Philippines / Business registration / Sole proprietorship and the DTI business name

Sole proprietorship and the DTI business name

A sole proprietorship is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry, not the SEC. It is the cheapest entry and the one with the fewest formalities, and the territorial scope you choose sets the fee.

A DTI business name costs ₱200 for barangay scope, ₱500 for city or municipality, ₱1,000 for regional and ₱2,000 for national, plus ₱30 documentary stamp tax. A foreign applicant also needs the Certificate of Authority to Engage in Business under RA 7042, which totals ₱5,530.

What the government charges

Item	Amount
Barangay scope Plus ₱30 documentary stamp tax	₱200
City or municipality scope Plus ₱30 documentary stamp tax	₱500
Regional scope Plus ₱30 documentary stamp tax	₱1,000
National scope Plus ₱30 documentary stamp tax	₱2,000
Certificate of Authority to Engage in Business, foreign applicant ₱5,000 registration plus ₱500 filing plus ₱30 stamp	₱5,530
Total government fees	₱9,230

Renewal is the same amount as the original. Filing between 91 and 180 days after expiry adds a surcharge of 50% of the scope fee.

Who needs this

A single owner trading under a business name.
A foreign national who needs a business vehicle without incorporating.

Who does not

Two or more owners, who need a partnership or a corporation.
Activities reserved to corporations by a licensing agency.

How it is done

Register the name on BNRSOnline at bnrs.dti.gov.ph, or at a DTI provincial office. Scope set now is expensive to widen later.
Foreign applicants add the CAEBThe Certificate of Authority to Engage in Business under RA 7042 requires the ACR I-Card and the capital evidence. Total ₱5,530.
Register with BIR₱30 documentary stamp tax. The ₱500 annual registration fee was abolished by RA 11976.
Take the Mayor's PermitBarangay clearance first, then the city or municipal permit, then fire safety and zoning where the LGU requires them.

Deadline and what happens if you miss it

The business name is valid for five years and renewable. File the renewal within 90 days after expiry to avoid the 50% surcharge that starts at day 91. The Mayor's Permit renews annually, on the schedule your city sets, usually in January.

Why files get refused at the counter

A business name that duplicates an existing registered name, which BNRS rejects at submission.
Choosing barangay scope and then trading nationally, which requires a new registration at a higher fee.
A foreign applicant filing a business name without the CAEB.

Who does what

You

Choose the scope and the trade name, and hold the ACR if you are a foreign applicant.

LPP

Sequence the DTI, CAEB, BIR and LGU steps so the BIR 30-day clock starts after the name exists, not before.

Accredited partner

Files the DTI and CAEB applications and the local permits.

Have this filed without the guesswork

Send the file to us. We confirm the current fee with the agency, prepare the documents, and tell you in writing what is missing before anything is submitted.

Start this case See our fees

Sources

BOI, 2026 Cost of Doing Business (DTI fee schedule and CAEB total): https://boi.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Cost-of-Doing-Business_11March2026.pdf
DTI business registration: https://www.dti.gov.ph/dti-business-center/dti-business-registration-permits

Last verified against the issuing agency on 2026-10-24. If an agency changes a fee or a deadline after that date, this page is out of date and we correct it before quoting.