The Torii Residences is a TOWNHOUSE - CONDO. What does that mean?

Ok, so I'm writing this to make sure people know that The Torii Residences is a townhouse - condominium project.  Sure, it looks like a townhouse, designed as a townhouse, and for all intents and purposes, it IS a townhouse.  At least as far as the type of housing, it is.  But as to type of ownership, it's a condominium.  THAT'S NOT A BAD THING!  I'll explain at the end of this post.  I just need to make sure that it is understood that a condominium is both a type of housing AND a type of ownership.

In other words, The Torii Residences is a "townhouse" type of housing, but it's a "condo" type of ownership.

Huh?  What does that mean, exactly?

It should be made clear that the type of ownership in a townhouse is the same as owning a house, in that if you own a townhouse, you own both the structure as well as the land it's built on.  The condo type of ownership means that the condo owner owns the unit itself (not including the land the unit is built on), which is taxed as an individual entity, as well as a percentage of the common areas of the whole project.

As an owner of a unit in The Torii Residences, your percent of ownership is calculated as your unit's total floor area over the total floor area of all the units combined.  You will see the percentage for each unit in The Torii Residences when you request for the price list.

Again, what does that mean???

It means that, among other things, being a Torii Residences owner means that you will pay annually for your unit's real estate property tax, plus you will also pay a portion of the common areas' real estate property tax based on that percentage.  Additionally, your condo dues will also be computed based on that percentage.

Hmm... Maybe an example would be easier to understand?

Here's an example to make it easier to digest.  Please bear in mind that peso amounts are just examples:

You bought a unit at The Torii Residences, with a floor area of 281.06 sq.m.  The overall floor area of the whole project is 10,648.98 sq.m.  Therefore, your percentage of ownership of The Torii Residences is 281.06 over 10,648.98 which is roughly equal to 2.64%.

So, let's say for example that annually, your unit's real estate tax is P10,000.  Of course, the common areas will also be charged a real estate tax.  Let's say for example that the common areas' tax is P50,000.  Therefore, 2.64% x 50,000 is P1,320.  In other words, you will pay a total of P11,320 annually for real estate tax.

I see...  What about the monthly homeowner's fee or condo dues?

Let's use another example for the homeowners' fees or condo dues in this case.

If the total condo dues assessed is P100,000, since your percent of ownership is 2.64%, your monthly dues will be 100,000 x 2.64%, which is P2,640.  Condo dues are for the maintenance of the common areas*, as well as funds for the condo corporation, and other expenses as the condo corporation may deem necessary.

The Torii Residences has a jogging path, clubhouse, and a swimming pool.  These are just some of the common areas that have to be maintained for your exclusive use and enjoyment.

Lastly, it needs to be emphasized that the percentage of ownership does not affect the weight of your vote in the condo corporation.  Except in cases where Republic Act 4726 (condominium act), as amended, requires the vote of owners owning a specific interest in the common areas as a condition precedent for the approval of certain corporate acts, each owner of a residential unit in The Torii Residences automatically becomes a member of the condo corporation and shall have only one (1) vote. 

*All condo owners share title to common areas. Common areas include land, the exterior of buildings, hallways, roofs, swimming pools -- any area used by multiple owners.

What about ownership itself?

Now we go into the main difference between types of ownership: house/townhouse vs. condo.

As I mentioned, the house/townhouse type of ownership means that you own the structure as well as the land it's built on.  For this type of ownership, you have a TCT, or a Torrens Certificate of Title.  The TCT is proof that you own the land and everything else on that piece of land.  The land is the one titled by the TCT, not the house or structure.

In a condo type of ownership, since you own the unit and a certain portion of the common areas, you get a CCT, or a Condominium Certificate of Title.  This title is for the unit and/or common areas, not the land that the condominium is built on.

Another advantage to the condominium-type of ownership is that foreigners are allowed to purchase a unit, as long as the total percentage of foreign-ownership in the whole project does not exceed 40%, since a condominium project is treated as a corporation.

