If you are a Filipino expatriate (expat) who wants to start business in the Philippines or a foreigner who wants to invest in Philippine business, there are few things that you need to know about the business laws and regulations in the Philippines. 

Be sure to take of these things to save you from business headache and lawsuits that could result from ignoring them.

Here are some points that you need to consider:

1. A foreigner cannot form a solely owned business in the Philippines without a heavy investment (for a corporation, you are looking at USD$200,000).

2. A foreigner can have up to 40% ownership in a corporation - minimum capital to start a corporation is only Pesos 5,000 (approximately USD $1,000).

3. The best way to be in business in the Philippines is to be married to a Filipina who holds ownership of the proprietorship, or form a corporation with a Filipina spouse with you owning 40% and she owning 60%.

4. You also enter into a corporation with 40% ownership with a Filipina girlfriend or a Filipino friend - but consider the huge risk of having no control over your fellow majority stock owner(s). 

5. Depending on the purpose of the corporation (such as purchase of a real estate - land or house), it might still make sense that when the property is sold you would be entitled to your share of the proceeds.

6. There is one exception whereby you CAN become a 100% owner of a corporation and that is if the corporation is formed to purchase land, your sole other shareholder is your spouse, and she dies. Under this arrangement, as the heir to you deceased spouse, you are able to retain 100% ownership of the property.

Now, assuming that either you are married to a Filipina, or the business will be a real estate investment, the question then becomes what should be the form of ownership. 

The options are:

1. Sole proprietorship - this is a business structure owned by you spouse who has full authority in her own name and owns all the assets. However, she also will owe and answer personally to all liabilities or suffer all losses, but enjoys all the profits. It is easy to form and simple to register with the government.

2. Partnership - this is a business structure owned by two or more partners. One with more than Pesos 3,000 capital has to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All the partners have unlimited personal liability for the affairs of the business. There is no benefit to you as a foreigner with this form of ownership by your spouse.

3. Corporation - this is my preferred form of ownership if the business is going to be anything larger than a small hobby type business. 

For a small business, you are best off just being in a sole proprietorship - due to the low cost and ease of formation and its relative freedom from regulation by the government. 

However, for a business of any significance (a real estate ownership business, a franchise, a significant manufacturing or export business, etc), this is definitely the preferred form of ownership, and you as the foreigner can retain up to 40% ownership. 

Minimum paid up capital requirement for a Philippine business is Pesos 5,000 and it is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

 

Source:  http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Irwin