The Tax System of the Philippines
I. Personal Income Tax
1. Who are Liable?
General Treatment of Taxation of Individuals
Under Section 23 of the National Internal Revenue Code of the Philippines (NIRC), as
amended, the general principles of income taxation concerning individuals are as follows:
1.) A citizen of the Philippines residing therein is taxable on all income derived from
sources within and without the Philippines;
2.) A non-resident citizen is taxable only on income derived from sources within the
Philippines;
3.) An individual citizen of the Philippines who is working and deriving income from abroad
as an overseas contract worker is taxable only on income derived from sources within
the Philippines: Provided, that a seaman who is a citizen of the Philippines and who
receives compensation for services rendered abroad as a member of the complement
of a vessel engaged exclusively in international trade shall be treated as an overseas
contract worker; and
4.) An alien individual, whether a resident or not of the Philippines, is taxable only on
income derived from sources within the Philippines.
The term non-resident citizen is defined under Section 22(E) of the NIRC as:
a) A citizen of the Philippines who establishes to the satisfaction of the Commissioner the
fact of his physical presence abroad with a definite intention to reside therein; or
b) A citizen of the Philippines who leaves the country during the taxable year to reside
abroad, either as an immigrant or for employment on a permanent basis; or
c) A citizen of the Philippines who works and derives income from abroad and whose
employment thereat requires him to be physically present abroad most of the time
during the taxable year; or
d) A citizen who has been previously considered as non-resident citizen and who arrives
in the Philippines at any time during the taxable year to reside permanently in the
Philippines shall likewise be treated as a non-resident citizen for the taxable year in
which he arrives in the Philippines with respect to his income derived from sources
abroad until the date of his arrival in the Philippines.
For this purpose, the taxpayer shall submit proof to the Commissioner to show his
intention of leaving the Philippines to reside permanently abroad or to return to and
reside in the Philippines as the case may be