How to Register as a Freelancer with the BIR (The Easy Way)
Every Philippine freelancer eventually has to register with the BIR and elect the 8% flat rate. You can do it yourself — Form 1901, an RDO visit, a stamped ledger, an Authority to Print — or let RaketTax Launchpad’s partner bookkeepers do it for you, entirely online.
₱3,999 one-time · BIR stamp and printed invoices included · the BIR usually processes it in 3–5 business days
Already have a TIN from a job, but no ORUS account yet? Launchpad is for you too. We create your ORUS account, update your existing registration and move it from your old employer’s RDO to your home RDO. You keep the same TIN. (Already have an ORUS account? Then you can update your registration yourself with our free guide; we never ask for ORUS passwords.)
The manual way is doable — it’s just a lot
None of this is impossible on your own. It’s just a lot of small, easy-to-get-wrong steps stacked on top of each other:
BIR Form 1901, filled out by hand
The Application for Registration — plus the exact set of attachments your RDO wants that day, from a valid ID to a DTI certificate or PRC license depending on your setup.
A trip (or several) to your RDO
Your Revenue District Office must match your home or business address. If your TIN is still tied to an old employer's RDO, that's a separate transfer request — and a separate line — before registration even starts.
A physical ledger and a trip to a printer
You still need a Cash Receipts Journal stamped by the BIR, plus invoices: either BIR Printed Invoices bought at the counter, or an Authority to Print (ATP) so an accredited printer can produce your own booklets.
Getting the tax type right
Walk out with the wrong box checked — Percentage Tax instead of the 8% Income Tax rate — and you're stuck fixing it later, sometimes mid-year.
Prefer to do it yourself, for free? Our full step-by-step BIR registration guide walks through every form and RDO counter.
Or skip all of it — 100% digitally
RaketTax Launchpad is a paid, done-for-you service. A partner bookkeeper creates your BIR ORUS registration, secures your 8% flat rate from day one, and sets up your books — you never have to visit an RDO. Here’s the whole process, from your side:
- 1
Basic Info
Tell us your name, date of birth, place of birth, mother's maiden name, and civil status — the identity details ORUS asks for. Takes about two minutes, in plain English.
- 2
Upload ID
A photo of your government ID (front and back) and a selfie holding it. That's every document we need from you.
- 3
Verify Email
Your partner bookkeeper creates your official BIR ORUS account. The BIR emails you a one-click verification link — you click it, and that's your part done.
- 4
Receive Documents
Your bookkeeper finalises your registration and secures the 8% flat rate. Your Certificate of Registration (Form 2303) lands in your RaketTax dashboard, and your physical books and invoices are couriered to your address.
What you get
- Official BIR Form 2303 (COR) with the 8% Flat Rate secured.
- Manual Books of Accounts, BIR-registered and delivered to your door.
- Official BIR Printed Invoices processed and delivered to your door via courier.
- BIR's ₱30 documentary stamp and your invoice printing cost are included — nothing else to pay.
- Already have a TIN but no ORUS account yet? We create one, update your registration and move it to your home RDO — same TIN, no second application.
₱3,999, one-time.
The BIR typically processes a new registration within 3 to 5 business days once your partner bookkeeper submits it. This is a one-time registration fee — not the same as VIP Concierge, which is our recurring quarterly tax-filing service for taxpayers who are already BIR-registered.
Ready to get officially registered?
Answer a few questions, upload a photo of your ID, and let a RaketTax partner bookkeeper handle the rest.