Home loans for Self-Employed Borrowers
We understand the challenges that come with applying for a home loan while self-employed. To make it easier for our borrowers, we’ve made the application process as simple as possible. All you need is 6 months' BAS or full financials to apply for a loan.
Variable, owner occupied P&I from:
- 6 months' BAS for the Self-Employed Alt Doc Home Loan
- Up to 80% LVR
- No application fee, no ongoing fees
- Optional offset sub-account
- Unlimited free extra repayments with redraw facilities for variable loans
Variable, owner occupied P&I from:
- 6 months' BAS for the Self-Employed Alt Doc Home Loan
- Up to 80% LVR
- No application fee, no ongoing fees
- Optional offset sub-account
- Unlimited free extra repayments with redraw facilities for variable loans
Why is a self-employed home loan different?
This home loan is designed specifically for people who work for themselves or are paid directly by their clients or customers, be it sole traders, contractors, partners, company directors, or trust beneficiaries. If you’re earning income through your own business instead of a PAYG salary, a self-employed home loan may be ideal.
At loans.com.au, we offer two ways to get your mortgage: the standard self-employed pathway using two years of tax returns and financials, or the Self-Employed Alt Doc pathway, which verifies income with a signed Declaration of Financial Status and 6 months' BAS, no tax returns required. Both need an ABN active for at least 24 months.
Owner occupier rates
Start your home ownership journey with our competitive home loans. Whether you’re buying your first home, next home, or refinancing, explore your options so you can get moving sooner.
| Home Loan | Interest rate p.a. from | Comparison rate p.a.* | Max LVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable |
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| Variable Bare Alt Doc Home Loan | 6.89% | 6.93% | 70% | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Home Loan | 6.99% | 7.03% | 70% | |
| Variable Bare Alt Doc Home Loan | 6.99% | 7.03% | 80% | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Home Loan | 7.09% | 7.13% | 80% | |
Fixed |
||||
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 1 year | 7.54% | 7.18% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 2 years | 7.54% | 7.22% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 3 years | 7.54% | 7.26% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 4 years | 7.84% | 7.42% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 5 years | 7.84% | 7.50% | 80% | |
| Home Loan | Interest rate p.a. from | Comparison rate p.a.* | Max LVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable |
||||
| Variable Bare Alt Doc Home Loan | - | - | - | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Home Loan | 7.44% | 7.23% | 70% | |
| Variable Bare Alt Doc Home Loan | - | - | - | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Home Loan | 7.54% | 7.33% | 80% | |
Fixed |
||||
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 1 year | 7.94% | 7.22% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 2 years | 7.94% | 7.30% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 3 years | 7.94% | 7.38% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 4 years | 8.24% | 7.56% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc 5 years | 8.24% | 7.67% | 80% | |
Investor Rates
Grow your investment portfolio with a competitive home loan with great features and flexible repayment options to suit your property investment goals.
| Home Loan | Interest rate p.a. from | Comparison rate p.a.* | Max LVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable |
||||
| Variable Bare Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | 7.09% | 7.13% | 70% | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | 7.19% | 7.23% | 70% | |
| Variable Bare Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | 7.19% | 7.23% | 80% | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | 7.29% | 7.33% | 80% | |
Fixed |
||||
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 1 year | 7.74% | 7.38% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 2 years | 7.74% | 7.42% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 3 years | 7.74% | 7.46% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 4 years | 8.04% | 7.62% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 5 years | 8.04% | 7.70% | 80% | |
| Home Loan | Interest rate p.a. from | Comparison rate p.a.* | Max LVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable |
||||
| Variable Bare Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | - | - | - | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | 7.29% | 7.27% | 70% | |
| Variable Bare Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | - | - | - | |
| Variable Bold Alt Doc Investor Home Loan | 7.39% | 7.37% | 80% | |
Fixed |
||||
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 1 year | 8.14% | 7.42% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 2 years | 8.14% | 7.50% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 3 years | 8.14% | 7.58% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 4 years | 8.44% | 7.76% | 80% | |
| Fixed Bold Alt Doc Investor 5 years | 8.44% | 7.87% | 80% | |
Alt Doc vs Standard Home Loans: What's the difference?
A full doc home loan verifies your income with tax returns, Notices of Assessment and financial statements. An Alt Doc home loan uses alternative evidence instead, most commonly BAS, business bank statements or an accountant's declaration, plus a signed statement of your income.
