charge is the ₱30 documentary stamp tax that goes with your Certificate of Registration.

Can I get my Certificate of Registration without going to the RDO?

Yes. BIR says businesses that register online can generate and print an electronic Certificate of Registration after paying the ₱30 DST online.

Can I register my books in ORUS?

Yes. ORUS generates a QR Stamp when your books are registered, and you paste it on the first page of each book.

Should I let someone else make my ORUS account?

Keep the account under your own email and password. The account holds your tax records and is how BIR contacts you, so losing access causes trouble later.