First 100 Days: BIR and SEC Basics Every Philippine Startup Should Calendar
A non-legal checklist of common registration, invoicing, and corporate hygiene steps so founders avoid surprises during diligence.
This article is practical education, not legal or tax advice. Always confirm requirements with qualified professionals and official agency guidance.
Most funded paths begin with a clean SEC story: authorized capital, stock ledger discipline, board minutes when decisions matter, and timely annual report rhythms. Messy cap tables slow down even friendly angel rounds.
On the BIR side, founders should plan early for invoicing credibility, expense classification, and withholding workflows once you hire or pay contractors regularly. Inconsistent books undermine trust faster than a weak deck.
Separate personal and business accounts on day one. Intermingling turns cleanup into a billable emergency right when you need bandwidth for product.
Build a simple monthly close habit—even lightweight—so you can answer investor questions about burn, runway, and cohort gross margin without a scramble. Founders who treat finance as a product function raise smoother rounds.