DTI Renewal Online: Step-by-Step Guide for Philippine Businesses

For entrepreneurs in the Philippines, registering your business name (BN) with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is an important first step toward building a legitimate and recognized business. It establishes your company’s official legal identity as a sole proprietorship⁷ and gives you exclusive rights to your chosen business name within your registered region.

Once your business is registered, you’ll also need to renew the DTI certificate regularly to keep your registration valid. Renewal prevents your business name from expiring or being taken by another entrepreneur. If your business is at its renewal stage, you must be thinking about expansion, whether it’s opening new branches or taking products or services global.

This article discusses all the requirements needed to register your business with DTI and how to renew online to continue growing your business. We’ll also mention how a Wise Business account can be a valuable partner in managing finances when handling international transactions.

Table of contents
Key Differences between DTI and LGU registration DTI registration requirements for a business name DTI renewal process and deadlines When to renew your business name Step-by-step guide to renewing your DTI business name online Financial obligations for sole proprietors

Key Differences between DTI and LGU registration

Securing the right permits is important to launch a business in the Philippines. Registration from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) is essential, but serves different purposes in legitimizing your business.

The first step is the DTI Registration process done through the Business Name Registration System (BNRS)¹. Once approved, the registration gives your business its official legal name, protecting your brand identity and serving as proof that the government recognizes its existence. Note that DTI registration alone does not give you the right to operate your business.

This is where LGU comes in. Your Local Government Unit (LGU) – such as your city or municipality – issues the business or mayor’s permit that you need to operate your business.

The LGU also ensures that your business complies with local ordinances, health and safety standards, zoning regulations, and taxation requirements. The whole process involves securing barangay clearance, sanitation permits, and fire safety inspection before the LGU grants the mayor’s permit².

Take a few moments to check out our guide to acquiring a Mayor’s Permit.

DTI registration requirements for a business name

Registering your business name with DTI is the first step toward recognition. When completed, you will receive an official Certificate of Business Name Registration (CBNR). It has a validity of 5 years³ and can be tailored to your business needs, whether you’re operating at the local, regional, or national level. You can register in person by going to any DTI office or Negosyo Center, but more conveniently, you can also register online.

To get a deeper understanding of how DTI online registration works,

➡️Check out our guide to DTI online registration.

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DTI renewal process and deadlines

It is easy to overlook renewal when a business owner is focused on making their operation, increasing sales volume, and expanding to new locations. But failing to renew the business on time can have serious consequences and derail any growth opportunities.

Importance of timely DTI renewal

Below are some reasons why timely renewal is crucial for the business:

1. Maintains compliance and legal standing: Renewing on time means that your business remains legally recognized under Philippine law. Without it, you risk losing status as a registered business, which can affect your credibility with suppliers, clients, and financing partners.
2. Protects your exclusive rights to the business name: If you miss the renewal window, your registration expires, as is your exclusive right to your business name within your chosen territorial scope. This also means that other business owners can claim your business name and use it to launch their own. This confuses customers and puts a major dent in your brand identity that you’ve worked so hard to build.
3. Complies with LGU: An expired DTI registration can interrupt your operations since LGUs require a valid DTI CBNR to process mayor’s permit renewal. This can affect your sales adversely and lose clients.
4. Keeps expansion opportunities: Renewing your business on time is a positive sign that your business is active and growing. Taking care of the administrative tasks early on can help you streamline your process of securing new accounts and partnerships should you decide to expand.
5. Avoids stress and penalties: Although DTI allows a grace period for renewal, it is always better to be on top op things when it comes to keeping your business license and permits. Late renewal can lead to potential late fees. Renewing early gives you peace of mind so you can continue managing your business uninterrupted.

When to renew your business name

The DTI follows a clear timeline for renewals, affording business owners time and opportunity to update their registration. Here’s what you should know about the DTI renewal deadline and why acting early is important³:

1. Early filing period: up to 180 days before expiration: DTI allows filing starting 180 calendar days, or about 6 months before the expiration date. This is perfect for business owners who want to stay ahead of deadlines and avoid last-minute rushes.
2. Regular filing period: within 90 days after expiration (no penalty): Don’t worry too much if you miss the early renewal filing window because you still have a 90-day grace period after the expiration date without incurring any penalties. DTI gives business owners some leeway in case there are administrative or scheduling delays. Just know that even without the penalties, your DTI certificate still technically expires after the validity period.
3. Late filing period: 90 days after the regular filing period (with penalty): The DTI allocates an additional 90-day late filing window once the regular filing period lapses, but charges the business a penalty fee on top of the regular renewal cost. If you don’t want to pay more and risk another delay in renewing the mayor’s permit, you should avoid entering this phase as much as possible.
4. After the late filing period: automatic cancellation: The DTI will cancel your registration if you fail to renew within the late filing period. When this happens, your business name becomes available for anyone to register and use. If you intend to keep your business, you will have to start the entire registration process under a new name.

