Course 2610 lessons

Freelancer and self-employed taxes

A practical guide to paying taxes as a freelancer or self-employed professional in the Philippines: registering with the BIR, choosing between the 8% flat tax and graduated rates, filing quarterly, keeping the right receipts, and building the safety net an employer would otherwise provide.

Registering as self-employed with the BIR

The moment you start earning money on your own, as a freelance writer, designer, consultant, online seller, or any other independent professional, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) expects you to register as a self-employed taxpayer or professional, not just as someone who occasionally invoices a client. This isn't paperwork reserved for freelancers who've made it big. It applies from your very first paid gig, as long as you intend to keep doing that kind of work.