Worked example
Dennis, a senior developer, left a Cebu software house at the end of April 2026 (₱62,000 a month) and joined a Manila fintech on 1 May at ₱70,000.
Old employer: 4 × ₱62,000 ÷ 12 = ₱20,666.67, paid with his final pay. New employer: 8 × ₱70,000 ÷ 12 = ₱46,666.67, paid in December. Each employer treats its payment as tax-free because each is under ₱90,000. Combined: ₱67,333.33 — still under the ceiling, so no problem. But add a ₱25,000 signing bonus from the new employer and he's at ₱92,333.33, and ₱2,333.33 becomes taxable.
Two employers in one year: file your own return
Someone with two employers in the same year (one after the other) can't use substituted filing. You file BIR Form 1700 by 15 April 2027, combining both Forms 2316. That's where the ₱90,000 ceiling is applied to you as a person — each employer only knows its own numbers.
Give your new employer your previous employer's Form 2316 when you join; many payroll teams will then annualize your tax correctly in December and the 1700 becomes a formality.