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Capital Gains Tax in the Philippines (Rate to use, How to Calculate and Pay)

Capital Gains Tax is one of the major taxes involved with real estate, and we’ll cover the essentials below.

benjamin-franklin-quotable-quotes-death-and-taxes
“In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes” – Benjamin Franklin

Introduction

Taxes are indeed inescapable and the real estate industry is no exception. I am sure a lot of real estate investors are very much interested to know the taxes involved in investing as they significantly impact the total cost of acquiring a property.

What may seem like a good deal may turn out to be a bad one, if all the taxes are factored in. So before you go ahead and plunge into the world of real estate investing, I suggest you take the time to study taxes. For this post, I will be discussing capital gains tax on real estate.

I’ll try to discuss capital gains tax on real estate in layman’s terms, based on what I have learned, for purposes of information-sharing. A disclaimer is in order of course: While great effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the discussion here as of its writing, this is not intended to replace seeking professional services. Do read up on the relevant laws and regulations also.

Capital Gains Tax vs. Income Tax

When there is a sale of real estate, automatically people think that they have to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT). This is not necessarily the case. CGT is a tax on the gain from the sale of capital assets. Regular corporate income tax (RCIT) [for corporations] and regular income tax [for individuals] apply to the sale of ordinary assets while CGT applies to the sale of capital assets.

Thus, we first have to determine whether the asset being sold is a capital or an ordinary asset so as to know the proper tax rate to be used and the BIR form to be used, among others.

Capital assets vs. Ordinary assets

The term “capital assets” is defined negatively in Section 39(A)(1) of the Tax Code as follows:

“(1) Capital Assets. – the term ‘capital assets’ means property held by the taxpayer (whether or not connected with his trade or business), but does not include

• stock in trade of the taxpayer or other property of a kind which would properly be included in the inventory of the taxpayer if on hand at the close of the taxable year, or
• property held by the taxpayer primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of his trade or business, or
• property used in the trade or business, of a character which is subject to the allowance for depreciation provided in Subsection (F) of Section 34;
• or real property used in trade or business of the taxpayer.”

As applied to the real estate industry, the terms “capital assets” and “ordinary assets” are defined in Section 2(c) of Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 7-2003 dated December 27, 2002. It’s essentially the same as the above definition.

It has an additional provision, though, on real properties acquired by banks through foreclosure sales – the same are considered as their ordinary assets but banks shall not be considered as habitually engaged in the real estate business for purposes of determining the applicable rate of expanded withholding tax.

Since we are talking about the sale of real property here, we need to know the definition of “real property”. Section 2(c) of RR No. 7-2003 states that “Real property shall have the same meaning attributed to that term under Article 415 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the “Civil Code of the Philippines.” Article 415 of the Civil Code provides:

“Art. 415. The following are immovable property:

(1) Land, buildings, roads and constructions of all kinds adhered to the soil;

(2) Trees, plants, and growing fruits, while they are attached to the land or form an integral part of an immovable;

(3) Everything attached to an immovable in a fixed manner, in such a way that it cannot be separated therefrom without breaking the material or deterioration of the object;

(4) Statues, reliefs, paintings or other objects for use or ornamentation, placed in buildings or on lands by the owner of the immovable in such a manner that it reveals the intention to attach them permanently to the tenements;

(5) Machinery, receptacles, instruments or implements intended by the owner of the tenement for an industry or works which may be carried on in a building or on a piece of land, and which tend directly to meet the needs of the said industry or works;

(6) Animal houses, pigeon-houses, beehives, fish ponds or breeding places of similar nature, in case their owner has placed them or preserves them with the intention to have them permanently attached to the land, and forming a permanent part of it; the animals in these places are included;

(7) Fertilizer actually used on a piece of land;

(8) Mines, quarries, and slag dumps, while the matter thereof forms part of the bed, and waters either running or stagnant;

(9) Docks and structures which, though floating, are intended by their nature and object to remain at a fixed place on a river, lake, or coast;

(10) Contracts for public works, and servitudes and other real rights over immovable property.”

Thus, it appears that it is not only the sale of land and buildings or houses which we should be focusing on, but also the sale of the above.

As RR No. 7-2003 is a very important rule on real estate, I have included the said regulations in this post for your reference. Read it in its entirety. You may download a copy here. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in this document.

In simple terms, if the property is not ordinarily held for sale (as inventory) or used in business and subject to depreciation, then the property is a capital asset. Now, if a seller is engaged in the real estate business, and the property is one he holds out for sale to the public, then the property may be considered as an ordinary asset.

[Note that there may be instances when a seller is engaged in the real estate business but the property is not held for sale or used in business or was idle for a long time – this is one of the instances when the property may be considered a capital asset.]

Conversely, if a seller is not engaged in the real estate business, and the property is not used in business and subject to depreciation, the property may be considered as a capital asset, the sale of which is subject to CGT.

Section 3 of RR No. 7-2003 provides the Guidelines in Determining Whether a Particular Real Property is a Capital Asset or Ordinary Asset.

Tax Rate to be Used

When the real property which is a capital asset to the seller is sold, the gross selling price or fair market value (FMV) [zonal value], whichever is higher, will be subject to 6% CGT. Please refer to the BIR website http://www.bir.gov.ph/index.php/zonal-values.html for the zonal values.

Technically, it’s not really only the gain (selling price less cost) which is taxed, because even if the seller suffered a loss (that is, the selling price is lower than the original acquisition cost of the property), there will still be CGT, because a gain is always presumed.

On the other hand, if the seller is engaged in the real estate business, and the real property sold is an ordinary asset, the sale will be subject to RCIT [or minimum corporate income tax (MCIT), when applicable] if the taxpayer is a corporation and income tax if the seller is an individual.

The proceeds from the sale of the real property will be included in the seller’s global income (meaning income from all sources – note that domestic corporations and resident citizens are taxed on all sources of income, whether from within or outside the country) and only the net income, after allowable deductions such as depreciation, losses, etc. will be subjected to RCIT, MCIT, or regular income tax, whichever is applicable.

Under Republic Act No. 9337, the RCIT is now 30% on net taxable income (beginning on January 1, 2009, down from 35%). The regular income tax for individuals remains at 32%.

Please note that there is an exception to the application of the CGT, and that is the sale of a principal residence (your own home). This deserves a separate discussion as I intend to take advantage of this when we purchase our next residence.

BIR procedure

Assuming that you are interested in buying a property from a seller who is an individual and who is not engaged in the real estate business, the seller needs to pay CGT on the sale of his real property, unless you have made an agreement that you as the buyer will shoulder this.

The seller needs to file BIR Form No. 1706 within thirty (30) days after each sale, exchange, transfer or other disposition of real property. You can download BIR Form No. 1706 here.

Documentary Requirements

1 ) One original copy and one photocopy of the Notarized Deed of Sale or Exchange

2 ) Photocopy of the Transfer Certificate of Title; Original Certificate of Title; or Condominium Certificate of Title

3 ) Certified True Copy of the tax declaration on the lot and/or improvement during nearest time of sale

4 ) “Certificate of No Improvement” issued by the Assessor’s office where the property has no declared improvement, if applicable or Sworn Declaration/Affidavit of No Improvement by at least one (1) of the transferees

5 ) Copy of BIR Ruling for tax exemption confirmed by BIR, if applicable

6 ) Duly approved Tax Debit Memo, if applicable

7 ) “Sworn Declaration of Interest” as prescribed under Revenue Regulations 13-99, if the transaction is tax-exempt

8 ) Documents supporting the exemption

Additional requirements may be requested for presentation during audit of the tax case depending upon existing audit procedures.

How to Pay and File the Capital Gains Tax Return

You just have to file the Capital Gains Tax return in triplicate (two copies for the BIR and one copy for the taxpayer) with the Authorized Agent Bank (AAB) in the Revenue District where the property is located, along with the documentary requirements and the tax due.

In places where there are no AAB, the return will be filed directly with the Revenue Collection Officer or Authorized City or Municipal Treasurer. You can view the Revenue District Offices (RDO) here: http://www.bir.gov.ph/directory/rdo.htm. Click on the concerned RDO.

For example, if you click on RDO 48 – West Makati, you will get to http://www.bir.gov.ph/directory/rdoinner.htm#48. The names of the Revenue District Officer and Assistant Revenue District Officer as well as their contact numbers and e-mail addresses, and the address of the Revenue District Office and the AAB’s within the said RDO may be found there.

Sample CGT computation

A residential condominium in Makati City with a floor area of 50sqm has a Selling Price (SP) of 1.0M. The existing zonal value per square meter for that condo in Makati is currently Php50,000/sqm. You have called the owner and found out that he is not engaged in the real estate business.

He also told you that as part of the deal, the buyer shall shoulder the CGT. As the buyer, how much is the CGT which you will have to pay the seller on top of the selling price?

First let’s compute for the Fair market Value (FMV):

FMV=Zonal Value x Floor Area
=50,000 pesos/sqm x 50sqm
=2,500,000 pesos

Since FMV is higher than SP, we shall use FMV to compute the CGT:

CGT=6% x FMV
=0.06 x 2,500,000 pesos
=150,000 pesos

Therefore, the buyer shall have to shell out an additional 150,000 pesos.

