Easy Steps To Register A Business In Ph By Karmela Mirriam Ebreo Registration of a business is one important aspect every business owner

should never forget. It is not merely to comply with the laws but it also for the protection of the enterprise. In the world of business, one cannot be sure who is a friend and who is a foe. Thus, in order to avoid any legal complications and in order to disappoint competitors who believe that a particular business has no registration, having it listed with the proper government agency is necessary.

There are different types of business recognized in the Philippines such as sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and cooperatives. The registration of a business depends on such types. However, with the creation of the Philippine Business Registry or PBR under the Department of Trade and Industry, the whole process of registering a business can be done in less than an hour. PBR links the five (5) major government agencies needed in a business registration. These are the: 1. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for Business Name Registration of a sole proprietorship or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the Business Name Registration of a partnership or corporation; 2. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for a Taxpayer Identification Number or TIN; 3. PhilHealth for an Employer Registration Number; 4. Pag-IBIG for an Employer ID Number; and 5. Social Security System (SSS) for an Employer Registration Number.

Below are the basic steps a business owner should follow in registering an enterprise. 1. Application Form Fill-out a PBR application form and submit the same to a DTI teller. If an applicant is registering a new business without a TIN, the PBR will generate one for him. Otherwise, the existing TIN will be used. For partnerships and corporations, however, the PBR process can only be applied if the company has been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission head office. Moreover, its application should be accompanied with the necessary documents such as the Articles of Incorporation and the By-laws.

2. Business Name Registration

The applicant will be required to pay for the registration of a business name to have a Business Name Certificate before its PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and SSS can be processed.

3. Employers Registration Number (ERN) Upon payment of business name, the DTI teller will forward the application form to PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and SSS for the generation of ERNs. Aside from the ERN certificate to be retrieved from the said agencies, the applicant will also receive an email indicating the ERNs issued by the agencies concerned.

These are the three (3) basic steps in registering a business in the Philippines. However, aside from getting a Certificate of Registration, there are other clearances that may be required such as Barangay and City clearances. Moreover, if the enterprise is one of those required under the law to have a special permit or clearance, there will be additional steps to be undergone. In such technical cases, it is always best to have the assistance of counsel.