So, who owns the land?  Where is the TCT for the land in a condominium type of ownership?

Well, as far as The Torii Residences is concerned, the land will be turned over to the condominium corporation upon turn-over of the project.  In other words, the TCT of the land will be in the name of the condo corporation.  So as an owner of a unit in The Torii Residences, you will be a part of the condo corporation that owns the land.  It will NOT reflect in the TCT that you're a co-owner, but as a holder of a CCT, your percent of ownership guarantees your co-ownership.

I co-own The Torii Residences???

Yes, exactly!  Let's say you buy a 78 sq.m. unit.  Since The Torii Residences is a condo type of ownership, you don't get a TCT for the 78 sq.m.  However, since this project is ultra low density, there will only be 37 co-owners of the whole 4,560 sq.m.  In other words, if your percent of ownership is 2.64% according to our earlier example, your share is actually worth 120.38 sq.m. (4,560 x 2.64%) of the whole land!  Of course, you can't sell it separately from the whole, but your share is actually worth more than just 78 sq.m.!  This is the secret of the true value of The Torii Residences: SPACE.

In other condo projects where there are literally hundreds of unit owners for a certain size of land, each unit owner actually co-owns a smaller percent of the actual property, aside from literally owning a small unit!  Here's another example: 200 unit owners in a condo building on a 4,560 sq.m. property.  Each unit is 50 sq.m..  That means every unit owner's percent of ownership is just 0.5%.  Then that also means that each unit owner actually co-owns just 22.8 sq.m. of the land, even less than the actual floor area!  This brings us to another advantage of The Torii Residences - it's a townhouse type of housing, not a condo type of housing.  That's why you have more floor area, because it's designed as a townhouse.

Consider what you get: You get a prestigious address in San Juan, with amenities like a swimming pool, a clubhouse and a jogging path; 4 or 5 bedrooms with its own closet, and toilet & bath; the best materials, workmanship and design; an exclusive enclave for you and your family; more value for the size of land your unit is built on, and the space and convenience of townhouse living!

So, no need to worry.  Just because you don't get a TCT it doesn't mean that you are not an owner of the property.  You are a co-owner of the whole project, you co-own The Torii Residences!

That's definitely a VERY good thing.

Wait...  In a condo-type of ownership, every unit owner owns the land the whole project is built on.  That means I can't do whatever I want to do with my portion of the land?

Since every unit owner is a co-owner of the whole land, decisions about the common areas and the land itself are made corporation style, by majority vote.  If you think about it, in townhouse compounds as well as subdivisions nowadays, there exists a master deed that every owner has to follow.  In other words, even if you own the lot your house or townhouse is built on, it still doesn't mean you can do whatever you want.  Let's say you don't want The Torii Residences because it's a townhouse-condo, and you want a regular townhouse where you get a TCT and the lot is yours, you will find that there is a master deed that mandates what you can and can not do, sometimes even down to the color of your roof!  Do you think your neighbors in the other townhouse units will agree if you suddenly want to tear down your townhouse and build a different one?  Nope.  In other words, it's just the same as what you'll get with The Torii Residences, it's the wave of the future!

But...  What if another unit owner or owners fail to pay their property taxes, won't that mean the whole project might be in danger of being foreclosed by the government?

If that were true, don't you think there would be a lot more of condominiums being foreclosed now?  Since condominium ownership is treated as a separate unit, each unit is taxed individually.  So if a unit owner becomes delinquent, only his unit is in danger of foreclosure (Republic Act 4726, Section 25).  As to the common areas, it is the duty of the condo corporation to pay for the property taxes of those.  Guess who the condo corporation is?  That's right, all of you.  Just like in any good neighborhood, everybody has to help out, it's that simple!

Check out the model unit when it's ready, maybe you'll never want to leave.