Note that while technically, the CGT is always the responsibility of the seller, and that if the buyer shoulders the CGT, it is in effect part of the selling price to be compared to FMV for purposes of computing the 6% CGT, I noted that the practice of banks is to compute the CGT this way.

Now, what if you called up the seller and told him that you are willing to buy the property but he should shoulder the capital gains tax as the seller, then he counters your offer and says he is willing to shoulder the CGT up to his selling price and the buyer shall shoulder the CGT for the excess or the difference between the SP and FMV, how do you compute for the CGT?

First, let’s compute for the excess or difference between the SP and the FMV:

Excess=FMV-SP
=2,500,000pesos – 1,000,000pesos
=1,500,000 pesos

Now, let’s compute for the CGT to be shouldered by the buyer:

CGT for the buyer =6% x Excess
=0.06 x 1,500,000 pesos
=90,000 pesos

The CGT to be shouldered by the seller is as follows:

CGT=6% x SP
=0.06 x 1,000,000 pesos
=60,000 pesos

Take note that the total CGT is 90,000 pesos + 60,000 pesos = 150,000 pesos, which is consistent with our first computation. The CGT was just split between the buyer and the seller.

As investors, we should always try to negotiate for the best terms and in relation to this particular example, always try to have the other party shoulder the CGT.

The seller will still be the one to file the CGT and he shall have to file the return in an Authorized Agent Bank within the Revenue District where the property is located in Makati, within 30 days the deed of sale was executed.

Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Conclusion

The BIR website (http://www.bir.gov.ph) has a wealth of information on taxes. Refer to it from time to time. The BIR also has a 24-hour contact center (Telephone number 981-8888) and you can call them if you have any questions.

You may also e-mail them at contact_us@cctr.bir.gov.ph. You can also ask me through the comments section and I will do my best to research the answer.

In my next posts, I will be discussing Value-Added Tax (VAT), expanded withholding taxes (EWT) a.k.a. creditable withholding taxes (CWT)**, Real Property Taxes (RPT), Transfer Taxes (TT), CGT on the sale of a principal residence, and estate taxes (as I am sure many of you are also interested in transferring your properties to your heirs in the future – remember, aside from taxes, death is certain too).

Let me know, through the comments section , if you have any other taxes you would like to know about, or if there’s anything you would like to have any clarification on.

In closing, please remember that as an investor, one should always consider the capital gains tax in real estate transactions. Failure to do so could mean your real estate capital gains will just get eaten up by the corresponding capital gains tax and turn what looked like a good deal into a bad one.

Till then, happy investing!

*This article was originally authored by Jay Castillo but was written mostly by his wife Cherry Vi Castillo, who is a certified public accountant, lawyer, licensed real estate broker/appraiser. Authorship has been turned-over to Cherry so she can update this article as needed. 🙂

Photo of author
About Atty. Cherry Vi Saldua Castillo
Atty. Cherry Vi Saldua Castillo is a Lawyer (Roll of Attorneys No. 55239), CPA (PRC CPA License No. 0102054), Real Estate Broker (PRC REB License No. 3187), and Real Estate Appraiser (PRC REA License No. 6918). She was also the 2013 Internal Education Head of REBAP-LMP and 2015 REBAP National Legal Counsel. She's the 2021-2022 chapter president of REBAP-LMP.
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Leave a Comment

187 thoughts on “Capital Gains Tax in the Philippines (Rate to use, How to Calculate and Pay)”

  1. Hi,
    My question is, if i sell my condominium at the same price as purchased 10 years ago from a developper, do I have to pay the CGT, or can i ask for an exemption or reduction of the 6%? Due to inflation, there is definitely a loss of capital, I have the old deed of sale without VAT to proof the purchasing price.
    Thanks for your help

    Reply
  2. Hi Atty’s, my question is the CGT was not paid by the buyer and now she is contacting me 4 years later for signatures. Lot is paid in 2018 but notarized in 2019 but buyer didnt process the papers. I don’t want to pay the CGT. No agreement is written in DOAS. Can I ignore her? I’m annoyed why she’s reaching out now 4 years later. Am I liable by law to deal with her?

    Btw, It’s a blessing to read your blog. This is my parents property but it’s under my name. They received the payment Not me and I didnt sign any paper that I received money. Also they are dead. Thanks for your help po!

    Reply
    • Hi Cutie,

      First of all, sorry to hear the loss of your parents, praying for you and sending my sincerest condolences.

      With regard to your question, are the buyers asking you to pay for CGT? If signatures only, for me okay lang, unless mahirap na in case your are already based abroad, etc.

      Technically, you can ignore them in my opinion, because you are already out of the picture (however, that may mean they won’t be able to transfer the title to their name, and they can always blame the pandemic as the cause for their failure to do the title transfer). However, I will have to double-check with my wife (she’s the lawyer, not me… hehe) if you must help them being the seller.

      Reply
    • Hi Cutie, I just checked with my wife Cherry, she says if the DOAS is silent with who shall pay for CGT, it will be the seller’s responsibility and all the rest is for the buyer. Furthermore, Cherry said the seller is required to pay CGT because the seller is the one who owns the capital asset (the exact wording/explanation is in the tax code, according to her) . I hope this helps.

      Reply
  3. Hi! I would like to ask, what to do if the owner/seller of the land insists that I (buyer) should pay for the Capital Gain Tax while threatening me that they cannot successfully transfer the land (to me) if I won’t pay for it?

    Reply
    • Hi Sharmaine, does it mean you are already in the middle of the transaction when you and the seller reached this disagreement about who will shoulder the CGT? If yes, please review your contract if it says anything about who shoulders the CGT.

      For us, we don’t enter into a contract/transaction until things like who will shoulder taxes is clearly established for all parties and it should be written in the contract

      Edit: Just wanted to add, if nothing specific was mentioned in the contract, then I suppose you can try your best to negotiate with the seller and convince then to at least split the cost with you… 50-50 would be fair I guess.

      Reply
  4. Good am Atty. Id like to ask if a buyer in an auction sale of a land by a province has to pay capital gains tax? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Rodolfo, sorry my wife Cherry is too busy to answer the comments. However, based on a previous purchase, if you buy trough a foreclosure auction, the transaction will be subject to CGT.

      Reply
  5. Hello Jay,

    If the property is house and lot, do i add both floor area and Lot area before multiplying it to the zonal value to get the FMV?

    Another thing, this property we’re about to purchase is under the name of the developer of the subdivision based on the TCT provided to us but we are buying it from the bank which according to the bank is that they are the representative of the owner. Is that legal?

    Reply
    • Hi Ray, you will multiply the zonal value/sqm for that location as per BIR website to the lot area to get the zonal value. FMV refers to the values in the tax declarations (for house and lot, there will be a tax dec for the land, and another for the house).

      With regard to the property under the name of the developer, ask the bank why they became the representative. If they have a legit document like a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) or something similar, then it should be okay.

      Reply
  6. Hi Sir Jay, I have a concern. I buy a foreclosed property. Who is responsible for paying the CGT for that? I’m not direct to the seller, may broker po and the realstate company is asking me to pay for the CGT. Is it normal na ako po ang magbayad?

    Reply
    • HI Paul, most banks will shoulder CGT when you buy their foreclosed properties for sale. Unionbank is the only bank I know where the buyer will shoulder all taxes, including CGT. You should communicate with the bank directly to confirm.

      Reply
  7. Is the Foundation’s foreclosed real property (farm lot) from a loan borrower who are not able to pay and sold to private corporation an ordinary asset?

    Reply
    • Hi Marlon, the best way to answer this is to define the actual use of the farm lot. If the foundation used the farm lot for business purposes to generate profits, then the BIR will usually classify it as a capital asset. If it is not used for business purposes and does not make money, then it CAN be considered as a capital asset.

      Reply
  8. Sir Jay, as if you are angel to me, I’ve got my optional retirement last year 2020, I’m a retired Police Officer and a license real estate broker too since 2008. I was not able to practice due to the nature of my chosen profession. We are not allowed to practice while we are in the public service. But now, I’m free from the bondage of 8-5 long hours of duty or more or even 12 hours rotation every single day.

    One time, it’s so happened that I come across your web page because I tell you honestly I do not know where to start, your page reminds me of what I have learned before I got my license in real estate profession. I would like to thank you for this. God will bless you of your efforts, your health and your family.

    One thing that I would like to ask you is the Property Due Diligence Checklist, I couldn’t find it in my email, would you mind accessing it to me for free? Hehehehe, I’m not abusing your goodness, but you are really so good for giving us this wonderful information in your website. Amazing. Mabuhay po kayo. God will really bless you and you family. Thank you once again.

    Reply
    • Thank you Mr. Rey for sharing, I am so happy you are now into real estate! Please check your email, I have sent you a link to the Due Diligence Checklist as requested. 🙂

      Reply
      • Thank you sir for sharing your expertise with us. You are such a good guy. I also salute you for granting this favor of mine. God bless you always.

