Consolidated Filings

I have a HO and branches, which do I file for which?

EJ Arboleda avatar
Written by EJ Arboleda
Updated over a week ago

At the end of the day, what tax types (and corresponding forms) you file for each branch would depend on what's indicated on the Certificate of Registration (COR) for each branch.

All the tax types that you file for your HO and branches are indicated in your HO COR. Certain tax types are filed separately IF they appear in your branch COR. If the tax type is not on your branch COR, but is in the HO COR, that means it is filed as consolidated across the HO and branches.

Example #1:

The COR for your Head Office (HO) may show the following:

  • Registration Fee

  • Income Tax

  • Percentage Tax

And the COR for your branch may show:

  • Registration Fee

In this example, you file:

  • CONSOLIDATED Income Tax forms that cover BOTH HO and Branch

  • CONSOLIDATED Percentage Tax forms that cover BOTH HO and Branch

    • Note that Percentage Tax is not written in the branch COR. It does NOT mean that you don't pay Percentage Tax for the branch. What it means is that you "roll-up" your branch income up to the Head Office and pay a consolidated Percentage Tax.

  • You pay the annual registration fee for the HO (every January)

  • You pay the annual registration fee for the branch (every January)

Example #2:

The COR for your Head Office (HO) may show the following:

  • Registration Fee

  • Income Tax

  • Percentage Tax

And the COR for your branch may show:

  • Registration Fee

  • Percentage Tax

In this example, you file:

  • CONSOLIDATED Income Tax forms that cover BOTH HO and Branch

  • Percentage Tax forms that cover only the Head Office

  • Percentage Tax forms that cover only the Branch

  • You pay the annual registration fee for the HO (every January)

  • You pay the annual registration fee for the branch (every January)

On Registration:

The tax types indicated on your Certificates of Registration can usually be influenced by you during registration. As you can see above, if you can consolidate everything in the Head Office, it makes tax compliance a LOT easier.

The rules we follow in this case are outlined in RR 7-2012:

Let's process that:

  • Registration Fee - You pay and file separately for the head office and each branch

  • Income Tax - Always Consolidated across head office and branches

  • VAT - Always Consolidated across head office and branches

  • Percentage Tax

    • For Large Taxpayers: Always Consolidated

    • For Non-Large Taxpayers: Taxpayer has the OPTION to register this at the branch level as well -- this is not recommended. We recommend that you consolidate.

  • Withholding Tax on Compensation

    • For Large Taxpayers: Always Consolidated

    • For Non-Large Taxpayers: Taxpayer has the OPTION to register this at the branch level as well -- this is not recommended. We recommend that you consolidate.

  • Expanded Withholding Tax

    • For Large Taxpayers: Always Consolidated

    • For Non-Large Taxpayers: Taxpayer has the OPTION to register this at the branch level as well -- this is not recommended. We recommend that you consolidate.

  • Final Withholding Tax

    • For Large Taxpayers: Always Consolidated

    • For Non-Large Taxpayers: Taxpayer has the OPTION to register this at the branch level as well -- this is not recommended. We recommend that you consolidate.

  • Documentary Stamp Tax

    • For Large Taxpayers: Always Consolidated

    • For Non-Large Taxpayers: Taxpayer has the OPTION to register this at the branch level as well -- this is not recommended. We recommend that you consolidate.

  • Excise Tax

    • Taxpayer (regardless if a large taxpayer or not) has the OPTION to register this at the branch level as well -- this is not recommended. We recommend that you consolidate.

Again, just to reiterate: All the tax types that you file for your HO and branches are indicated in your HO COR. Certain tax types are filed separately IF they appear in your branch COR. If the tax type is not on your branch COR, but is in the HO COR, that means it is filed as consolidated across the HO and branches.

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