Own a unit now at The Torii Residences!
Jon

Moving On With The Torii Residences

Alrighty, flyering activity last October 5 - check!  Time to plan for next activities.  More flyering?  You betcha!  But aside from that, since the model unit is nearing completion (it's part of Cluster D, specifically D-13), I expect to see more activity at the site itself.  Definitely, once people see the model unit, they'll be blown away by how excellent and truly beautiful the project is.  I know, I'm too excited!  In line with that, gotta start looking forward to holding open houses, too.  Yup, I'm starting my online education as I type this blog entry.  I'm reading up on articles, watching videos, looking at other possibilities that I may have overlooked before.  Hopefully, I'll be ready when the time comes, and that time is approaching rapidly!

This is a short entry, just something to announce what I'm up to now.  Once the model unit is ready for viewing, I can start inviting those people who have contacted me before asking about The Torii Residences.  And by that time, I'll have something more concrete to show off hehehe.  I can't wait!!!

By the way, if you have any great ideas about how to hold an open house, and you're willing to share, please be my guest!  Any kind of help is welcome, just like a kind heart and a warm smile :)

See you then,
Jon

Arrghhh! The Rainy Season Is Raining On My Parade!

It's the rainy season, the last quarter of the year, storms & typhoons abound.  I shouldn't even be surprised anymore.  After all, I've been living here forever!  Still, all this rain is driving me up the wall, especially since I have already paid for the day to do my flyering activity for The Torii Residences.  It was supposed to have been last Sept. 28, but since Metro Manila was under Storm Signal #2 on the day prior, it was normal to expect that my activity would be cancelled.  Good thing I was able to have it moved to tomorrow, Oct. 5.  Well, what do you know, there's another forecast: a storm is a-brewing, and is expected to dump more rains tomorrow.  Ugh, I can't stand this.  On top of everything, I'm having respiratory issues, too.  Which means to say, I haven't been able to put in some much needed physical activity (read: swimming), and it's bringing my morale down to dangerously low levels.  Talk about your downer.

Ah well, still, hope springs eternal, and I'm not anything if not an optimist.  Maybe tomorrow we'll see a bright sunny day, enough to do flyering for 2-3 hours, which will be enough, really.  Just 3 hours of sunshine from 2-5pm tomorrow, and I'll be a happy camper.  Everyday, I hope that next person who calls or sends me SMS would be my first buyer for The Torii Residences.  Heck, if I had money, I'd probably be jonesing for one unit myself.

In any case, tomorrow...  We'll see how tomorrow goes!  The opportunity to let people know how great The Torii Residences is will be enough to sustain my goodwill.  I'm sure it'll be alright.  In case it rains though, I'll just move it to next week again hehe.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow!
Jon 

The Torii Residences: Flyering Activity #2

It's been awhile since the last flyering activity.  That's because the last time, we were flagged down and the flyers were confiscated.  Apparently, you need a permit if you want to do flyering activities.  To apply for a permit, you have to write a letter of intent specifying the streets and days you'll hold the activity.  For me, I specified the Immaculate Concepcion Academy (ICA), Xavier School, and Annapolis street, on the 21st and 28th of September, to do my flyering activities.  Total cost was P1,500 or P750 a day.  Yesterday was Sept. 21, so I got my two flyering girls, Angeline and Jobelle, along with my dad's driver, Barok, and off we went to Annapolis street in San Juan to hand out The Torii Residences' flyers.

Barok beside the guard at O.B.

Barok the moonlighter

We parked near the O.B. Montessori school, which incidentally was my first target to do the deed at.  We got there at 10:40a.m., and made plans to meet up around 11:30a.m. to wrap up and have lunch before proceeding to ICA and Xavier.  There really weren't a lot of people to hand out flyers to, as most people there were maids and/or drivers.  Still, there was the odd mom or dad in the crowd so it wasn't a total waste of time.  However, I don't think it's worth the effort to go back there next time, as there just wasn't enough of the target crowd to hand the flyers out to.  After a delicious lunch at Mang Inasal where I gave the owners a flyer too, we headed to Ash Creek to park and plan a little.  The guards there are paranoid, or too earnest, or both.  While just sitting down with flyers in hand, they thought we were there to hand out flyers and said it wasn't allowed.  I had to gently remind them that we were just sitting there and not doing our activity.  Good thing they knew well enough to back off.