        Reply
    • Baka hindi po payagan sa BIR, required kasama kasi sa required doscuments yung original title (original owners duplicate certificate). Eto po jung complete list of requirements:

      Documentary Requirements

      1 ) One original copy and one photocopy of the Notarized Deed of Sale or Exchange

      2 ) Photocopy of the Transfer Certificate of Title; Original Certificate of Title; or Condominium Certificate of Title

      3 ) Certified True Copy of the tax declaration on the lot and/or improvement during nearest time of sale

      4 ) “Certificate of No Improvement” issued by the Assessor’s office where the property has no declared improvement, if applicable or Sworn Declaration/Affidavit of No Improvement by at least one (1) of the transferees

      5 ) Copy of BIR Ruling for tax exemption confirmed by BIR, if applicable

      6 ) Duly approved Tax Debit Memo, if applicable

      7 ) “Sworn Declaration of Interest” as prescribed under Revenue Regulations 13-99, if the transaction is tax-exempt

      8 ) Documents supporting the exemption

      Reply
  9. Hi Jay
    My sister is selling her house and the proceeds will be used to build another house to stay in another area where she don’t own a house. Is she exempted in paying capital gains tax?

    Reply
  10. Hi. Thanks for posting this. I am interested in the CGT. In 2 weeks time I will have to sell my house and lot for an amount of Php 2,000,000 (300 sq.m.) and 110 sq.m floor area bungalow type of house.Perhaps that price is good enough to opt the buyer that he should shoulder na lang the CGT.

    How much is the computed GCT then?

    Reply
  11. What are the penalties if you undervalue the selling price? How will the BIR compute to surcharge, interest and penalties?

    Reply
  12. Hi Jay, if a corporation sells its property used for lease and the same is subjected to 6% CGT, will the gain on sale of that real property be still subjected to corporate income tax?

    Reply
  13. my friend bought a parcel of lot(which is covered under one mother title) from someone who has no tct at all but there is a deed of conveyance. bir is asking that my friend should pay the cgt of the prior sale which involves several lots under one mother title. is this correct? thank you Sir.

    anne

    Reply
  14. Hi Mr. Jay
    I bought a house last year for 3 million pesos through pagibig. I paid 200 thousand pesos for its equity because only 2.62M pesos Approved by pagibig. Who will really pay for the CGT/DST, we had no agreement as to who will pay this. The seller just told me that transfer tax must be paid by the buyer. We did not talk about the CGT/DST since the seller told me I should pay for the transfer tax. So I was thinking CGT/DST is included in the transfer tax that the “buyer MUST PAY”. So I paid for everything, I even paid for the RPT of the house which was not paid since 2012. Then, the seller is asking me to pay her the remaing unpaid amount, in which I could not pay because I have spent more than 300 thousand pesos for everything (transfer tax, CGT/DST, a notatio from ROD, RPT). Sinxe we dont have the agrrement as to who will pay the CGT/DST, what shall I do? Because I really think it is unfair to pay her, because she made me believe it is the oblogation of tge buyer to pay everything per Philippines taxation Law. Since this is my first time ro purchase a house and lot I did not know about all this, until somebody told me that generally, it is the seller should shoulder the CGT/DST. Please help. Thank u.

    Reply
  15. Have a good day Sir Jay. I tried to scroll don their previous comments but I haven’t seen an issue that is related to my inquiry. In your post…I found out that filing for CGT should be made before 30 days of the issuance of the DOAS…In my case, I was not able to pay for the CGT and my DOAS was issued almost 2 months passed. What will I do whenever I can have the money to pay for the CGT? I hope you can help me with this issue…Thanks for your post…

    Reply
  16. Hi Sir Jay, I have bought a property last June 2014. What I thought would go smoothly is now giving me so much stress. It is my first time to buy a property (located here in Cabuyao, Laguna). When the property was offered to me, it was still under MBAI (a military base property developer as I understand), the seller has yet to pay her remaining installments. I have agreed to pay half the agreed price so the seller can process the release of the TCT from MBAI then the remaining half I will pay once the title is transfered to her name. But then after a month the seller came back to me and said that she was informed that the title will no longer need to be transfered to her name but will be directly transfer to my name but still 2 CGTs will be paid. So she ask for the remaining half payment which I agreed to pay so she can already pay the 2CGT then the Deed of sale has been signed and notarized. Weekly I kept on asking for feed back but she kept on saying the requirements are still being acquired then 2 months had passed and yet the CGTs were still not paid upto now (including the CGT for MBAI to seller). So this is my problem now sir, the title cannot be transffered because CGTs are not paid yet. I really don’t know what to do and I don’t have extra money to shoulder those taxes.Perhaps you can help me or refer to me someone who could assist me. BTW it is on the deed of sale that the seller will pay all taxes including transfer and doc stamps.

    Reply
  17. Hi jay, please help me,nakabili po ako ng house and lot worth 2.6 M.as I remembered sinabi ng seller n sya n daw po mag shoulder ng transfer of all documents.nag file po kami ng housing loan,and nung nalaman po nya na makakabayad na kami sa kanya sinabi po nya na kmi daw po ang mag shoulder ng CGT at title transfer,yung TAX TrANSFEr lang daw ang shoulder nya…as I read your post dapat po seller ang sagot sa CGT kasi di nman nya buisness ang mag benta ng property….pero nagdadahilan po siya na buyer daw po talaga sa CGT kagaya ng pagbili nya ng property sa Camella and SMDC…at bakit po ganun sinasabi nya na di daw po nya dineclared yung house sa municipal RD para daw po pabor saamin,para bumaba ang deed of sale..gnun po ba yun?hndi dinedeclare ang house,?at isa p po sabi pa ng seller later daw mag declare ng CGT sa BIR,pwede po ba yun? Sana po may time kyo basahin,i really need your response……thank you and God Bless

    Reply
  18. Sir Jay and Ms. Cherry, thank you for sharing your expertise! I am not an accountant and do not know much on real estate & taxation but, reading your site about CGT, CWT, DST and more has been very helpful. Hoping you can shed light on a scenario i came across recently that I don’t quite comprehend.

    For background: there is a corporation that leases out real property assets, but is not listed in HULRB or other associations. These properties are the ONLY assets that the corporation has. They use these assets in their daily operations.Thus, the assets are considered ordinary. If this corporation sold these properties and the sale resulted in a loss…

    1) are they still subject to tax?
    2) if yes, is the base for the tax the loss?
    3) will the taxes that apply to this corporation be the 30% RCIT, DST, CWT and 12% VAT?
    4) do you think it’s even possible to sell a few shares (not liquidate) when everything’s at a loss??

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply
  19. Hi Jay, what is the best way to get back a CGT that was erroneously paid to the BIR account instead of an escrow account? My 75-year-old mother who volunteered to take care of the payment of taxes and transfer of title of the condo unit I bought from my aunt was given wrong instructions by a BIR examiner when she inquired about availing of CGT exemption. It’s a long story, but in the end, the money was paid directly to the BIR account instead of an escrow account. When my mother inquired with the RDO about how to rectify the mistake and have the money transferred to an escrow account, she was told that it was no longer possible to do that because the money went directly to the national treasury.

    Reply
  20. Hi Mr. Castillo. I hope you can help me. I am currently in the down payment stages of a purchase I have with a real estate developer in the Philippines. I can no longer continue my purchase since I’m really having difficulty but my friend offered to just pay me back the few months DP I paid in installments. Basically he will assume balance and continue with the contract. However, I found out from the developer that they are asking me to pay 6% capital Gains Tax and 1.5% Documentary Stamp Tax to facilitate the request. I find this alarming because based on the website of BIR the title and deed of sale should be under my name. Since I am only paying for down payment naturally it is still under developer’s name. I feel helpless because I will not be able to afford the 7.5%. What can I do to contest the claim of the developer? This is so unfair but they make me feel that I have no choice but give up my unit.

    Reply
  21. Hi sir,
    What’s the ruling in computing for CGT on Installment Sales? Is it the same with CWT on installment sales (buyer engaged in trade? or buyer not engaged in trade?) Thanks!

    Reply
  22. Hi jay,
    recently bought a lot 33sqm with 2storey apartment type building.how will compute for the cgt? Zonal value for residential 10,100.. do i need to include the 2storey building in computing it? How. Please help.. thank you..

    Reply
    • Hi Eugine, in my opinion, yes, you should include the zonal value of both lot and improvement(which is the building) in determining what tax base to use. You will use the highest of the 3 (zonal value, fair market value, selling price) and you indicate these in the CGT form.

      Reply
  23. Hi Jay! I was looking around for some info about capital gains tax and found your site, which has been very helpful, by the way. I was hoping you could enlighten me about a property I am planning to buy. The property is loaned through PAG-IBIG and we wish to assume the owner’s mortgage. What specific process should we follow and should CGT be paid by the buyer or us? They have never heard of CGT and we would like to be both clear about the transactions needed. Looking forward to your response. Thanks in advance and more power!

