Find practical legal guides and resources for your country
12 legal articles
Short answer: To open a branch, a foreign corporation needs a license to do business from the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). After the license is issued, the branch...
A Philippine company can be 100% foreign-owned in many sectors. The activity must not be reserved on the Foreign Investment Negative List, and domestic-market enterprises must generally meet a US$200,000...
Choosing between PEZA and BOI depends on your location strategy; PEZA requires operating within designated ecozones, while BOI allows for more geographical flexibility. Export-oriented IT-BPM firms (exporting 60% or more...
The CREATE Act reduced the standard Corporate Income Tax (CIT) for foreign-owned corporations from 30% to 25%, making the Philippines more competitive within the ASEAN region. Incentives are performance-based and...
Determine Ownership Limits: Always consult the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL) first to verify if your target industry permits 100% foreign ownership. Capital Requirements: Domestic market enterprises generally require a...
Tax and operations: Regular corporations have geographic flexibility. PEZA corporations receive tax holidays but must operate within designated economic zones. Capital requirements: Foreign-owned businesses targeting the local market need at...
Yes. Since November 2022, solar, wind, hydro and ocean energy projects in the Philippines can be 100% foreign-owned. The change came through a Department of Justice opinion and a Department...
Foreign BPO companies can be 100% foreign-owned in the Philippines because they qualify as export enterprises, bypassing standard domestic capital minimums. The Board of Investments (BOI) provides better flexibility for...
How to Register a Regional Headquarters (RHQ or ROHQ) in the Philippines Updated September 2026 Two structures : A Regional Headquarters (RHQ) supervises and coordinates affiliates and earns no income....
Philippine Corporate Registration Checklist for Foreign Investors Identify Equity Restrictions First: Foreign ownership limits are dictated by the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL). Review this before structuring your capital or...
Foreign investors can own 100% of an export-oriented Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company in the Philippines without statutory minimum foreign capital thresholds under the Foreign Investments Act. Initial corporate registration...
Setting Up a Foreign-Owned Corporation in the Philippines: Capital, Officers & the Resident Agent Key Takeaways Foreigners can own and run a Philippine company. What trips them up is the...