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How to get a Cedula (Community Tax Certificate)

A small paper you get when you pay the community tax for the year. It is often the cheapest first document people get, and it is asked for when you have a paper notarized or when you get a barangay clearance or a permit.

Cedula (Community Tax Certificate)
Photo of an actual Philippine Community Tax Certificate (cedula), public domain, by Judgefloro via Wikimedia Commons

The three ways to get it

Online

Partly

Partial and only in some cities. Most LGUs still do this only over the counter.

Even where you can pay online, you have to sign and thumbmark the actual paper, so there is almost always one visit.

  1. Check if your city has an e-services or online payment website. A few cities let you request or pay for a cedula there.
  2. Make an account, fill up the community tax form and declare your income from last year.
  3. Pay online if the city allows it.
  4. Go to the treasurer's office or the barangay to sign and thumbmark the paper and pick it up.

Walk-in

Yes

This is the normal way and it is fast. Bring exact cash, since the amount is small and many counters have little change.

Some LGUs only issue cedulas at the treasurer's office for people with business income.

  1. Go to your barangay hall, or to the city or municipal treasurer's office where you live.
  2. Ask for a cedula or community tax certificate and fill up the information sheet.
  3. Tell them your income from last year, and show proof if you have one.
  4. They compute the amount. Pay at the counter and keep the receipt.
  5. They write out or print the certificate.
  6. Sign it and press your thumbmark on it, then check your name and birthday before you leave.

Representative

Partly

This one is much easier than NBI or police clearance, since no biometrics are captured. Still, the rule is set by each LGU. Ask your barangay or treasurer's office first.

Never let anyone declare a wrong income for you, since the amount you pay depends on it.

  1. Many LGUs allow a family member or a representative to get your cedula for you, because there are no fingerprints or photo involved.
  2. Give them a signed authorization letter with your details and your income for last year.
  3. They bring that letter, a photocopy of your valid ID, and their own valid ID.
  4. Because the certificate has to carry your signature and thumbmark, you sign and thumbmark it after they hand it to you. Some offices refuse this and want you at the counter.

What to bring

  • Your full name, address, date and place of birth, and civil status. You write these on a short form at the counter
  • One valid ID from the government
  • Proof of your income from last year if you have one, such as a payslip, a BIR Form 2316, or your income tax return
  • Cash for the amount they compute

The details

Who can apply

Any person living in the Philippines who is 18 years old or older and who works for a wage or salary for at least 30 working days in a year, or runs a business or profession, or owns land worth P1,000.00 or more, or has to file an income tax return. Diplomats and consular staff, and transient visitors staying 3 months or less, do not pay it.

Cost

By law: a basic P5.00, plus P1.00 for every P1,000.00 of your income from last year. That extra part can never go higher than P5,000.00.

So if you earned P300,000.00 last year, you pay about P5.00 + P300.00 = P305.00. Many barangays and treasurer offices add a small printing or service charge on top, and that extra charge is different in every LGU, so do not treat one amount as the national price.

A person who does not have to pay the tax can still be given a certificate for P1.00. If you pay after the last day of February, the law adds 24% interest per year on the unpaid amount.

There is no rush fee.

How long it takes

Same day, usually 5 to 15 minutes over the counter. One published local citizen's charter lists a total of 5 minutes.

How long it lasts

For the calendar year it was issued. It ends on 31 December of that year.

From 1 January to 15 April, last year's cedula is still accepted, so you have time to get the new one.

Tips

  • Get your cedula first. Many barangay clearances, permits and notarized papers will not move without a current year one.
  • Pay by the last day of February. After that the law adds 24% interest per year.
  • Declare your real income from last year. A higher income means a higher cedula, but a wrong figure on a document you will later use before a notary is a bad idea.
  • Keep it flat and dry in a folder. It is thin paper and offices will not accept a torn or unreadable one.
  • Ask for the official receipt, not just the certificate.

Not verified

The research could not confirm these against an official 2026 source. Phone the office before you travel.

  • there is no national list of which LGUs offer cedula online.

Sources