    Reply
  24. Hi, thanks for the very informative blog site. my mother in law have purchased a house and lot back 2004 and the deed of absolute sale was taken placed at the same year. the property thus not have a title from the previous owner. My mother in law went to the BIR to pay for CGT and DST and the computation was made by onenett and resulting to 70k tax due. my question is that my mother in law did not pay the cgt and dst because she has no money yet to pay the tax until now. what will happen if she will not pay?is the amount will be the same as before or it will increase?

    Reply
  25. HI Jay,

    Being the seller of the property, I am now preparing the Deed of Absolute Sale. The property is actually mortgaged with the bank and has still a balance. For purposes of Capital Gains Tax computation which is based on the FMV/Zonal Value from the BIR or the Selling Price, whichever is higher. Can I use the mortgaged amount of the property as my Selling Price in the Deed of Absolute Sale being higher than the FMV/Zonal Value. Please kindly help me on this matter.

    Thank you and God bless.
    Ace

    Reply
  26. Hi Jay,

    I have a question. If I want to transfer the title of a property, still at a preselling stage, to someone, will I be charged of Capital Gains Tax?

    I am now on the 26th month of paying the installment of an Avida property. The number of installments is 36months, but I wanted to opt out for monetary reasons, hence the decision to sell to someone else.

    The problem is Avida asked me to pay Capital Gains Tax right away. My understanding of CGT is you only pay it once you have the Deed of Absolute Sale already, or if you have paid all the monthly amortizations but before the DOAS is issued.

    My friend’s experience with DMCI is they only charged her a Transfer fee for a change in name amounting to PhP5,000 when she assumed a property from someone else during the pre-selling stage.

    My question is: Is Avida correct in charging my CGT at this stage of the transaction when what I have is still the Contract to Sell and the unit will only be fully paid next year?

    Thanks very much for you help.

    Regards,
    Shiela

    Reply
  27. Hi Jay,

    Can you please enlighten me, my wife is the land owner and went into mutual agreement with a developer, there is no registered joint venture agreement filed. The land being developed are for sale in term payments. There is a mutual agreement of sharing of sales between my wife & the developer out from the project. The titles of the lots being sold are under my wife’s name though my wife is not engage as developer nor licensed real property dealer. There are lot buyers who completed the their terms of payments and wanted the titles transferred to their names and some of the buyers are still on terms. What kind of tax applicable to my wife. Is it Capital Gains tax for full paid buyers and VAT for lot buyers still on terms. Thank you…

    Reply
  28. May portion ng aming property na tinamaan ng road widening. Exempted po ba ito sa Capital Gains Tax since government ang gumamit at magbabayad? Meron kasing nagsasabi na di na daw dapat magbayad ng CGT pero ang DPWH mismo ang sabi ay dapat magbayad ng CGT.

    Reply
  29. Good day!
    I would like to know if the 25% rule on the CWT is applicable on the capital gains (CGT) to individual not engaged in trade or business on real estate.
    The nature of transaction, the property will be sold at 20% down payment and the balance will be payable in 36 monthly installments. However before the year ends the total expected amount to be paid will reach to 42%. May I know how and when are we going to pay the capital gains tax?
    Hope to learn from your advice.
    Thank you and regards.

    Thank you and regards.

    Reply
  30. Hello Jay!

    Just a question. Am purchasing a residential unit worth P425,000, is 6% fixed for CGT in all parts of the PH? I was informed by my mom that when she bought our lot, she used to pay a 14% CGT that’s around 12 years ago. And let’s say I, the buyer shoulders the CGT instead of the seller, then the Selling Price that I should enter in the Deed of Absolute Sale (DoAS) is:

    P425,000.00 x 6% = P25,500.00

    P425,000.00 + P25,000.00 = P450,000.00

    Also, let’s say that I will purchase this residential unit via PAGIBIG/Bank Financing, are they the one shoulder all these expenses (CGT, DST, etc.)?

    Am I right? Thanks again for your site. It’s very informative! =) God Bless and may you continue helping us.

    Reply
  31. Hi Jay thank you for the informations here on your link. I would like to ask if CGT is applicable for selling house and lot that is not fully paid yet under pagibig? what are the other charges ?if theres any. Thanks and God Bless

    Reply
  32. Hi jay, Thanks for the informations … I would like to know if the CGT is still applicable if your selling the house and lot which is not fully paid under pagibig, and what other charges is applicable for this situation. Thanks God Bless

    Reply
  33. hi sir,
    i sold 2 parcels of lot in the province in 3 years installment. i sold it @ 1.7M, and the buyer told me to pay the CGT. was it fair enough for me to pay for it. pls, im looking forward for the answer of my querries because i have no knowledge at all about the selling process. thank you

    Reply
    • it is usually the seller’s obligation to pay the capital gains tax (cgt). i say ‘usually’ because there are also cases where the buyer pays for cgt, but this only happens upon tacit agreement by both parties.

      hope that helps.

      Reply
  34. Hi Jay,
    I was wondering if you ever found out the answer one of the question way back by the name Susan .Bec.I am exactly on the same situation right now.Your responded will be greatly appreciated.Below is Susan question:
    Hi Jay,
    I have a question regarding conditional exemption of Final Capital Gains Tax when it is used to acquire another principal residence within 180 days.
    My question is whether you can still avail the exemption if the sequence is reversed – when you “Buy First, then Sell Later”?
    SITUATION:
    ==========
    A “Contract to Sell” has been signed for a pre-sell condominium. Payment has been made through monthly amortization. Upon close to turnover, a decision was made to sell the primary residence. Let us assume the “Contract of Sale” for the new residence was done *after* the disposition of the primary residence, however both “Contract to Sell” and amortization payments for the new residence have occurred prior to the sell of the old property.
    In this situation, can you still avail of Final Capital Gains exemption? Is there any special watchout &/or procedure given the reverse order of the transaction? Thanks!
    Your perspective much appreciated!

    Reply
  35. Hi Jay

    If I buy a pre-sale condominium that turns over only in 2015, current payment scheme is 20 percent amortised from now till 2015, if I sell the property before the turnover, will there be CGT?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  36. Good day,
    Ask ko lng po how much po i pay to bir if the lot is 4799sq.m. And the deed of sale is 150,000. I need the computation. Pls. Help me.
    Gusto ko sana malaman ang total cost. Marami pong salamat at sana matulungan ninyo po ako

    Reply
  37. Jay,
    I am a Fil-American living in California and doing business in California. I have been retired and drawing pension and I am planning on buying a house and lot in the Philippines after I close my business in some 2-3 years. I understand a foreigner are not allowed to own properties in the Philippines, but I am planning to register it in someone’s else name. I would like your opinion on the matter and the best property to invest on, a house and lot or a condo. Your suggestions will be much appreciated.
    G N Arrivas

    Reply
    • Hi G N. I’m concerned that if you buy a property and have it registered with someone else, you have no protection whatsoever, unless you treat this as a loan and the property is mortgaged to you. Condo’s would be a good alternative as foreigners can own up to 40% of the units in a condo project.

      Reply
  38. sir Jay, hope you can clarify a few things for me regarding CGT:
    1) let’s assume that the seller wants a net amount of 3M for his property, and adds the CGT in his selling price, should the amount on the deed of sale be 3,180,000 or still 3M?
    1a) if 3,180,000, wouldn’t the BIR use that as the tax base instead and the CGT to be due will now become 190,800 instead of 180,000?
    1b) if 3M on the deed of sale, would it be okay to inform the buyer that the additional 180,000 will be paid as CGT but will not reflect on the deed of sale?

    2) I just want to make sure: the seller will still have to file and pay the CGT with the BIR even if the buyer agrees to shoulder the CGT? are you saying the buyer gives the 180,000 to the seller outside of the 3M so the seller will still pay to the BIR?

    thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi Jon, thanks for the question!

      To get the gross selling price, it should be PHP3,000,000/0.94 which would be equal to Php3,191,489.36

      CGT would then be 6% of Php3,191,489.36 and would be equal to Php191,489.36

      The resulting net selling price would then be Php3,191,489.36 less Php191,489.36 which is equal to Php3,000,000.00 🙂

      The gross selling price which is equal to Php3,191,489.36 should appear on the Deed Of Sale and this will be the tax base used and is the actual total amount the buyer will pay the seller. Just let me know if you need further clarifications.

      Reply
  39. Hi! Jay, Thanks a lot for that info. Please,do post the BIR Memo if ever u find it. My Tito wanted me to ask u, if this is a New Law? And if since when daw po naging epektibo? Jay, this will help Us a lot. Thank u So Much Jay. More Power to ur Blog and Blessed Day ahead.

    Reply
  40. Hi! Jay, ask ko lang po kung yun po bang Tax Deliquent Properties that was Auctioned by the Municipal Treasurer, will still be Subjected to Capital Gain Tax?? I talked to One BIR employee kasi and he told me yes. And yet another BIR employee of different Branched told me No. Same with the employee of Treasury. And also with both Attys. That i consulted has a very conflicting yes and No advised. So it was confusing on my part already. Hope you can enlighten me on this. Thank you Jay! More Power and God Bless!