Angeline at Xavier

Jobelle at ICA

Long story short, Angeline handed out flyers at Xavier, and Jobelle did her thing at ICA, while Barok straddled the middle.  I told them to choose who to hand out the flyers to: the parents.  Still, it looks like they handed out flyers even to maids and drivers, too.  Well, I don't think it's that bad, since some househelp have some clout with their bosses, and in the Philippines, they're considered family, anyway.  Lots of flyers were handed out, we didn't get accosted by the guy in the green uniform, unlike before, and somebody already called me today to ask about The Torii Residences.  So, it was a good day!  See you again on the 28th of September!

Good job, Angeline!

Fly-er me to the moon,

Jon "The Broke-r"
PRC License No. 0004326

Update: PRC Accreditation For Real Estate Salespersons

As promised, I'm back with the update on how to be accredited as a real estate salesperson with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).  This is known as PRB-RES (Professional Regulatory Board - Real Estate Service) Resolution No. 13, amendment to Section 31 of the RESA Law IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations).  The major change is the deadline: from July 30, 2011 to December 31, 2011.  This deadline only applies to those who have been salespersons for 3 years or more AND are not at least 2nd year college level.  There is no deadline for those who want to be salespersons AND are at least 2nd year college level.  Without further ado...

The applicant shall follow these steps:

1. Submit the filled-up or accomplished application with supporting documents for pre-evaluation to the Office of the Secretary, PRBs or of the Assistant Secretary, PRBs (3rd floor, Main Bldg) at the PRC Central Office, or Regional Offices processing counters.
2. Proceed to the cashier for payment of fees - P600.00 (Ground floor, Main Bldg.)
3. Proceed to the Customer Service Center for metered documentary stamp (same)
4. Submit duly accomplished application form to the Office of the Assistant Secretary, PRBs (3rd floor)
5. Verify the status of your application at the PRC website: www.prc.gov.ph

Supporting documents for NEW or existing real estate salesperson with no DTI/HLURB registration:

• Original and photocopy of NSO birth certificate / Certificate of Live Birth
• Original and photocopy of NSO marriage certificate (for married females only)
• Original and notarized Certificate of Educational Attainment on the completion of at least two (2) years of college
• Original NBI clearance (valid for the current year)
• Original and notarized Certification of twelve (12) credit units on Real Estate Brokerage (12 CPE units)

Supporting documents for existing real estate salesperson with DTI/HLURB registration:

• Original and photocopy of NSO birth certificate / Certificate of Live Birth
• Original and photocopy of NSO marriage certificate (for married females only)
• Original and notarized Certificate of Educational Attainment (at least High School diploma)
• Original NBI clearance (valid for the current year)
• Original and notarized Certification from his/her DTI-licensed real estate broker or HLURB-registered real estate developer
• Original and photocopy of DTI/HLURB Certificate of Registration as Salesperson
• Original and notarized Certification of at least One Hundred Twenty (120) hours of training and seminar, to be issued by the employer or provider (60 hours classroom lecture or seminars and 60 hours of training or fieldwork)

Supporting documents for existing real estate salesperson with at least three (3) years of active practice:

• Original and photocopy of NSO birth certificate / Certificate of Live Birth
• Original and photocopy of NSO marriage certificate (for married females only)
• Original and notarized Certificate of Educational Attainment (at least High School diploma)
  
• Original NBI clearance (valid for the current year)
• Original and notarized Certification from his/her supervising licensed real estate broker or HLURB-registered real estate developer
• Original and notarized Certification of at least One Hundred Twenty (120) hours of training and seminar, to be issued by the employer or provider (60 hours classroom lecture or seminars and 60 hours of training or fieldwork)

