Philippines

South-Eastern Asia · PH · 43 treaties

Tax profile

Common questions

How long does it take to become a tax resident in the Philippines?

It takes 183 days to establish tax residency in the Philippines.

Does the Philippines have a worldwide tax system?

Yes, the Philippines operates under a worldwide tax system.

What is the withholding tax on dividends in the Philippines?

The dividend withholding tax rate in the Philippines is 25%.

What makes you a tax resident — and how hard it is to stop being one.

• Philippine citizen who is not a non-resident citizen under Section 22(E) of the NIRC (i.e. has not established physical presence abroad with an intention to reside there permanently)
• Alien actually present in the Philippines and who is not a mere transient or sojourner (residence vs. transience test) under Section 22(E) of the NIRC
• Alien who has established a settled or permanent abode in the Philippines, even if temporary in nature, as interpreted by the BIR (e.g. leasing property, enrolling children, joining local organizations)
• Alien whose intention and purpose indicate an extended or indefinite stay in the Philippines (e.g. long‑term employment, business investment, retirement) as evidenced by visas, contracts and similar documents
• Alien whose aggregate stay and facts‑and‑circumstances show residence, with BIR practice treating a stay exceeding one year as a strong presumption of residency and 180+ days as requiring case‑by‑case evaluation
• Alien whose visa or immigration status indicates residence (e.g. permanent/immigrant visas or special resident visas viewed by BIR as resident for tax purposes)

Philippine tax residency is fact‑and‑circumstances based (residence vs. transience and intention), so it generally ends when a person leaves and clearly changes their circumstances, but the BIR expects evidence of permanent departure or changed intention rather than relying solely on a day‑count test. There is no citizenship‑based worldwide tax or formal multi‑year tail, yet proving non‑residency can require documentation and, for aliens, residency status is presumed to persist until permanent departure or a demonstrated change in circumstances.

Source: Bureau of Internal Revenue (Philippines)

Tax treaty network (45)

In-force double-tax treaty partners. Treaty-reduced withholding (dividends / interest / royalties) shown where the official source publishes a rate; otherwise the country's statutory rate applies unless the treaty text provides a reduction.