    Reply
    • Hi Kols, a friend of mine recently found a “memo” from the BIR that says Tax Delinquent Properties are now subjected to CGT. I’ll look for that “memo” and post it here, if I find it.

      Reply
  41. Hi Sir Jay,

    I am newbie in real estate industry and I would like to ask if CGT applies when a client who is fully paid in his condo unit would like transfer his right to another buyer? This unit is not yet turn-over to him.

    *turn over date is dec 2012

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi J.I., as far as I know, if it is a transfer or assignment of rights, it is not really a sale, as they will most likely use a Deed Of Assignment (NOT a deed of sale), so it is not covered by CGT. I believe however that there will be applicable transfer fees and also income tax if the transfer has a mark-up. When in doubt, a visit at the ONETT or the officer of the day at the nearest BIR office should clear this up. 🙂

      Reply
  42. Hi Jay,
    My parents in law executed a Deed of Absolute Sale in favor of me and my husband. We did not have the title transferred to our name as we planned to sell it eventually; and that moment came now.
    Had this transaction been a cash sale, there would be no problem. However, the buyer will enter into an Contract to Sell with us. Question— Can a Deed of Assignment by my in laws cover us for the CTS we plan to enter into with our buyer?
    I’m also contemplating on making my in laws be the party to the CTS and we’ll just open a joint account with them to access the payment of our buyer but I’m worried about the complications in case of death. Obviously, the idea is to avoid paying the CGT more than once.
    Hope you can enlighte me. Thank you so much and more power!

    Reply
  43. Hi sir Jay,
    I have a question of our current situation,
    Our company buy a Land from FILINVEST LAND INC. by installment basis and we are belong to the top 20,000 corporation, are we required to withheld 1% withholding tax from this transaction? Please help me..

    Thank you..

    Reply
  44. sir jay its me hanz, question lang po

    a friend of mine is selling his own residencial house, would it be subjectable to cgt? ako kasi kinuha nya broker, prc na din po me, yet nd lang clear sakin etong part na ito pag sarili mo nang residencial house binebenta mo ty hope for a quick reply

    Reply
    • Hi Hanz, congrats for passing the brokers exam!

      Yes, the sale of a residential house is subject to CGT, which is 6% of the selling price, or zonal value, whichever is higher.

      Good luck!

      Reply
  45. What are the taxes payable to BIR in case of gain on sale sale of rental property (an 8 door apartment). The building is almost fully depreciated so does that mean the whole selling price is treated as gain?.

    If so is the gain from sale subject to income tax and the sale price subject to capital gain tax too?.

    Your prompt response is greatly appreciated.

    Reply
  46. Very interesting!

    Have a question. I own a 248 sq.m. lot. Right next to my lot is my brother’s 250 sq.m. lot. We decided to exchange lots: he gets my 248 sq.m. lot and I get his 250 sq.m. lot and we executed a deed of exchange of real properties. No money or purchase price was paid to one another. Is the exchange subject to payment of CGT or is it exempt?

    Reply
  47. I really appreciate your very informative site. God Bless you !!!

    I just have a quick question . . . . If I am an individual who is about to buy a real estate property from a corporation and the said property is considered as their ordinary asset, the corporation will have to pay 12% VAT for the sale, right?

    Upon transfer of the property to me, can is still become my capital asset. (im not involved in any real estate business, etc) I am just buying the property for my future use as residence or office.

    Please advise.

    Reply
  48. Jay,

    This is very helpful sa mga taong may tanong about sa CGT like me. I learned a lot already medyo late nga lang kasi na buy ko na yung property ko. paid ko na sya last year pa pero ngayon pa lang nila na release ang mga papers na kailangan ko and isa pa ako pinag babayad nila ng CGT. may habol pa ba ko na sila pag bayarin ko kasi wala naman silang sinabi sakin noon. Alam mo ba Sycamore Venture? sila ang may ari ng property pero nagtataka lang ako wala silang website at gmail ang email ng secretary nila na contact ko. nayari yata ako.

    than’x,
    mel

    Reply
  49. hello jay,
    i bought a house and lot in dasmarinas cavite 10 years ago for 750kphp and was not able to pay the CGT up to now.  what is the consequence? and how much will i have to pay now?
    thanks
    worried guy

    Reply
  50. Hi Jay, thanks a lot, this was been very helpful in my real estate review., hope you can site more computation example. and post topics on creditable withholding tax and expanded withholding tax.

    Reply
  51. Hi:
    As for the mistake in paying CGT instead of creditable withholding tax, you can request the BIR to simply amend your return to treat the CGT as CWT. Instead of refunding which takes a long time.  CGT is a final tax, meaning you do not have to include your gain in the sale of the real estate in as income for income tax purposes whereas, CWT can be applied for payment of income tax.  Unused or the excess of partly used CWT can be refunded.  

    For free real estate tax advice, please email me at ifurunglawoffices@yahoo.com.  Thanks.

    Reply
  52. Hi:

    I would like to add that if the buyer agreed to shoulder the capital gains tax.  The tax will be added as part of the price.  In your example, if the 50 sqm condo is sold at P50K/sqm or P2.5 million.  The CGT of P150k will be added to the selling price because the tax is considered part of the price and the tax would be 6% (2.5M + p150k) or P159K = CGT.  (But then this will become endless computation because you have to add the P159k to the SP and the CGT ad infitum) 

    Reply
  53. I have a friend who now holds German passport. She bought a condo unit a year ago, (still under construction) from a previous buyer who left the Philippines. My friend and husband while they were the buyer, want to have the title made in the name of a daughter whom they really intend to own the property. The condo unit will be delivered already in the first qtr of coming year, during which time, they want the title already made in the daughter’s name, not theirs.

    Do they have to pay CGT granting they paid Php8M as 80% of the cost, leaving the 20% still to be paid. Ler us assume the surface area of the unit is 200sqm. How much would they have to pay? She is asking for my help about this info but I am also not that well-informed on the subject matter. I would really appreciate your help

    Reply
  54. Hello, just want to ask for help, I have this condo unit which I already paid in full. But I want to transfer the name of the unit to my mother. Should I pay for the Capital Gains Tax since the developer told me that I will be the one to pay for that tax even if the CCT is not yet on my name it is under the developer name up to now.

    hoping for your answer. thanks

    Reply
  55. Hi..nkabili ako ng land 600 sqm 1 yr ago. ung mom ko ang nkipag deal sa seller and i ended up paying the CGT. question, until now in process prin ung pag pptitle ko sa land. may tax p b ako na bbyaran?

    thanks

    Reply
  56. Hi Jay,

    I was hoping to buy foreclosed properties from banks. My contacts in BIR claim these are still vatable transactions. Could you please supply me the ruling DA-216-07?

    Reply
  57. I purchase and a condo unit recently, then sold it to a friend after 28 days under Transfer of Rights. then he also sold it another friend after 25 days to his cousin and so forth>>>How many times can it be done without the CGT to be paid as it must be done only once for the condo.>>>>>>
    Purchase of condo ” is it better under personal name or company name for taxes purposes, resale purpose, loan purpose etc>>>>

    Reply
  58. Hi, thanks for the very helpful info. I’ve a question regarding the computation of Capital gain. In the example above the, the FMV is higher than the SP, how about if the SP is higher than the FMV? the figures are shown below:

    4,200 /sqm (ZV) x 179sqm (Lot) + 400,500 (building price)
    =1,152,300 – 2,000,000 SP
    SP is higher than FMV?

    how do we compute for the capital gain of this? thank you in advance…. :p

    Reply
  59. JAY,

    GOOD DAY, MAY HOUSE & LOT KASI AKONG BIBILHIN SA TAO LOCATED SA IMUS PUMAYAG SIYANG IPINASOK NAMIN SA PAG-IBIG,
    APPROVED NA SIYA KAYA LANG ANG ADVICE NILA IS TO HAVE AN ESTIMATE SA LAHAT NG BABAYARAN. SINUBUKAN NA NAMIN MAGPA-ESTIMATE KAYA LANG DI ACCOMODATING YUNG MGA TAO SA REGISTRY OF DEEDS, BAKA KAKO ALAM MO YUNG MAARING GAGASTUSIN NAMIN.
    630K YUNG NAPAGKASUNDUAN NAMIN PRICE NG PROPERTY,
    BIGYAN MO NAMAN KAMI NG ESTIMATE NG CAPITAL GAIN TAX, DOCUMENTATY STAMP, TRANSFER TAX AT ANNOTATION FEE
    THANKS IN ADVANCE!

    MARY ANN

    Reply
  60. hi jay, please educate me regarding assume balance scheme. i am a newbie in real estate investing and i am trying to learn more about it. i have a question regarding “assume balance” scheme. what taxes are involved when a buyer simply assumes the monthly amortization? is it only the doc stamps? how about transfer fees?

    please advise.

    thanks!

