Year-end Reminders for Business Owners and Accountants

This article aims to provide you with a list of some of the annual year-end compliance required to be submitted by registered businesses. We hope it can guide you in your annual compliance to avoid payment of penalties for non-compliance.

1. RENEWAL OF REGISTRATIONS
Annually, all registered businesses and taxpayers engaged in business, except those exempt, are required to renew registrations to the following government agencies:
Local Government Unit (LGU)

• Barangay
• Municipal

Deadline of Annual Payment of Business Registrations Renewal is January 20. However, there’s an option to pay the renewal registrations quarterly which is due 20 days after the close of the quarter (April 20, July 20 and October 20).

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
Annual registration fee amounting to P500.00, on the other hand, is required to be filed and paid to the BIR on or before January 31.

2. REGISTRATIONS AND SUBMISSION OF BOOKS OF ACCOUNTS
There are different types of books of accounts that can be registered with the BIR. 

Annual compliance depends on the type of books of accounts registered, as follows:

Manual Books of Accounts
Per RMC 82-2008, manual books of accounts will only be renewed or re-stamped if already fully exhausted or used. In addition, manual books of accounts are not required to be submitted to the BIR annually. However, it may be required to be presented upon audit and/or tax mapping.

Loose-leaf Books of Accounts
For BIR approved loose-leaf books, taxpayer must submit to the BIR bounded books of account for the taxable year on or before January 15.

Computerized Books of Accounts
For BIR approved computerized books, taxpayer must submit to the BIR in CD-R, DVD-R or other optical media for the taxable year on or before January 30.

3. SUBMISSION OF SUMMARY LIST (ALPHALIST)
The following annual information, in a form of alphabetical list, must be submitted to the BIR.

BIR Form 1604CF – Annual Information Return of Income Taxes Withheld on Compensation

This form consist of the summary of withholding tax on compensations (BIR Form 1601C) paid and filed to the BIR during the taxable year, and the summary list (alphalist) of employees, existing and resigned, during the taxable year. This is due for submission to BIR on or before January 31.

BIR Form 1604E – Annual Information Return of Creditable Income Taxes Withheld (Expanded)/Income Payments Exempt from Withholding Tax

This form consist of the summary of withholding tax – expanded (BIR Form 1601E) paid and filed to the BIR during the taxable year, and the summary list (alphalist) of income payees during the year. This is due for submission to BIR on or before March 1.

4. DISTRIBUTION AND SUBMISSION OF BIR FORM 2316 – CERTIFICATES OF COMPENSATION PAYMENT/TAX WITHHELD
This form is a return that details an employee’s income earned, with the corresponding tax withheld and remitted to the BIR, by the employer, during the taxable year. This is due for distribution and signing of the current and existing employee on or before January 31.
In addition, BIR also requires the employer to submit to the BIR a signed copies of the said BIR Form 2316 on or before February 28.

5. FILING OF ANNUAL INCOME TAX RETURNS AND AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
In general, except those exempted, companies or taxpayers engaged in business are required to submit to BIR, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (for corporations only), a copy of their Annual Income Tax Return (BIR Form 1701 or 1702) and Audited Financial Statements on or before April 15.

6. FILING OF GENERAL FORM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (GFFS)
This is a requirement of the SEC for corporations only with gross sales or revenue of more than P5,000,000.00 during the year. It’s an excel form that needs to be filled out and submitted to SEC in electronic format 30 days from the last day of submission of Audited Financial Statement, which is May 15.

7. FILING OF GENERAL INFORMATION SHEET (GIS)
This is again a requirement of the SEC for stock corporations only. It must be signed by the corporation secretary and must be submitted thirty (30) days after the actual annual stockholder’s meeting (For Domestic Corporation) or anniversary date of the issuance of the SEC license (For Foreign Corporation).

8. SUBMISSION OF INVENTORY LIST AND OTHER REPORTORIAL REQUIREMENTS
Per Revenue Memorandum Circular 57-2015, inventory list and other tangible asset-rich balance sheets, often with at least half of their total assets in working capital assets, such as accounts receivable, are required to be submitted to the BIR, in DVD-R properly labeled and with notarized certification signed by authorized representative, on or before January 30.

9. SUBMISSION OF SUMMARY LIST OF TENANTS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Per Revenue Regulation 12-2011, this applies to taxpayers engaged in leasing or renting of property for commercial activities, which are required by the BIR to submit the following a) layout of the leased property b) certified true copy of lease agreement per tenant c) lessee information sheet as of December 31. This is due for submission to BIR on or before January 31 (for the 2nd semester: July to December) and July 31 (for the 1st semester: Jan to June).

10. SUMMARY LIST OF REGULAR SUPPLIERS
Per Revenue Regulations No 14-2008, large taxpayers (Top 5,000 individual/Top 20,000 Private Corporations) as determined by the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue , shall submit on semistral basis a summary list of its regular suppliers of goods and/or services to the Large Taxpayers Assistance Division/Large Taxpayer District Office on or before January 31 (for the 2nd semester: July to December) and July 31 (for the 1st semester: Jan to June).

In general, this article has summarizes the annual compliance requirements of companies or taxpayer engaged in business. There may be other annual reportorial requirements needed by your company depending on the industry, formation and size such as for reports to be submitted to BOI (Bureau of Investments), PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority), etc., which you may need further information and research to comply with.
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