Businesses can be conducted in many ways. It may be through a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Sole proprietors must register with the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) while corporations and partnerships are registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).
A sole proprietor must register with the DTI and secure a Certificate of Registration. At present, the DTI now gives the person the option to choose his scope of business whether it be barangay, city, regional or national. Based on a recent issuance by the DTI, there is no more need to register each and every branch if it is located within the scope of the registration. For example, if I register my scope as national and my initial business is at Pasig City, Metro Manila, I do not have to apply for a new DTI registration when I open a branch at Davao City.
Registering a sole proprietorship with the DTI is simple. The required information are as follows:
1. Proposed Business Name (List 3 names in order of priority
2. Business Address (Street Number, Name, Barangay, Zip Code, City, Region)
3. Business Activities
4. Territorial Scope of business (Barangay, city, regional or national)
5. Owner’s Full Name
6. Owner’s Address
7. Owner’s Date of Birth
8. Owner’s citizenship
9. Tax Identification Number or TIN of the Owner
The DTI also requires any two (2) of the following valid identification cards, the original of which must be presented for verification:
• Passport
• Valid Driver’s License
• Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) ID
• National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance
• Police Clearance
• Postal ID
• Voter’s ID
• Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Unified Multi-Purpose ID
• Social Security System (SSS) ID
• Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID
• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
• Seaman’s Book
• Government Office and GOCC ID, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ID, Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) ID, Philpost ID, Philhealth ID
• Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID
• Senior Citizen Card
• Person with Disability Card
There are three ways of registering with the DTI:
1. Purely over the counter – Registration can be done at any DTI Field Office.
2. Online Filing – File application online at https://bnrs.dti.gov.ph
3. Hybrid – Combination of over the counter and online application
The registration fees will depend on the territorial jurisdiction covered in the application. The fees are
Barangay PHP 200.00
City / Municipality PHP 500.00
Regional PHP 1,000.00
National PHP 2,000.00
DTI Registration is valid for 5 years. Applications for renewal should be filed within the first 6 months from the expiry of the registration. If the renewal is made during the last 3 months thereof, a surcharge of 50% of the registration fees shall be imposed.
For further inquiries, you may seek legal assistance by e-mailing us at info@ndvlaw.com.
Nicolas & De Vega Law Offices is a full service law firm in the Philippines. You may visit us at the 16th Flr., Suite 1607 AIC Burgundy Empire Tower, ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. You may also call us at +632 4706126, +632 4706130, +632 4016392.