    Reply
  61. hi, jay.

    i’m going to purchase a property from a seller. the seller would apply for the capital gains tax exemption since he’s using the proceeds to buy a new property. i was advised to pay for the doc stamp and the rest and to transfer the title to my name on our own. my question is that, with deed of absolute sale on hand, can i process the transfer of title to my name even if he didnt pay the capital gains tax and apply for the exemption on his own. can i proceed with the transfer? or should i wait for any document from him after he applied for the exemption before i can apply for CAR from BIR in order to continue processing the transfer of title. can you please advise. thanks.

    Reply
  62. Hi jay, tons of helpful info here..keep it up…

    Q. Can I still negotiate w/ the seller about CGT payment (e.g 50-50) eventhough I’ve already signed the “contract to sell” that says that I have to pay the CGT because of not knowing before that I can enter into a negotiation on CGT payment w/ the seller.

    Reply
  63. Benny,

    The CGT will now be based on the current FMV, (no penalties) while the DST will be subject to 22 years penalty and also based on the current FMV according to our local BIR. this is what I got from them or maybe close to this. Is this accurate?
    However, while going through their documents, I discovered a DST Official Receipt paid 22 years ago. Is this still valid?
    I have not informed the BIR that the seller died 3 years ago. Definitely, we will have to declare the sale with the estate of the vendor as one of the parties to the sale. I think we still have to go through the process of settling the estate of the seller.

    Reply
  64. Hi Jay,

    Thank God may ganito kang site!

    Anyway, I bought a land from a developer and tapos ko na bayaran. Now they are asking me to pay the CGT. After reading yung real property tax code and your site, sabi seller pala dapat ang mag babayad ng CGT. Sabi naman nun developer, hindi daw, buyer daw. So now I’m confused. Why am I going to pay for it eh hindi naman ako ang kumita at balak ko lang ito tayuan ng bahay na titirahan ng pamilya ko. Or pwede ba na sharing? sila mag bayad nun CGT kung magkano ko binili yun then yung excess dahil sa zonal or FMV sa akin na lang?

    TIA!

    Reply
  65. Hi Im currently dealing with a seller who has already fully paid the condo unit (2003) but has not yet transferred the title to his name to save on CGT. he is suggesting that he will just execute a deed of assignment instead of transfer to his name and then to my name so that there is no need to pay CGT twice. Is this setup ok?

    Reply
  66. Jay,

    My concern over CGT’s refers to an agricultural property sold about 22 yrs. ago without paying the CGT. The Deed was notarized on the day the said property was sold. The seller has been dead for more than ten years and at present the property is now classified as residential land. There was also no settlement of estate on the part of the heirs of the seller either. Right now the buyer is trying to transfer the property to his name as per the Deed of Sale executed by the seller 22 years ago. Can you give me an idea on the process and penalties? Thanks.

    Reply
    • In my experience, it is advisable and less expensive if you register the sale executed 22 yrs.ago provided the deed of sale is perfect, rather than declare that the seller is dead wherein you will pay estate tax and CGT and secure all of the heirs to sign the extrajudicial settlement.

      Reply
  67. Hello Jay,

    Good Day to you!!

    My friend works abroad and have decided to live there. He left his property stop paying his mortgage in pag-ibig fund for two years now. i’m interested in continuing his payments under my name. pls let me knoe what are the procedures in acquiring his house from pag-ibig.

    thanks,
    greg

    Reply
    • Hi Greg, my advice would be for you to check with Pag-ibig first if the property has been foreclosed already. If not, check with them how you can take over the loan of your friend. As far as I know, you will also have to qualify for a pag-ibig loan, and you may have to pay for any penalties/interest that may have accrued, unless they agree to waive these. I highly suggest you attend the loan counseling sessions at Pag-IBIG’s office at the Atrium in Makati to get more details. Thanks for the comment!

      Reply
  68. ‘glad to know ur website sir. I am really forced to check with u, kc first time kong bumili house & lot at just today I got the deed of sale (400,000 pesos)signed in a law office at nalaman ko na malaki laki rin pala ang babayaran ko na Gain Tax, considering na 7% ng valuation ng assesor (estimatedly 28,000 pesos). At meron pa palang 2 years na amilyar na hindi nababayaran ng may-ari (not businessman) ng haus & lot, so ako na rin ang nagbayad in his name kasi kasi medyo malayo na ring lupalop ang may-ari. I also found out na eversince ay walang TIN no. yung may-ari pero may mga resibo sya ng mga previous annual payments. and for processing the transfer of land title, I was advised by the law office (1) to obtain a TIN no. of the owner kasi irerequest daw yung ng BIR, (2) obtain tax declaration for the land from assessor’s office (3) true copy of land title.
    My questions are:
    (a) Ano-ano at estimatedly magkano pa po ba ang expected na babayaran sa pagproseso ng transfer?
    (b) magkano po ang ilalaan ko sa mga fees?
    (c) Right now, I don’t have cash for the Gain tax, is there any options from the gov’t for me to pay for it, like installment? or promissory note kc next year pa ako magkakaroon ng cash.
    (4) due to relocation, malayo na po yung may-ari, and he is going to US soon, papaano po kung hindi sya makapagfile ng TIN no.?

    Thank u po sa site nyo, very helpful and accessible. (first time kong magresearch about tax kc may penalty pala after 30 days kapag hindi nadeclare sa BIR and after 60 days kapag hindi naprocess ang transfer…

    Reply
  69. Hi. I just bought a foreclosed properties owned by the GSIS. Do i have to pay capital gains tax or is it exempt being a government property? Thanks a lot.

    Reply
    • Hi Genalyn, as far as the BIR is concerned, as long as there is an exchange in ownership, applicable taxes must be paid, CGT in this case, and it does not matter if the property was purchased from a government institution like the GSIS. Thanks for visiting!

      Reply
  70. Hello Jay,

    Good Day..

    November 2008 i lend 350,000 pesos to a friend colateralize by their house and lot(2000 sq/m). The said land is not yet titled and still unsubdivided. They bought it from their friend. Theres no title but theres a tax dec. The original area of the land is 4 hectares and they only bought a piece of land(2000 sq/m).

    After a year we extend the contract because they have no money to pay all back. We agreed to extend for 7 months which due on June 2010 this year but unfortunately they still have no money.

    Now what we are going to do is to repossess the said property and register it into my name and get a title on it under my name. They required me to pass the capital gain tax from the first owner and another capital gain tax to the 2nd buyer to transfer it on my name. in short i am the 3rd party to own the property(2000 sq/m).

    Now my question is(are)

    1. Since the original area is 4 hectares and the property involve is only 2000 sq/m. Which 1 or which area that i oblige to pay CGT to transfer it in my name?

    Sincerely,

    Mr LI
    Panglao Bohol

    Reply
  71. llo:Ten tears ago I entered into an agreement where the seller criminally misrepresented a piece of property and in fact wrote the deed of sale including property they did not own.When I found out i asked for return of the money paid as the property was worthless to me.The seller absconded with the money.After ten years in court and legal fees of 250,000 peso’s I was awarded the property and damages however cannot collect the damages.The BIR wants 150,000 in CGT that was the obligation of the buyer by contract.
    My question is that I do not want the property but was forced to file suit to recuperate my investment and my intent is to sell it to do so.Do I have to pay the 150,000 so it can be transfered to my name?
    Thank You

    Reply

    Reply
    • Hi Gary,

      Unfortunately, you will really have to pay the CGT in order for you to transfer the property to your name. Without it, you won’t get the Certificate Authorizing Registration or CAR, which is a requirement for the title transfer. I’m sad that it took 10 years and a big amount in legal fees, but I am glad you won.

      Cheers!

      Reply
  72. Hello:Ten tears ago I entered into an agreement where the seller criminally misrepresented a piece of property and in fact wrote the deed of sale including property they did not own.When I found out i asked for return of the money paid as the property was worthless to me.The seller absconded with the money.After ten years in court and legal fees of 250,000 peso’s I was awarded the property and damages however cannot collect the damages.The BIR wants 150,000 in CGT that was the obligation of the buyer by contract.
    My question is that I do not want the property but was forced to file suit to recuperate my investment and my intent is to sell it to do so.Do I have to pay the 150,000 so it can be transfered to my name?
    Thank You

    Reply
    • Hi Bal, i asked around and so far the response I got is generally, when a memorial lot is sold, the sellers don’t issue TCT’s for the lot, what they issue a Certificate of Ownership originating from their office. They also don’t charge taxes, just burial expenses, the certificate charge and VAT. I hope this helps.

      Reply
  73. Hi Jay, we have a piece of land which we intend to convert into a cemetery. It adjoins the Roman Catholic Cemetery so we see no other use for it but a cemetery. Are grave lots subject to all these real estate taxes such as Documentary stamps, capital gain tax and value added tax. I shall be very grateful if you can enlighten me on this.

    Thanks and regards.
    BAL

    Reply
  74. Hi,

    I would like to ask if rent-to-own properties are subject to capital gain tax? I am planning to sell my property after the buy back guarantee on November. Can you please clarify this.

    Thanks a bunch.

