Philippines Payroll: A Guide to SSS, Pag-IBIG & BIR

Philippines Payroll — WorkWisely Knowledge Base

Payroll compliance in the Philippines is governed by a combination of social security legislation, health insurance mandates, housing fund obligations, and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax regulations. WorkWisely's Philippines payroll module ensures full compliance with all four major statutory systems: SSS, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, and BIR — automating calculations, contributions, and government filings.

Overview of Philippines Statutory Payroll Framework

Philippine labor law requires employers to register employees with four government agencies: the Social Security System (SSS), the Pag-IBIG Fund (HDMF), PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation), and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Each imposes distinct contribution schedules, wage bases, filing deadlines, and penalties for non-compliance. WorkWisely consolidates all four into a single, unified payroll engine.

Statutory Components Managed by WorkWisely

1. Social Security System (SSS)

The SSS provides social insurance to private sector employees, covering retirement, disability, death, sickness, maternity, and funeral benefits. Membership is mandatory for all private-sector employees.

Parameter

Details

Monthly Salary Credit (MSC) Range

PHP 4,000 to PHP 30,000 (as of 2025)

Total SSS Contribution Rate

15% of MSC

Employee Share

5% of MSC

Employer Share

9.5% of MSC

Employee Compensation (EC) Fund

PHP 10 (establishments with <10 employees: PHP 10; >=10: PHP 30), employer only

Payment Deadline

Last day of the following month

Filing

Monthly SSS R-5 via My.SSS portal

Mandatory Documentation

SSS ID / E6 Transmittal List


WorkWisely automatically maps employee monthly salaries to the correct SSS salary bracket, calculates both employee and employer contributions, and generates the monthly R-5 payment file. The system also manages Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) tracking and flags employees without valid SSS numbers.

2. Pag-IBIG Fund (HDMF)

The Home Development Mutual Fund, known as Pag-IBIG, provides housing finance and short-term loan programs for Filipino workers. Contributions are mandatory for all employees earning PHP 1,500 or more per month.

Parameter

Details

Monthly Compensation Range

PHP 1,500 and below: 1% | Above PHP 1,500: 2%

Employee Contribution (Max PHP 5,000 basis)

1% or 2% of monthly compensation

Employer Counterpart Contribution

2% of monthly compensation

Maximum Monthly Contribution Basis

PHP 5,000

Filing Deadline

10th-14th of the following month (depending on employer grouping)

Portal

Virtual Pag-IBIG (virtualpagibig.com)


WorkWisely handles Pag-IBIG contribution calculations on a per-payroll basis, identifies mandatory versus voluntary contribution scenarios, and generates the monthly electronic remittance schedule in the format accepted by the Pag-IBIG portal.

3. PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation)

PhilHealth provides universal health coverage to all Filipino workers. Premium contributions are mandatory and tied to the employee's basic monthly salary.

Parameter

Details

Premium Rate (2025)

5% of basic monthly salary

Employee Share

2.5% of basic monthly salary

Employer Share

2.5% of basic monthly salary

Salary Floor

PHP 10,000 (minimum MSC for premium computation)

Salary Ceiling

PHP 100,000 (maximum MSC for premium computation)

Payment Deadline

Every 20th of the following month

Filing

Monthly via PhilHealth Electronic Premium Remittance System (EPRS)


WorkWisely's PhilHealth module is updated in real time as PhilHealth adjusts premium rates (as mandated under the Universal Health Care Act). The system automatically generates the PhilHealth RF-1 equivalent file for the EPRS portal and ensures all employees' PhilHealth numbers (PHN) are registered and validated.

4. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) — Withholding Tax on Compensation

The BIR administers income tax withholding from salaries of all employees under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

Annual Taxable Income (PHP)

Tax Rate (TRAIN Law)

250,000 and below

0% (Exempt)

250,001 to 400,000

15% of excess over 250,000

400,001 to 800,000

PHP 22,500 + 20% of excess over 400,000

800,001 to 2,000,000

PHP 102,500 + 25% of excess over 800,000

2,000,001 to 8,000,000

PHP 402,500 + 30% of excess over 2,000,000

Above 8,000,000

PHP 2,202,500 + 35% of excess over 8,000,000


BIR Filing / Document

Deadline

BIR Form 1601-C (Monthly Withholding Tax on Compensation)

10th of the following month (eFPS: staggered by industry)

BIR Form 1604-C (Annual Information Return)

January 31 of the following year

BIR Form 2316 (Certificate of Compensation)

February 28 of the following year (or January 31 for substituted filing)

BIR Form 1700 / 1701 (Annual ITR for employees with other income)

April 15 of the following year


WorkWisely computes monthly withholding tax using BIR-prescribed tax tables, handles mid-year tax annualisation for resigned employees (for BIR Form 2316), and supports eFPS (Electronic Filing and Payment System) integration. The system also handles the computation of 13th Month Pay, which is tax-exempt up to PHP 90,000 under TRAIN.

13th Month Pay Compliance

In the Philippines, 13th Month Pay is a mandatory benefit equivalent to at least 1/12 of an employee's total basic salary earned in a calendar year. WorkWisely automatically calculates 13th Month Pay pro-rated for joiners and separated employees, and applies the PHP 90,000 tax-exemption threshold when processing the December payroll.

Frequently Asked Questions — Philippines Payroll

Q: Does WorkWisely support eFPS filing for BIR 1601-C?

A: WorkWisely generates the complete BIR 1601-C data file in the format compatible with eFPS. Your team can directly upload the exported file to the eFPS portal without manual re-entry.

Q: How does WorkWisely handle employees with multiple employers in the Philippines?

A: When an employee has a primary and secondary employer, WorkWisely flags the employment type and ensures the correct BIR Form 2316 categorisation. Secondary employer withholding is computed at the straight 25% rate as required by BIR regulations.

Q: How is the SSS salary bracket determined for employees with variable pay?

A: WorkWisely uses the month's total compensation to determine the applicable SSS Monthly Salary Credit. For employees with variable income (commissions, allowances), the system includes all regular monthly compensation in the MSC computation.


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