Legit na in four steps
Four registrations make a sole proprietorship legal. Hindi lahat sunod-sunod: start with DTI, then do BIR and the city permits side by side.
Start with your business name at DTI. After that, two tracks can run at the same time. The local track is the barangay business clearance, then the mayor's permit. The BIR track can start as soon as you have your DTI certificate, because BIR no longer needs your mayor's permit. Corporations and One Person Corporations start with the SEC instead of DTI.
- Register your business name with DTI
Where: bnrs.dti.gov.ph or a DTI office / Negosyo Center - Get a barangay business clearance (bring your DTI certificate)
Where: The barangay hall where the business is, or the city's Business One-Stop Shop - Get your mayor's permit (needs your barangay clearance)
Where: City or municipal Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) or online portal - Register with BIR (right after DTI; no need to wait for the mayor's permit)
Where: ORUS or your Revenue District Office - Get found onlinePut the registered name on a website and a map listing.
Which steps really depend on another
- Barangay clearance: barangays usually ask for your DTI or SEC registration. Requirements are set locally, so check your barangay's list. See barangay business clearance.
- Mayor's permit: needs the barangay clearance. The Local Government Code says no city or municipality may issue a business permit until the barangay clearance is obtained (RA 7160, Section 152). The city also asks for your DTI or SEC papers (the document checklist). See mayor's permit.
- BIR: needs a government ID, plus your DTI certificate if you use a business name (BIR Primary Registration). BIR removed the mayor's permit as one of the mandatory requirements for registering a new business (RMC 57-2020). So you do not have to wait for the city. See BIR registration.
The BIR deadline runs on its own clock
BIR says self-employed people and corporations register on or before the commencement of business. Your business counts as started on the day of your first sale, or 30 calendar days after the mayor's permit, the DTI certificate or the SEC certificate is issued, whichever comes first. If you miss that, BIR treats it as a violation (RMC 91-2024).
Example: DTI issues your certificate on 1 March, and your mayor's permit comes out on 15 April. The 30 days run from 1 March, so BIR is due by 31 March, or earlier if you make your first sale before then. Kung hihintayin mo pa ang mayor's permit bago mag-BIR, late ka na.
City checklists differ, and some list more papers than others. Ask your city's business permits office for its own list before you go. Doing BIR early means you already have your Certificate of Registration if your city asks for it.
Want the extra permits for your kind of business too? Use the Permit Path planner or browse business kits. The full walkthrough is in how to register a business.
Other registrations you may need
- Sole proprietorship vs OPC vs corporation
- Register a corporation with the SEC
- One Person Corporation (OPC): rules, fees and steps
- Register a cooperative with the CDA
- BMBE registration: income tax exemption for micro businesses
- Community tax certificate (cedula): who pays and how much
- Get a sanitary permit for your food business
- Get your Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC)
- Zoning clearance (locational clearance) for your business
- Certificate of Occupancy: when your business needs one
- How to register your BIR books of accounts
- BIR invoices under EOPT: what to issue now
- How to register as an employer with SSS
- How to register as an employer with PhilHealth
- How to register as an employer with Pag-IBIG