    Reply
  75. Hi! My wife and I are purchasing a house and lot thru a owner financed agreement. We agreed to pay all transfer costs including CGT. Once we complete the payments and obtain the deed of sale, is their a time limit on paying the CGT and transfer fees to put the property in our name. We will not immediately have the funds to cover the taxes right away and will need time to accumulate the funds to cover the taxes. Or will the Bir allow a payment schedule on the taxes owed. I would really prefer not to do it thru bank loan. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
    Donny

    Reply
    • Hi Donny, the deadline for the filing of CGT is 30 days after the sale. This is reflected on the deed of absolute sale as the date when it was notarized. My advice would be for you to execute the deed of sale only when you already have the money to complete the payments plus the CGT. In addition, the deadline for the payment of Transfer Tax is 60 days after you execute the deed of sale. i hope this helps, thanks for dropping by!

      Reply
      • Hi Donny, in addition, DST is also due (5) days after the close of the month when the taxable document was made signed, issued, accepted or transferred, in this case, the deed of absolute sale.

        Reply
        • Hi Jay. Thanks so much for the info, very helpfull. One other question arises. Lets say we finish the payments, get the Deed of sale and pay the CGT, DST etc and transfer the title to my wife, I am a foreiner so it cant be in my name. Anyway 6months later we sell the property and end up required to pay the CGT again on the same property as the seller. Once the sale is complete we purchase another property as our primary residence. The 2 previously paid CGT’s can be applied to our new property purchase since it is within 18 months of the previously paid CGT’s. Yes??? Very strange circumstance. Ever heard of this happening? Thanks in advance and I might add that I think you are really helping a good number of people through what is at best organized chaos!!!

          Reply
  76. Hi! This is very informative, indeed. My question is re the 12% VAT on the sale of real property. I recently won in the bidding to purchase a foreclosed property of one of the big banks here. A friend of mine also won another lot from the same bank last year. The bank charged my friend for the bid price + EWT + DST + Notarial Fee, etc. Having this information from my friend, I assumed that it will be the same with my purchase this year, only to realized when I went to their office that I still have to pay for 12% VAT (based on Zonal Value as it is higher than the bank’s selling price). They told me that they have made a mistake in the tax computations last year and that effective this year, they are now charging 12% VAT on all real estate sale. Is there really instances where a sale of real property is subject to 12% VAT. I assumed that since the properties are considered capital assets, they are not subject to VAT. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Faye, yes you are correct. VAT is only applicable to ordinary assets. As far as I know, banks are VAT exempt when it comes to the selling of their aquired assets and this is stated in BIR Ruling No. DA-216-07 dated April 4, 2007, which noted that banks are exempt from VAT.

      Reply
  77. We bought a hectare of agric. land in 1997 via Deed of abs sale and tax declaration.

    We just sold the property as it is last year, verbally informing our buyers that we had no title for the land. Our Buyer/seller agreement says that all fees to register the property including surveys & relocation fees be paid for by the buyer. The land has been paid in full. Deed of absolute sale has been drawn and executed in favor of our buyers.

    Our buyers tried to register it last year. They were not able to because the land is not titled in our names. The orig. owner gave us a photocopy of the original title which included another parcel of land in addition to what we had bought from him. The orig. owner died five years ago, and we heard that his estate and capital gains taxes plus penalties need to be paid first before the property is registered in our names as his Buyer, to be transferred eventually to our Buyer. We found out all these when our buyers failed to register it in their names. So what we did, because of the huge expense estimate, we verbally agreed to share cost with our buyers on a 50-50 sharing, with our share not to exceed 75,000.00 php, thinking that the cost estimate is inclusive of all fees. We found out lately that our buyers do not want to share with us on the survey fees. So now it’s still in limbo. Can we get back to the original contract?

    Question??? Are we as sellers for the new transaction, given the above scenario, responsible in paying for the original owner’s estate and capital gains taxes and penalty fees?

    Can we have the property that we bought re-titled since original title from the orig. owner includes another property? Can this be retitled under the Free Patent Act 2010?

    I appreciate very much your time and advise.

    Reply
  78. Hi, Jay!
    Thank you for creating this very informative blog. I wish to consult our situation to you. My mom and her 8 siblings inherited a property in Paranaque. The TCT is under their names. Four of them, including my mom, already died; one of them is already 10 years dead; my mom 6 years; and the remaining 2, 3 years. We are planning to sell the property. But we are very worried about the amount of estate tax that the BIR will imposed on us. Could you please give me a simple computation of the estate tax? We are selling the property for Php2,500.000.00. The property’s zonal value is Php5,000.00 @ 360sq.m. Please advise. Thank you and more power to you.

    Reply
  79. Hi Jay,

    Thank you so much for this blog, it really is informative. I have an on-going transaction of property here in Antipolo & the seller’s condition was for the buyer to shoulder the cgt. as of now my client is thinking it over with their lawyer and waiting for their advice. in this event, i might have ideas for my next transactions. God bless you & keep us inform. Thanks

    Reply
  80. Hi, can you help me? I was trying to look for an answer on my problem re:Capital Gain Tax but I can’t find any. I hope you can help me. I was an agent before in one of the real state company here in our country.My hubby’s friend bought a 1.9M house&lot property but after paying d 14% down payment she decided to cancel the transaction.And since, i was the one who issued the post dated checks on her behalf we decided to continue paying it. We are now on the process of transferring the name/ownership to our names but the developer was asking us to pay the Capital Gain Tax and Documentary stamp before processing the transfer of ownership. My questions was,do we really obliged to pay the CGT & the documentary stamp since the property is not fully paid and doesn’t have a Title yet? I hope you can help me on this problem. Thank you in advance and more power.

    Reply
    • Hi Daisy, I am assuming the transfer of ownership is from the developer to you right? In that case, please ask the developer if it is really CGT or CWT that should be paid. Normally, the seller shoulders the CGT but the cost can actually be passed on by the seller to the buyer if you as the buyer will agree to it. Maybe you can check with your hubby’s friend if this was their original arrangement. I hope this helps. Just let me know if you have further questions. Thanks for visiting!

      Reply
  81. what if i purchase the land @ a loss kasi i purchased the land @ 180000php. It started kasi as utang hanggang s lumaki ng lumaki.. but FMV ng lupa is around 170000. apno ang calculation po nun….e di loss n po un db

    Reply
  82. wow, thanks for all the info. A contractor is asking my selling price for my lot in Pasig, so I’m looking for info on how much I would discount my price so I could tell him to assume all the transfer costs. When I bought this lot several years ago, I did all the paperwork, but now, it seems that there are a lot of taxes I’m so overwhelmed. Last night, I thought my family can get some good profits and pay debts; now, they will go to taxes? Anyway, thanks for all the articles. Will find more articles to read here….

    Reply
    • Hi Naya, you’re welcome and I do hope you still get some profit from the transaction. Thanks for visiting and please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need help in finding articles/topics here in foreclosurephilippines.com. 🙂

      Reply
  83. your blog is very informative. i’m planning to buy my 1st house and was browsing the ‘net for information on real estate investing when i chanced upon ur blog.. i’ve learned so much in just an hour of reading. keept it up.

    Reply
    • Hi Michelle, thanks a lot for the compliment! Good luck in buying your first house and I hope you will treat it as an investment. 🙂

      If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

      Reply
  84. Hi Jay,

    I really need your expertise on this. I am trying to transfer the rights to pay of my condo to someone else. In short, I am technically selling my unit via the assume balance scheme. However, my agent told me that I need to pay capital gains tax apart from the transfer fees of 25k. I asked her how would this be possible since I don’t have the deed of sale yet nor the title to the condo unit. My friend’s sister have her condo’s balance assumed by someone else and she only paid for the transfer fees. Can you please advise what fees I need to pay before I can transfer the rights to pay to someone else. My developer is empire east and my condo is in california garden square. I really wanted to know how the “assume balance” scheme works since I am moving to singapore soon.

    thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Hi Arnel, with transfer of rights, you don’t need to pay capital gains tax. You really have to ask the developer why they insist on this as they have no basis. I believe that even if you have this assessed by the BIR, they will ask for the deed of absolute sale.

      Reply
  85. Sir,
    just two months back, I purchased a lot at orchard cavite through BDO Realty which is payable in four years with zero interest.Now my question is, talaga bang ako ang magbabayad ng CGT at ngayon na, since our contract is in four years time.
    hoping to hear from you soon .
    Yhank you very much,
    emil

    Reply
    • Hi Emil, CGT can be shouldered by the buyer, it really depends on the purchase agreement. As for when the CGT should be paid, as far as I know if you are going to pay more than 25% of the contract price in the current year, then yes, CGT will have to be paid now.

      Reply
  86. sir,
    just 2 months back, i purchace alot in orchard cavite through BDO realty which is payable in four years without interest.now my question is, talaga bang ako ang dapat na magbayad ng cgt at ngayon na, since our contract is in four years.
    hope to hear from you soon.
    thank you very much
    emil

    Reply
  87. Sir,

    About May 21, 2009 I invested in a foreclosed condo unit, paid the 30% downpayment, signed a Contract to Sell, and was also assessed an additional CGT/CWT as the buying price was said to be lower than the BIR Zonal Valuation. This makes it clear that taxes have been paid even if the sale was not yet fully consummated.

