Onboarding 101: Registering New Employees with BIR, SSS, HDMF, & PhilHealth in 2023

If your company has hired new employees, you’re required to register them with government agencies like the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), SSS (Social Security System), HDMF (Home Development Mutual Fund), and PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation).

Registering your new employees with the Philippine government may feel overwhelming. But don’t fret—we’ve written a complete guide to help you navigate the process.

In this blog post, we show you how to file employee registration forms with different national government agencies and guide your employees to self-service registration options for faster processing. Let’s dive in.

The BIR has established separate registration processes for employees with and without a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). Here’s how to register these employees through these processes.

If your new hires have worked for other companies, they already have a TIN. Revenue Memorandum Order No. 37-2019 states that employees under new employers must transfer their TIN or registration records to their area’s Revenue District Office (RDO) instead of their employer’s RDO.

In this case, your previously employed hires must submit a completed and signed BIR Form 1905 (Application for Registration Update for Updating, Cancellation of Registration, Cancellation of TIN, New Copy of TIN Card, or New Copy of Certificate of Registration) to their old RDO.

Employees living in faraway areas or those unable to visit their RDO to submit their Form 1905 can fax or email a copy of the signed document and a valid government-issued ID to the office.

What if your new hires are registered in another RDO? This means that these employees worked in a different city or province before you hired them.

If this situation applies to your new hires, ask them to transfer their tax information to your company’s RDO. They must also accomplish and submit a signed Form 1905 to their previous employer’s RDO.

Here’s how transferring a new employee’s registration information to your firm’s RDO works.

1. You submit the employee’s completed and signed Form 1905 to your BIR district office.
2. The district office starts the transfer process upon receiving the employee’s accomplished Form 1905.
3. The employee requests the transfer from their previous employer’s RDO.
4. The employee’s old RDO sends their TIN records to your RDO.

Note: Your new hires should also submit proof of exemption claimed and a valid company ID or certificate of employment with their Form 1905.

You can register new employees without a TIN through any of the following ways:

When applying for a TIN, your new hires must accomplish and submit the BIR Form 1902 (Application for Registration for Individuals Earning Purely Compensation Income – Local and Alien Employee), plus photocopies of the documents below.

1. A government-issued document showing the employee’s name, address, and birthdate, including:
   1. Birth certificate
   2. Passport
   3. Driver’s license
   4. Community Tax Certificate
2. A PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority)-issued marriage certificate or contract for married employees
3. The employee’s passport, if they’re a foreign or alien employee
4. A working permit or an Application for Alien Employment Permit (AEP) from the Department of Labor and Employment, if the employee classifies as an alien employee

After receiving these documents, fill out the sections applicable to your company and submit the employee’s Form 1902 to your RDO. Ask your new hires to accomplish and file the form within 10 days from their start date.

If your company uses the BIR’s eReg platform and classifies as an active Withholding Tax Agent for Compensation Earners, log in to eReg and access the eTIN module to issue new TINs to new employees without them online.

You can access the eTIN module after logging in to the official eReg website. As of June 26, 2023, all eReg users can register new employees and update existing information through the system.

SSS has made registering new employees with it easier than ever. In the past, individuals needing an SS number had to apply at their nearest SSS office. But nowadays, SSS lets anyone obtain an SS number online. You can ask your new employees without this number to register online through the steps below:

1. Go to the “Apply for a SS Number Online” section on the SSS website.
2. Click the link that says, “No SS number yet? Get it here!”
3. Click the link on the page titled “No SS Number Yet? Apply Online!”
4. Click the Start button on the main registration page.
5. Fill out the online form correctly, then click Submit.
6. Check your email for a link to continue your SS number application.
7. After clicking the link, correctly enter all required information (Basic Information to Beneficiaries Information).
8. Review your online registration form and edit specific details if needed.
9. Click the “Generate SS Number” button, then wait for the system to show your SS Number and an option to print the ePersonal Record Form and SS Number Slip. You should also receive a confirmation email with your SS Number, a copy of the SS Number Slip, and more instructions to complete your application.
10. Print the ePersonal Record Form, SS Number, and confirmation email.
11. Submit the documents above with these required documents to your nearest SSS branch:
    1. Birth certificate (or another document like a baptismal certificate or driver’s license)
    2. Other documents if you don’t have any of the documents above, including:
       1. Marriage contract or certificate for married employees
       2. A copy or copies of your child(ren)’s birth certificate(s)

Note: If a new hire has a non-working spouse, they must submit their printed ePersonal Record Form with their partner’s signature. It means the spouse allows their partner to be an SSS member.

After registering, ask your new employees their SSS number, birth date, hire date, job title or designation, and monthly salary. Provide this information on the SSS Employment Report (Form R-1A), then submit the form to SSS.

For new employees without an HDMF or Pag-IBIG Membership Identification Number (MID), ask them to get one via its dedicated registration page. You can also download the Member’s Data Form (MDF) from the Pag-IBIG website and give printed copies to each new hire.

Otherwise, collect your new employees’ MIDs and write them on the Membership Savings Remittance Form (MSRF). Remember to file this form when remitting monthly contributions at your nearest Pag-IBIG branch or online.

Finally, new employees without a MID number must register for an SS number first. They can only get their MID number after obtaining their SS number.

PhilHealth’s registered employers follow a straightforward registration process for new employees. Here’s how employees without a PhilHealth Identification Number (PIN) can apply for it:

1. Fill out two copies of the PhilHealth Member Registration Form (PMRF).
2. Submit the forms to your HR department.
3. Wait for your employer to give you your Member Data Record and PhilHealth ID card.

You can also apply for a PIN on a new hire’s behalf via PhilHealth’s eRegister portal.

After your new employees obtain their PINs, get those membership numbers and other details, including their full names, job titles, monthly salaries, hire dates, and previous employers. Write this information in PhilHealth’s Report of Employee-Members (ER2) form.

As for new hires with PINs, ask them to give you this information and include it on the ER2 form.

As an HR professional, you may consider new employee registration with Philippine government agencies challenging. But with the required documents, this process becomes easier to handle.

Keeping employee documents in one place ensures a fast, hassle-free registration process. Otherwise, delays and disputes happen, reducing your time for more critical matters and driving people to seek greener pastures.

Digital employee management solutions, like Sprout’s HR and payroll management system, help you organize and generate government-issued documents. If you use our payroll solution, you can produce BIR, SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth forms instantly.

Learn more about our HR and payroll management solution from us today, or visit our blog for the newest legal updates.