What is the BIR Form 2307? Certificate of creditable tax withheld at source for businesses and freelancers in the Philip

Hannes Ausmees

Need to learn more about the BIR 2307 meaning? Or maybe you’re still wondering: what is BIR form 2307? This guide has you covered.

In the Philippines, the BIR 2307 purpose is to show what tax has already been withheld at source, so you don’t end up paying tax twice accidentally. The BIR form 2307 is a certificate of creditable tax withheld at source, provided by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)1, which can help you calculate your tax dues by claiming tax credits you may be owed. This guide covers all the basics about BIR form 2307.

This guide is for information only. It does not constitute tax advice. For more information seek advice from a professional, or from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

What is BIR form 2307?

The full name of BIR Form 23072 is the Certificate of Creditable Tax Withheld at Source.

This form is one way to make sure you’re not over-paying tax, as it details any areas where tax has already been withheld at source - by an employer or client if you’re a freelancer for example - so you don’t accidentally pay tax twice unnecessarily.

If you need to learn more about how to compute withholding tax 2307, it’s worth talking your personal situation through with a professional tax advisor.

Who needs to complete BIR form 2307?

Often you’ll need BIR 2307 if you’re a freelancer or self employed professional in the Philippines. However, if you’re a business owner paying a contractor, and withholding tax, you could also need to understand and complete a BIR 2307 form.

Freelancers may have to have a completed BIR 2307 to claim tax credits on things like professional fees, insurance agents or bookkeepers, for example.

In short - any time tax is withheld at source, you may find this form is needed to make sure all the tax affairs of both the person paying and the person being paid are kept straight.

When is BIR form 2307 needed?

Usually you’ll need BIR form 2307 as part of your filing for BIR income tax. If you’re filing BIR form 1701, or if you’re a freelancer filing BIR Form 1701 AIF (Account Information Form for Self-Employed Individuals), you may need this form as part of your submission. Other paperwork commonly needed alongside the 1701 forms include:

  • Certificate of Income Tax Withheld on Compensation (BIR Form 2316)
  • Certificate of Income Payments Not Subjected to Withholding Tax (BIR Form 2304)
  • Duly approved Tax Debit Memo
  • Proof of Foreign Tax Credits
  • Proof of prior year’s excess tax credits

As you may expect, there’s quite a bit of paperwork that might be needed as part of your tax filing in the Philippines. If you’re not sure exactly what you fill out, or if you’ve not been able to get everything you need, it’s best to ask BIR directly, or take professional advice. The BIR website is very helpful and also has a chat function there that you can use if you’re not sure what you need to prepare.

How to fill up BIR form 2307

Usually the payor will be the one completing 2307, as a confirmation that they withheld tax and remitted it to the government on behalf of the payee. Assuming you’re the payor, you’ll need to complete the personal information on the BIR 2307 form first, including:

You’ll then have to complete the same information for yourself as the payor.

Once you’ve completed the first half of the form it’s time to enter the payment details. Payments where tax was withheld at source are given alphanumeric tax codes (ATCs), which are helpfully detailed on the last page of the BIR 2307. Take a look at the table of ATCs and find the code for the payment type you need to report. Bear in mind that the reason for the withholding can be split into payments subject to expanded withholding tax, and different payments subject to tax because they were received from a government agency.

Enter the code, the amounts and any required notes into the BIR 2307 to fill out the form.

How to file 2307 online

Usually, the easiest option to file 2307 online is to use the eBIR Form service that you can access on the BIR website.

Receiving money from clients abroad? Avoid bad PHP exchange rates with Wise

Work in the Philippines with clients based abroad? See if you can get lower overall fees when you’re paid from abroad in PHP, with Wise.

With cross currency payments, exchange rates and fees really matter. If someone is paying you in PHP from abroad, they’ll need to use either their bank or a specialist provider to process the transfer and make sure the money arrives safely in your account.

Banks and many international transfer providers add a fee known as a margin into the exchange rate used when processing payments to the Philippines. This is in addition to any upfront transfer charge your client has paid - and can mean you get less than you expected into your PHP account in the end.

The true cost of sending USD to PHP

Ask your client to pay you using Wise instead. They’ll be able to register a Wise account online or in the Wise app in just a few clicks, and can then send money to the Philippines from more or less wherever in the world they are. Your payment will be converted to PHP using the mid-market exchange rate with no markup, and the fees for the sender can be as low as 0.43%3. That could mean your client pays less - and you get more deposited to your peso account, too.

With Wise, you can directly transfer to Philippine ewallets too, including Gcash, Maya and Grabpay - so if you’d rather have a client send you money that way, you’ll still be able to benefit from the great rates and low fees offered by Wise.

Send money to the Philippines with Wise

Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information


Now you have a guide to BIR 2307, when it’s used, who completes it, and why it’s important. Use this guide alongside professional advice - and don’t forget to check out Wise too, for low cost incoming payments which use the mid-market rate and low fees.


Sources:

  1. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
  2. BIR Form 2307
  3. Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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