    As it was an investment, I flipped the property less than a month after (June 9, 2009) and sold it to another person. I then paid the bank in full and gave them copy of a Deed of Assignment and Transfer of Rights of the condo unit to the third party.

    Problem is, now the bank people want me to pay them (again) Capital Gains Tax in full. Is this right?

    My presumption is that the CGT/CWT allocated in the 1st instance was not yet paid to the BIR as that was not yet a consummated Sale. At the consummation of the sale, albeit transferred to a third party, the bank people are asking me to pay what I believe has been appropriated for in the first place.

    Please comment.

    Thanks and God bless!

    Ave

    Reply
    • Hi Ave, would you have a trail that would establish they already paid the CGT or CWT? Banks can pay CWT to the BIR even if you are not yet fully paid. This is currently the practice of one bank I know where I bought some properties from. Of course you should not be made to pay for something twice.

      Reply
  88. hi jay

    i bought a property sa imus cavite last rcbc auction for P4.247M the bank paid P254,820 for CGT. my question is if the land area is 698 smq and the zonal value P2,750 = P1,919,500 x 6% = P115,170.00 will i pay extra if the condition’s buyer will pay difference if zonal value much higher than selling value? sorry hindi ko alam ito kung ito lang zonal value ang basis pero yung house kasali ba ito sa computation?…

    regards

    olan

    Reply
    • Hi Olan, yes, the house or improvement should be included in the computation for the total zonal value. The zonal value of the improvement should be indicated on the updated tax declaration for the house. The total zonal value is the zonal value of the land(P1,919,500) plus the zonal value of the house. Once you get this, you can then determine if CGT should be based on the SP or the zonal value. CGT is 6% of the Selling Price or Zonal value, whichever is higher.

      Reply
  89. I had a condominium office unit foreclosed by bank for P 6,800,000.oo. Title was consolidated by Bank. After few years of arguing with bank in court the bank agreed to sell it back to me for P 1,500,000.00 on the condition that I must take care of payment of Capital Gain Tax and Docs stamps tax. Pls let me know abt the 2 taxes as I am the original owner buying back my own property from Bank who foreclosed it or is covered by any other withholding tax. As far as I know Bank ROPOA are considered ordinary assets and not subject to Tax upon sale as Bank is reconveying back to same original owner same property. Rgds.
    Best n urgent reply appreciated. Rgds, ZOREN SILVA

    Reply
  90. Hi Jay,

    I have a question regarding conditional exemption of Final Capital Gains Tax when it is used to acquire another principal residence within 180 days.

    My question is whether you can still avail the exemption if the sequence is reversed – when you “Buy First, then Sell Later”?

    SITUATION:
    ==========
    A “Contract to Sell” has been signed for a pre-sell condominium. Payment has been made through monthly amortization. Upon close to turnover, a decision was made to sell the primary residence. Let us assume the “Contract of Sale” for the new residence was done *after* the disposition of the primary residence, however both “Contract to Sell” and amortization payments for the new residence have occurred prior to the sell of the old property.

    In this situation, can you still avail of Final Capital Gains exemption? Is there any special watchout &/or procedure given the reverse order of the transaction? Thanks!

    Your perspective much appreciated!

    Reply
    • Hi Susan, I will have to get back to you on this, this is a very unique situation and I will need to do some research for this. Actually we are writing an article about CGT exemptions so we might include the answer to your question in that post.

      Reply
  91. Hi Don, In the case of the Tax forclosure auction in Marikina, the COS will be annotated at the registry of deeds without the need to pay for the CGT. In contrast, it seems that for Tagaytay, the COS can only be annotated when the CGT has been paid and then the 1 year redemption period starts. We also share the same question, what happens if the property is redeemed? I am sure that any taxes already paid will not be returned so the question is really whether or not it is correct for the Tagaytay RD to require the payment of CGT before they will annotate the COS.

    Reply
    • Dear Jay,
      About capital gains tax. Granted it has to be paid. But who pays if the seller was the SSS through their foreclosure bidding process?
      One year has elapsed and I am trying to have the lot titled to me. When I brought the title for annotation to the provincial register of deeds they wrote subject to payment of CGT. Am I required to pay this as the buyer?

      Thank you for your response.

      Reply
  92. Hi Jay,
    When one participates in public auction of tax delinquent properties and successfully bidded and won. And he wants to annotate the certificate of sale on the title, will the CGT necessarily be paid to the BIR in order for the Register of deeds to annotate the certificate of sale? What was your experience on this situation.
    Will the tax delinquent owner of the property reimburse the payment once he redeems within the one year period? the rate of interest is only 2 percent a month and yet the capital gains tax is already 6% and doc stamps of 1.5%. And what if only one or two months, the registered owner redeems the property from the city treasurer?
    I understand the one year redemption periods runs only from the time of annotation on the title. And if we do not annotate then what will be the basis for the redemption period to start?
    Thank you. don

    Reply
  93. Hi Grace, the CGT will be due once the sale is consumated and the Deed of Sale is executed, which is once the property has been fully paid in this case. CGT will either either be 6% of the Selling Price that will appear on the deed of absolute sale or 6% of the Fair Market Value(FMV=Zonal Value x Floor Area), whichever is higher. Congratulations on your purchase! Let me know if you need further clarifications.

    Reply
  94. Hi Jay,

    Please help.

    I bought a 1BRM 41sqm condo for investment purpose. I will try the ‘rent-to-own’ scheme and has read the books of Larry Gamboa as a model. My scheme is similar to his – 30% to 50% downpayment (buyer can choose depending on one’s budget) 0% interest payable in 3 years which is also the option period. The Balance is payable in 7-10 yrs 10.95% and 12 yrs at 11.20%. The unit is fully furnished. Rent is exclusive of condo dues.

    How do I compute for the CGT??? Since there is no sale yet…how can I factor in the CGT? Also, what is the basis of the CGT? I arrived at the contract price of P3,250,000.00. The zonal valuation of the condo (2004) is at P33,500 /sqm.

    This is the first time I’m venturing into real estate. My initial plan was to just rent it out. However, I would like to try the rent-to-own scheme as this is both win-win for me and the renter.

    Thanks and more power to your blog.

    Grace

    Reply
  95. Hi Anonymous, the answer for this actually comes from my mom who related to me that CREBA required her to consistently sell at least 6 properties a year in order to be considered as someone habitually engaged in real estate and be eligible to join them. My broker also mentioned that unless you are consistently selling more than 6 properties per year, you need not worry that you will be classified as one habitually engaged in real estate. If that time comes however, you should let the BIR handle the situation and have yourself assessed.

    Reply
    • Greetings sir Jay. I just have a follow up question regarding to this matter. So will the 6th property already be considered as an ordinary asset or does it still fall under the capital asset?

      Your website is really informative and I want to thank you for sharing the knowledge. Godbless to you and more power!

      Reply
  96. @Anonymous, I believe a tax refund is out of the question as what the BIR would normally give is just a tax credit which can be used on the next round of tax payments. For this situation however, let me research first and ask some opinions from tax experts.

    Reply
  97. hi jay. just read this post and hope you could still answer my question:

    if the buyer paid for cgt based on the assurance that the seller is not habitually engaged in real estate but it turns out later on that the seller is actually and is considered by the bir to be habitually engaged in real estate, what happens to the cgt paid by the buyer?

    Reply
  98. @LL Corp, If one is habitually engaged in the real estate business, he does not pay CGT as the property is treated as an ordinary asset.

    As for your 2nd question, according to RR7-2003, ordinary assets are automatically converted into capital assets upon showing of proof that the same have not been used in business for more than two (2) years prior to the consummation of the taxable transactions.

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Reply
  99. Hi jay,

    I just read this post. I’m a bit late but I hope you can still answer this.

    according to your post:
    “when a seller is engaged in the real estate business but the property ….was idle for a long time– this is one of the instances when the property may be considered a capital asset.”

    This means that if you’ll be flipping the property you don’t have to pay CGT right?

    For how long before the property will be considered as capital assest and will be subjected to CGT?

    Thanks.

    Reply
  100. Hi Lemuel, I’m really glad you found this blog informative, and thanks again for visiting. At least now you know, pwede mo na apply sa next property, it could save you a lot of money. =)

    Reply
  101. Hi Jay,

    This blog of yours is very informative….keep informing bro…

    I bought a land in my place 5 years ago about 500 sq.m and just recently transfered the title to me (separated from 1000sq.m) if i should have known this before, dapat naghati kami sa bayad ng tax….lessons learned though…

    Reply
  102. Hi teamchi, it really is hard sometimes to reach someone at the BIR and we really have no choice but to keep on redialing, I guess that’s better than going there.

    Reply
  103. Thanks for posting this, Jay. When I check BIR’s website for zonal values, they are not updated. Like in Makati, the latest value they have there is 1998 pa. How do I know the current zonal value of the place? I’ve been trying to call BIR Makati but either the line is busy or nobody answers 🙁

    Reply
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