Some more information about the accreditation:

• The Registration Division shall notify the accredited salesperson to enroll their names in the Roster of Accredited salespersons after they shall have paid the prescribed fee.
• Within a reasonable period, the enrolled accredited salespersons shall be issues their identification cards (ID), containing the data or items that are material to the use thereof in their practice as real estate accredited salespersons.
• The said ID shall be renewable every year for a period of one (1) year from his/her birth month.
• The Board (PRB-RES) and the Commission (PRC) shall have the right to cancel, withdraw, confiscate, or not to renew such ID upon violation of any law or rule or non-compliance with the conditions or obligations set forth therein.

There you have it, the implementing rules and regulations for getting accredited as a real estate salesperson with the PRC.  I'm sure some people will be saddened by the fact that the PRB-RES specified only existing salespeople with a high school diploma are eligible to get registered until December 31, 2011.  We can only hope that they'd see fit to amend it once more and soon, at least until the deadline.

Finally, many thanks to www.foreclosurephilippines.com for this.  For more information about real estate and foreclosures, visit Jay Castillo's site, too.

Happy Selling!
Jon

Focus: The Torii Residences

Okay, so it's time to really gear up and get down to business.  What a lot of you don't know is, I'm an accidental real estate broker.  The truth is, I was on my way to pursuing online marketing and website design, by learning HTML, CSS and Javascript, as well as reading and signing up on everything I can find online about SEO, SEM, article marketing, etc.  You can find evidence of that in this blog, in my earlier posts.  So as luck would have it, I told a high school friend about it, and he told me to help him market his real estate projects online and offline.  The deal?  I had to get licensed as a real estate broker first.  And so I enrolled with the Urban Institute of Real Estate for the CREB (certified real estate broker) course and passed the board exam, and here I am.  My friend did good on his promise and gave me this chance to help him market The Torii Residences, a 38-unit townhouse-designed condo project hidden away in San Juan. 

The Torii Residences will have 5 clusters, from A to E, with a total lot area of almost half a hectare.  The first cluster is under construction now and will be ready for occupancy in the 1st quarter of 2012 with 14 units.  Amenities include a jogging path that is completely safe from motor vehicles within the compound, a swimming pool, and a clubhouse.  For more information about the project, watch this video of The Torii Residences.

We are currently looking for investors who would like to get in during the pre-selling stage; the advantage is really huge (more than a million, so to speak)!  I'm also encouraging other licensed brokers who would like to sell this project to their clients.  If you're interested, as an investor or a broker, shoot me an e-mail.

Let me take the opportunity to show you the flyer for the Torii Residences.  The layout, overall design, as well as the logos were all created by my lovely fiancee; I took care of the ad copy.  I'm now sourcing for people who will do flyering, and looking for places where we can disseminate these beautiful creations.  If you know anybody who would like to do part-time work handing out flyers for P200 a day, for about 5-6 hours, please ask them to get in touch with me.  I'm also on the lookout for real estate salespersons who would like to get accredited with the PRC under me.

I hope you can join us, as an investor or as someone who will market this beautiful condo project.  You're always welcome to visit the site to see how things are progressing, just let me know in advance so I can give you a tour.  You're also very much welcome to send me an e-mail if you have anything to ask.  If you're looking for value, this is it, your gateway to upscale urban living in the heart of Metro Manila - The Torii Residences.


Live beautifully,

Jon Tanpoco
(PRC license no. 4326)

So You're Now a Professional. What Does The BIR Say About That?

A couple of months ago, after passing the real estate broker board exam given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), I was at a loss regarding the procedures I should be aware of with regard to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).  I knew I had to find out because I didn't want to be labeled as a tax evader, and ignorance isn't an excuse.  So, I sent an e-mail to the BIR, without really expecting a reply:

Hello,

I'm a recent passer of the PRC-held real estate brokers exam last March 27, 2011.  I'd like to seek clarification about the requirements for a professional such as I.  Please verify that we need:

• Professional Tax Receipt (PTR) - municipal hall
• BIR Certificate of Registration - is this necessary for individual brokers?  I heard this is for those who want to put up a brokerage company
• Official Receipt - is this necessary for individual brokers?

