A liaison firm stops retyping each client’s details on BIR Form 1901

A client’s details are saved once, then fill BIR Form 1901 and every other registration form opened for them.

First-time owners get lost in the order of steps across DTI, the barangay, the mayor’s office and BIR.

The same name and birth date go on three forms for three agencies.

People report being told to go to a branch for updates they hoped to do online.

A liaison firm handles the paperwork for new business owners who are registering across DTI, local government offices and the Revenue District Office. For a sole proprietor, a freelancer or a licensed professional, the tax registration step uses BIR Form 1901, the Application for Registration for Self-Employed Individuals, Estates and Trusts. Under Section 236 of the Tax Code, as rewritten by the Ease of Paying Taxes Act, a person subject to internal revenue tax must register once on or before the start of business. The liaison worker also prepares the rest of the multi-agency registration form set for the client.

One new client means several forms that all ask for the same name, Taxpayer Identification Number, birth date, email and addresses. When the liaison worker types those details over and over across a multi-agency form set, a single typo in a trade name or an identification number can delay the application at the counter. If a representative is filing at the Revenue District Office on the owner’s behalf, Part IV of BIR Form 1901 must also carry the representative’s details.

The fee printed on BIR Form 1901 is a ₱30 loose documentary stamp for the Certificate of Registration, plus the cost of BIR Printed Invoices if the taxpayer buys them at the New Business Registrant counter. The BIR stopped collecting the yearly ₱500 registration fee on January 22, 2024 under RMC 91-2024. The liaison worker gathers the client’s government ID, DTI certificate or PRC ID, invoice samples and Special Power of Attorney before lining up at the branch.

Government ID or valid PRC ID: It shows the client’s name, birth date and address for BIR Form 1901, or pairs with a proof of address if the ID shows none.

DTI certificate or service contract: A sole proprietor with a trade name brings the DTI certificate, while a government job order worker brings the service contract showing income.

Existing TIN from a past job: If the client already has a TIN, it goes in item 4 of BIR Form 1901 because having more than one TIN is criminally punishable.

Special Power of Attorney and IDs: A liaison worker filing through a representative must attach the Special Power of Attorney and the IDs of both the taxpayer and the representative.

Invoice choice or printer details: Part VIII of BIR Form 1901 asks whether the client will buy BIR Printed Invoices or use their own sample and accredited printer in item 42.

₱30 for the documentary stamp: The form lists a ₱30 loose documentary stamp for the Certificate of Registration, plus the cost of BIR Printed Invoices if chosen.

1. Set up the firm organization. The firm owner opens the Organization page on a plan with 2 or more seats, such as Starter with 3 seats or Pro with 10 seats. They add units for their teams or projects and invite staff members by email with a role and a home unit. Admins can also share forms with the firm’s own details already filled in to the shared library.

2. Send a hosted form link. When taking on a new business owner, the firm can create a hosted form link for 1 to 10 form IDs, such as BIR Form 1901. The client opens the link without needing an account and fills the forms on that page. Values are not stored on the link, and if the firm sets a webhook URL, the webhook receives the values and the PDF.

3. Select the client workspace. On the Clients page, the liaison preparer presses Work as for the client they are serving, or picks that client under In unit or client. Starter includes 3 client workspaces and Pro includes 25. Every form the preparer opens now starts with that client’s saved details, and any unfinished draft stays with that client.

4. Fill BIR Form 1901. The preparer opens BIR Form 1901 (October 2025 edition) with the client’s name, residence address in item 16, business address in item 17 and required email in item 22. They pick the taxpayer type in item 6, mark expected annual gross sales in item 24, and fill the trade name and DTI registration details in Part V. They also fill Part IV in items 30 to 34 for the representative and Part VIII for the invoices, while leaving Part VII item 40 for the BIR.

5. Send draft for review. Before printing the paper set for a branch trip, the preparer saves the draft shared with their unit and sends it to a reviewer by email. A senior staff member opens the Organization Review queue, checks the trade name, TIN and tax option boxes, and approves the draft or returns it with a note. The preparer cannot review their own draft.

6. Issue or revise the PDFs. Once the draft is approved, the preparer downloads a sealed PDF of each form. Each new PDF costs 1 credit. If the liaison worker spots a typo or a forgotten box at the counter within 7 days, they can re-fill the same form for the same filer up to 5 times at 0 credits using the document ID. Downloading the exact same values again in the same calendar month is also free.

Applying for a second TIN. A new business owner who already had a job sometimes leaves the TIN blank to get a new number. BIR Form 1901 warns that having more than one TIN is criminally punishable, so the liaison worker must write the client’s existing TIN in item 4.

Mismatching the DTI business name. A registration gets delayed at the Revenue District Office when the trade name typed in Part V of BIR Form 1901 does not match the DTI certificate. Checking the saved client details and using the review queue before printing catches spelling differences early.

Ticking the 8% box without checking. Item 23 of Part I asks whether the taxpayer is choosing the 8% income tax instead of graduated rates. Ticking this box without knowing what the 8% option covers changes which tax returns the business owner must file later.

Collecting the old ₱500 registration fee. Old checklists still tell new registrants to pay a ₱500 annual registration fee. The BIR stopped collecting that ₱500 fee on January 22, 2024 under RMC 91-2024, leaving only the ₱30 loose documentary stamp and the cost of BIR Printed Invoices if bought.

The liaison firm gets clean, tamper-evident sealed PDFs for BIR Form 1901 and the rest of the client’s form set, each with its own document ID. The client’s profile and any shared drafts stay organized under that client workspace and unit. If a detail needs a fix within 7 days, the firm can run up to 5 free edits on the same form for the same taxpayer.

The liaison firm and the business owner still check every box on the printed forms, especially the tax choice in item 23 of BIR Form 1901. The client signs the declaration in item 46 and the Special Power of Attorney, as signatures, thumbmarks and photos are added by hand after printing. The liaison worker then brings the signed forms, IDs, DTI certificate, invoice samples and ₱30 documentary stamp fee to file them in person at the Revenue District Office and agency branches.

PhilForms fills forms; it never files anything with the BIR, DTI, local government offices, PhilHealth or Pag-IBIG. Barangay and mayor’s permit forms differ by city and are not in the catalogue, and a DTI business name is registered on DTI’s own online system. It cannot fix agency portals that fail, send missing verification codes, or locate missing agency records when an account is locked out. It also does not settle open BIR cases, conduct book audits or reverse accidental TIN cancellations, and it is not tax advice.

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