Keystone Home Loans

Self Employed Home Loan

Yes, you can get approved. It comes down to the right income evidence and the right lender.

No obligation. Straight answers

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Can you get a home loan self-employed?

Yes. Being self-employed doesn't stop you getting approved. The real issue isn't your income. It's how your income is presented.

Money that runs through a sole trader account, a company or a trust for tax reasons can read very differently to a lender who isn't used to interpreting it. A file that isn't packaged well gets declined, even when the approval was sitting right there.

That's where we come in. We read your returns, work out what can be added back, and match your file to the lender whose policy actually fits your structure. Most self employed home loans succeed or fail on that step alone, not on the numbers themselves.

Transition from PAYG to Self Employed

Moving from PAYG to self-employed can change how lenders assess your application, even if you're doing the same work. Many want to see income under your new ABN before they'll treat you as self-employed. If you're planning to buy soon, it's good to check how the timing could affect your options before you make the switch.

What lenders want to see

Self employed home loan requirements come down to income evidence. Two paths:

  • Full-doc: two years of personal and business tax returns, plus two years of Notices of Assessment (the ATO letter confirming your taxable income). Most lenders start here.
  • Alt-doc / low-doc: one year of returns, or a combination of BAS (your quarterly GST activity statements), an accountant's letter, and 6-12 months of business bank statements.
  • The basics: an active ABN, and GST registration if your turnover requires it. Two years trading is standard, though shorter track records can work.
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One-year and alt-doc options

Been trading for at least twelve months? There are lenders who'll assess a home loan on a single tax return. Others will look at alt-doc evidence instead. BAS, business bank statements and an accountant's declaration of income. Eligibility also depends on the lender and your trading history/business structure, not just how long you've been self-employed.

The language has shifted. What used to be called a "low doc home loan" is now mostly written as an "alt doc home loan", and each lender defines it a bit differently. These options suit newly self-employed borrowers with a strong industry track record, or business owners whose latest year is a much better reflection of current income than their older returns are.

How we lift your borrowing power

This is where broker experience actually moves the number. When lenders assess self-employed income, several expenses on your return can be added back to lift your assessable income:

Depreciation on business assets
Interest on business debt
One-off expenses that won't recur
Extra super contributions above the compulsory amount
Directors' fees paid to you from your own company

Each lender counts these differently. Choosing the right lender before you apply can lift your self-employed borrowing power by tens of thousands.

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Sole trader, company or trust: it changes the assessment

Your structure decides your lender shortlist.

  • Sole trader: lenders use net profit from your personal tax returns.
  • Company or company director: salary plus retained profits in the business, with add-backs applied.
  • Trust: distributions to beneficiaries and how profits are held all get weighed differently.

A home loan for a sole trader is a very different file to one for a company director, even at the same income level. We work out which lenders read your structure most favourably before we apply.

How we approach a self-employed home loans

Here’s our process to get you a self employed home loan.

Understand your business structure

Sole trader, partnership, company or corporate trustee: each one is assessed differently. We start here because the structure determines which lenders are right for you.

Review your business finances

We go through your tax returns, profit and loss statements and balance sheets. We also look at what can be added back to your income, including depreciation, directors fees, extra super contributions...

Match you to the right lender

Not every lender assesses self-employed income the same way. We identify the lender whose policy works best for your structure before we apply, not after, drawing on our experience with clients across...

Prepare and submit your application

We help you pull together the right documents, structure the application clearly and submit it in a way that's easy for the lender to assess. Less back-and-forth, fewer delays.

Buying your first home, building an investment portfolio, or refinancing instead? Being self-employed doesn't change the basics, see first home buyer loans, investment property loans, or refinance your home loan for those specific paths.

Testimonials

See what clients say about our service

Google

5.0 Stars

Based on 48 user reviews

Darren W.

Darren W.

“Refinanced through our mortgage broker and couldn’t be happier. Phillip secured us a great interest rate, helped consolidate our loans, and ended up saving us a heap of money each month. Everything was explained clearly and the process was smooth from start to finish. Highly recommend.”

Michael D.

Michael D.

“Phillip was amazing. Not only did he help us find the loan we desired, he was proactive with our conveyancer, the bank and all other parties involved to make sure we had our i's and t's, ticked and crossed. As a first home buyer this was invaluable. Thankyou Phillip for helping us with our first home.”

Julie H.

Julie H.

“Phillip was great to work with! Helped us with refinancing and obtaining the best rate in the market. He was very efficient and made the whole process very easy. Would recommend him to anyone looking for a mortgage broker.”

Why self-employed borrowers work with us

You deal directly with Phillip Bui, Founder and Principal Mortgage Broker, an accredited mortgage broker and Full Member of the MFAA. One broker, one point of contact.

We compare 50+ lenders and package the file so it's assessed correctly the first time because lender policies for self-employed borrowers vary far more than standard PAYG applications. Rated 5.0 on Google from 48 reviews.

We're based in NSW with a Sydney mortgage broker office in Arncliffe, and help clients across New South Wales and Australia-wide.

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A free chat with Phillip. No obligation. You'll walk away knowing your borrowing power, whether your structure needs adjusting, and which lenders suit your file.

Frequently Asked, Clearly Answered

Yes, with the right lender. Some accept one year of tax returns or Alt-doc evidence like BAS and bank statements. Your options depend on your trading history, industry and business structure.

Two years is the standard, but not every lender requires it. Some accept one year of trading or alt-doc applications. It comes down to the lender and how your income is evidenced.

Most assess your tax returns, then apply add-backs like depreciation, one-off expenses and extra super. Some average two years of income, while others use the most recent year. That's why lender choice matters.

Most lenders ask for tax returns, Notices of Assessment, BAS, bank statements and ID. Alt-doc applications may also need an accountant's letter. We'll confirm exactly what's required once we've matched you to a lender.

Yes. Payslips are for PAYG employees. As a self-employed applicant your income evidence is your tax returns, financial statements, BAS and bank statements instead. Alt-doc lenders lean more heavily on business bank statements and an accountant's declaration.

Not usually. Full-doc loans generally receive the same rates as PAYG borrowers. Alt-doc loans can cost a little more because the lender relies on less income verification.

Yes to both. The income evidence is the same whether you're buying your first place as a self-employed first home buyer, refinancing while self-employed, or growing a portfolio. What changes is the serviceability calculation and LVR (loan-to-value ratio) the lender will accept, which is why matching your file to the right lender is the whole game.

Didn’t find your answer?

Work with Phillip, your Sydney mortgage broker

He’s here to guide you personally through every step, comparing 50+ lenders so your loan process is smooth and stress-free.