I would appreciate it if you could point me to a resource where I can find the answers.  Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Jon

So imagine my surprise when I receive a reply, albeit a couple of months late:

In reply, since you are now considered a professional being a real estate broker duly registered as one under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), you are required to issue the corresponding Professional Tax Receipt (PTR) to your prospective clients.  The said PTR has to be coordinated with the city or municipal hall that has jurisdiction over your place of residence or practice of profession.  However, we refer you to Section 7 of Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 11-2008, which mentions among others, that PTR is one of the documentary requirements required from professionals, to wit;
SEC. 7. BIR FORMS AND ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS . - The registration forms  shall  generally contain the taxpayer's name, TIN, SEC/CDA/DTI/HLURB Registration Number, date of registration, registered address, taxpayer type, tax types, business style, place of residence  (for individual) , line of business, and such other information as may be required by the Commissioner in the form prescribed therefor to   be   filled out in two (2)   copies, properly labeled and indicated thereon the   specific purpose of the copy, i.e., “taxpayer’s   copy” and  “BIR’s copy” .
These forms shall be submitted together with the required documents , namely:

(a)  In   the   case   of   self-employed  individuals,  mixed    income   earners, professionals,  estates  and  trusts      -Form  to  be  prescribed  by  the  BIR,  together  with  the submission of the   following:

(a.1)   For self -employed, professionals , mixed income earners - Photocopy   of :

(a.1.1) Mayor’s Business Permit /PTR issued by the LGU;

(a.   1.2) Lease Contract, if applicable;

(a.1.3) DTI   Certificate   of Registration of Business Name, if a business trade name shall be used ;

(a.1.4) Certificate of Authority if Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) registered-entity, if applicable ;

(a.1.5) Proof of Registration/Permit to Operate with Board of Investment (BOI)/Board of Investment for Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BOI-ARMM), Philippine Export Zone Authority  (PEZA), Bases Conversion Development  Authority  (BCDA)    &  Subic  Bay  Metropolitan  Authority (SBMA), if applicable;

(a.1.6) Franchise Agreement, if applicable;

(a.1.7) Sworn Statement of Capital, if applicable; (a.1.8) Working Permit for non-resident;

(a.1.9) Waiver of husband to claim additional exemption, if applicable;

(a.1.10) Marriage Contract, if applicable ; and

(a.1.11) Birth Certificates of declared dependents, if applicable.

(a.2)       For   Trust - In addition to the requirements under a.1 (1 to 7), photocopy   of the trust   agreement;

(a.3)      For   Estate (under judicial settlement)   -   In addition to the requirements under a.1 (1 to 7), photocopy  of the Death Certificate of the  deceased.
As to BIR - Certificate of Registration (COR), we affirm that you are also to be issued one by the BIR – Revenue District Office (RDO) that has jurisdiction over your place of residence or practice of profession.  We refer you to Section 8 (A) of the said RR, to wit;
SEC.   8. CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION (COR).   -

(A)  Persons Entitled to the Issuance of   COR. - The COR  shall only   be issued to individuals engaged in business or the practice of profession  and   to juridical   persons (whether taxable or exempt) by the Revenue District Officer (RDO) concerned  (i.e.,RDO of head office/branch/facility) upon compliance with the requirements for registration. Issuance of COR, whether upon registration or upon update of taxpayer’s information, is not subject to the payment of Certification Fee, unless the taxpayer requested for a certified copy of said COR, in which case, the same shall be subject to the payment of Certification Fee imposed by Sec. 15 hereof.

