QAP DAT File Generator — Quarterly Alphalist of Payees
A QAP DAT file is the electronic Quarterly Alphalist of Payees BIR requires alongside BIR Form 1601-EQ and 1601-FQ. BIR Online Tools generates it free, directly in your browser — no spreadsheet upload to a server, since the conversion happens on your own device.
What is the Quarterly Alphalist of Payees (QAP)? #
The QAP is the payee-level detail schedule that supports a withholding agent’s quarterly expanded or final withholding tax return. Instead of reporting only a lump-sum remittance total, the QAP lists every payee — TIN, branch code, name, ATC code, nature of income, tax rate, tax base, and tax withheld — so the BIR can match withholding at the payee level.
| Form | QAP schedule covers |
|---|---|
| BIR Form 1601-E | Expanded withholding — attached to the quarterly 1601-EQ return |
| BIR Form 1601-F | Final withholding, fringe benefits, and exempt payees — attached to 1601-FQ |
| BIR Form 1621 | Tax withheld on amounts withdrawn from a decedent’s deposit account |
How the DAT file is structured #
Every QAP DAT file BIR Online Tools generates has three record types, one per line: a header record carrying the withholding agent’s TIN, branch code, registered name, and return period; one detail record per payee with TIN, ATC code, income nature, tax rate, tax base, and amount withheld; and a control record with the return period and column totals across every detail line, so the BIR’s own Validation Module can reconcile the file at a glance.
How to generate a QAP DAT file #
- Set up your company profile once — TIN, branch code, and registered name pre-fill every QAP file you generate for that company.
- Pick the form — 1601-E, 1601-F, or 1621 — and fill in payee rows directly or import from an Excel template.
- Review the validation preview for TIN format, ATC code, and amount errors before the file is generated.
- Download the DAT file, then run it through the official BIR Validation Module before eSubmission.
Related reading #
- Excel to BIR DAT File for QAP — column-by-column spreadsheet preparation
- RELIEF, SAWT, QAP, Alphalist: Which DAT File Do You File? — how QAP differs from the other DAT filings
- BIR Form 2307 Series — the certificates payees receive that feed SAWT reconciliation