A business entity is a group of people organized for some profitable or charitable purpose. Business entities include organizations such as corporations, partnerships, charities, trusts, and other forms of organization. Business entities, just like individual persons, are subject to taxation and must file a tax return.
In Philippines the most common types of businesses are sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporation.
Sole Proprietorship
Sole Proprietorship is a business structure owned by an individual who has full control/authority of its business and owns all the assets, personally owes answers to all liabilities or suffers all losses but enjoys all the profits to the exclusion of others. A sole proprietorship must apply for a business name and be registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) - National Capital Region (NCR). In the provinces, application may be filed with the DTI regional/provincial offices.
Partnership
Under the Civil Code of the Philippines, a partnership is treated as juridical person, having a separate legal personality from that of its members. Partnerships may either be general partnerships, where the partners have unlimited liability for the debts and obligation of the partnership, or limited partnerships, where one or more general partners have unlimited liability and the limited partners have liability only up to the amount of their capital contributions. It consists of two or more partners. A partnership with more than Peso 3,000 capital must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Corporation
Corporation is composed of juridical persons established under the Corporation Code and regulated by the SEC with a personality separate and distinct from that of its stockholders. The liability of the shareholders of a corporation is limited to the amount of their share capital. It consists of at least five to 15 incorporators, each of whom must hold at least one share and must be registered with the SEC. Minimum paid up capital is Peso 5,000. A corporation can either be stock or non-stock company regardless of nationality. Such company, if 60% Filipino - 40% foreign-owned is considered a Filipino corporation; if more than 40% foreign-owned, it is considered a domestic foreign-owned corporation.
Stock Corporation
Stock Corporation is a corporation with capital stock divided into shares and authorized to distribute to the holders of such shares dividends or allotments of the surplus profits on the basis of the shares held.
Non-Stock Corporation
Non Stock Corporation is a corporation organized principally for public purposes such as charitable, educational, cultural, or similar purposes and does not issue shares of stock to its members.