Step-by-step guide to renewing your DTI business name online

Renewing your DTI business name is easier than ever with the DTI’s online system. Here’s a walkthrough of the DTI BNRS renewal process⁴:

Go to the DTI BNRS portal:

From the DTI BNRS’s homepage, navigate to Business Name Services and click on Renewal.

Retrieve your business records:

Pull up your previously registered information using your Reference Code of Transaction Reference Number (TRN) and enter it into the system when prompted. BNRS will use this to fetch your business information so you can update it accordingly.

Select your renewal option: Once your record appears, the system gives you two options:

• Renew and update info – choose this to make small adjustments like address or contact details before renewing your registration
• Update scope and renew – choose this if your business has grown and you want to expand your territorial scope from ‘Barangay’, ‘City’, ‘Regional’, or ‘National’.

Confirm and save your new reference code:

Go through all the pre-filled information carefully and make sure all the amendments are accurate. Click “Save” once this is done.

Proceed to payment:

The portal will then take you to the payment page. The renewal fee is the same as the initial registration fee, depending on the scope you choose.

DTI allows business owners to use various online payment channels to complete the renewal process digitally. You can download your new and updated Certificate of Business Name Registration upon payment confirmation.

Renewing your DTI business name is not only an essential step to keeping the legitimacy of your business; it also signifies that you are future-ready.

As your operations expand, reaching customers and suppliers outside the Philippines, managing cross-border payments becomes just as important as staying compliant locally.

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Financial obligations for sole proprietors

The annual BIR registration fee was removed (effective January 2024). While this has reduced some administrative costs, business owners still have several financial responsibilities to maintain compliance and avoid penalties.

Documentary Stamp Tax still applies.

Business owners pay a flat fee of ₱30⁵ for the Documentary Stamp Tax upon the initial issuance of the BIR Certificate of Registration (COR). For sole proprietors, DST is a one-time payment for registration, but you can still apply for certain transactions depending on your operations.

Required taxes as listed on the Certificate of Registration.

The BIR COR lists all the taxes the business is required to file and pay. It is important to fully comprehend what is in the document since tax obligations can vary depending on the type of business, income level, and tax type⁶.

• Income tax is based on taxable income; graduated rates may apply, as well as the 8% flat income tax option
• A percentage tax is required for non-VAT businesses earning below ₱3 million yearly
• Value-added tax (VAT) applies if your business exceeds ₱3 million in gross sales or if you register as a VAT taxpayer voluntarily.
• Withholding tax applies if your hired employees or suppliers are subject to withholding

Display proper business documentation

Business owners must display two key documents: the BIR Certificate of Registration and the Ask for Receipt Notice. They must be visible to customers and BIR inspectors at all times to avoid penalties.

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Conclusion

Staying on top of your DTI and BIR registrations and renewing them on time is a foundational step that keeps your business credible, compliant, and ready for long-term growth. But renewal season isn’t only about updating business information; it is also a perfect opportunity to reassess the bigger picture:

Does your current business banking system support your expansion goals, or does it hold you back with hidden charges, limited currency options, and unnecessary fees?

Consider setting up a Wise Business account, especially if you are going to start dealing with international clients. You can receive, hold, send, and convert payments in 40+ currencies, so that it's easy to pay your suppliers or subcontractors in preferred currencies from a single account (i.e., if you send in the same currency, you won’t incur currency conversion fees). That’s the beauty of having a multicurrency business account. If you ever do need to convert currencies, Wise always converts at the mid-market rate - the rate you see on Google - and you'll only pay a small, transparent conversion fee from 0.57%.

➡️Learn more about Wise Business today

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Sources:

1. Business Name Registration System (BNRS)
2. Business Permit Process and Inspections
3. BNRS Frequently Asked Questions
4. DTI BNRS renewal process
5. Documentary Stamp Tax
6. BIR COR Taxes
7. The Role of DTI in Business Registration

Sources checked on 19th November 2025