(B)  Persons Not Covered by the Issuance  of the  COR. - Employees, one-time taxpayers, and/or persons  who have secured TIN under EO 98 with the BIR shall not be issued a COR.
As to official receipts, we confirm that as a professional, you are likewise required to request for an authority to print receipts (ATP) prior to registration and issuance of such to your prospective clients.  We refer you to Section 237 and 238 of the 1997 Tax Code, to wit;
SEC. 237. Issuance of Receipts or Sales or Commercial Invoices. - All persons subject to an internal revenue tax shall, for each sale or transfer of merchandise or for services rendered valued at Twenty-five pesos (P25.00) or more, issue duly registered receipts or sales or commercial invoices, prepared at least in duplicate, showing the date of transaction, quantity, unit cost and description of merchandise or nature of service: Provided, however, That in the case of sales, receipts or transfers in the amount of One hundred pesos (P100.00) or more, or regardless of the amount, where the sale or transfer is made by a person liable to value-added tax to another person also liable to value-added tax; or where the receipt is issued to cover payment made as rentals, commissions, compensations or fees, receipts or invoices shall be issued which shall show the name, business style, if any, and address of the purchaser, customer or client: Provided, further, That where the purchaser is a VAT-registered person, in addition to the information herein required, the invoice or receipt shall further show the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) of the purchaser.

The original of each receipt or invoice shall be issued to the purchaser, customer or client at the time the transaction is effected, who, if engaged in business or in the exercise of profession, shall keep and preserve the same in his place of business for a period of three (3) years from the close of the taxable year in which such invoice or receipt was issued, while the duplicate shall be kept and preserved by the issuer, also in his place of business, for a like period.
 

The Commissioner may, in meritorious cases, exempt any person subject to internal revenue tax from compliance with the provisions of this Section.

SEC. 238. Printing of Receipts or Sales or Commercial Invoices. - All persons who are engaged in business shall secure from the Bureau of Internal Revenue an authority to print receipts or sales or commercial invoices before a printer can print the same.

No authority to print receipts or sales or commercial invoices shall be granted unless the receipts or invoices to be printed are serially numbered and shall show, among other things, the name, business style, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and business address of the person or entity to use the same, and such other information that may be required by rules and regulations to be promulgated by the Secretary of Finance, upon recommendation of the Commissioner.

All persons who print receipt or sales or commercial invoices shall maintain a logbook/register of taxpayers who availed of their printing services. The logbook/register shall contain the following information:
 

(1) Names, Taxpayer Identification Numbers of the persons or entities for whom the receipts or sales or commercial invoices were printed; and

(2) Number of booklets, number of sets per booklet, number of copies per set and the serial numbers of the receipts or invoices in each booklet.
The full text of RR 11-2008 and the 1997 Tax Code are accessible from the BIR website under the Issuances and Rulings, Revenue Regulations, 2008, 11-2008 links and Special Sites, Tax Code links respectively.

For other inquiries, you may visit www.bir.gov.ph or call us at 981-8888. We appreciate your continued support.

Sincerely,
The BIR Contact Center Team

E-mail: contact_us@cctr.bir.gov.ph

The information contained in this communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorized to receive it.   It may contain confidential or legally privileged information.   If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Any views expressed in this message are those of the BIRCC based on available references and is not binding as evidence against the BIR. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. All emails and file attachments sent to and received through the BIR domain is scanned for viruses by BIR's email Virus scanning system. However it is recommended that attachments, if any, be scanned for viruses before launching. The BIR is not liable for any damages caused due to virus(es), trojans or any other form of malicious software transmitted over email. It is neither liable for the proper and complete transmission of the information contained in this communication nor for any delay in its receipt.

Well what do you know, the BIR actually responds to e-mail inquiries!  I was really honestly pleasantly blown away by this happy happenstance.  At least now, I know what to do!  PTR, and BIR certificate of registration and official receipts to practice my chosen profession as a licensed real estate broker.  All's good, things are looking up, as I said *^_^*

Hit me back (I must be dreaming!)
Jon