Full doc home loans are ideal for those with easily verifiable income. Alt doc loans, on the other hand, are designed for self-employed borrowers with an established business.
| Designed for | Standard self-employed | Self-employed Alt Doc |
|---|---|---|
| Income evidence | 1–2 years of tax returns, NOAs and financials | BAS, bank statements or accountant's letter, plus income declaration |
| Typical max LVR | 80–95% (LMI usually applies above 80%) | 60–80% |
| Typical rates | Lowest, same as PAYG borrowers | Moderately higher |
| Servicing income | Actual assessed taxable income | Declared income supported by BAS |
| Best for | Current, lodged returns that reflect your income | Established businesses with returns behind or not reflecting current income |
| At loans.com.au | Standard self-employed, full home loan range | Self-Employed Alt Doc: 6 months' BAS, up to 80% LVR, no LMI |
Typical LVRs and rates describe the Australian market generally and vary by lender.
Which self-employed home loan fits you?
If your tax returns are up to date and show what you earn, you may be able to qualify for our standard home loans. But if you don’t have those, our Alt Doc home loan option lets your BAS do the talking.
Standard self-employed
May be suitable for: Borrowers with completed and current tax returns and financials. We also accept company, partners, and trust applicants.
What you need to submit: Two years of personal and business tax returns plus financial statements. Your actual assessed taxable income.
What could you receive: Access to our full home loan range and rates.
Self-employed Alt Doc
May be suitable for: Established businesses with complex company or trust structures, or where tax returns don’t match current business performance.
What you need to submit: Declaration of Financial Status, declared income, 6 months' BAS (2 quarterly statements) supported by ATO Account Summary, ABN Active for at least 24 months, 12 months' GST. No tax returns, no financial statements needed.
What you could receive: Access to competitive rates and up to 80% LVR.
Who counts as self-employed?
For home loan purposes, you're self-employed if your income comes from a business you own or control, rather than wages from an employer.
Sole traders
Tradies, consultants, freelancers and gig workers trading under their own ABN.
Contractors
Contractors who invoice clients through an ABN rather than being paid as employees.
Partnerships
Partners are two or more people or entities who share in the profits of a business partnership, as well as distribute losses among themselves.
Company directors
Directors and shareholders who draw income from their own company, including those paying themselves PAYG wages.
Trust beneficiaries
Business owners receiving distributions from a family or trading trust.
Companies & trading trusts
Company and trading trust applicants are accepted across our standard product range.
Self-employed home loan documents checklist
Standard Self-Employed Home Loan (Full Doc)
Personal tax returns (last two years)
Business tax returns — company, trust or partnership (last two years)
Financial statements: profit & loss and balance sheet
ATO Notices of Assessment
ABN registered for at least 24 months
Standard ID and security documentation
Self-Employed Alt Doc Loan (Low Doc)
Completed Declaration of Financial Status, signed by all applicants
6 months' BAS (minimum 2 quarterly statements)
ATO Account Summary
ABN registered and trading continuously for at least 24 months
GST registration for at least 12 months
Standard ID and security documentation
How lenders assess self-employed income
Because business income can move around month to month, lenders look for evidence that it's stable enough to meet repayments over the life of the loan. The main things that matter:
How long you've been trading
Your ABN must have been registered and trading continuously for at least 24 months. For Alt Doc, you also need 12 months of GST registration to confirm that your business turnover is established.
What income is used
With the standard home loan pathway, we use the actual assessed taxable income shown in your tax returns. With Alt Doc, we use the income you state in your Declaration of Financial Status, as long as your BAS supports it.
Why tax returns don’t always reflect current income
Tax returns are often lodged a year or more after the income year ends, and legitimate deductions can make taxable income look lower than your real cash flow. If your business has grown recently, or you operate through a company or trust, your returns may not show what you can comfortably repay — that's the gap Alt Doc is designed to close.
Deposit and equity
Alt Doc lends up to 80% of the property value, so you'll need at least a 20% deposit or equity. The funder pays LMI up to 80% LVR, so there's no LMI cost to you.
Your overall financial position
As with any home loan, we look at your existing debts, living expenses, credit history and the property you're buying or refinancing.
Loans designed for people who run the show
No ongoing fees
$0 application fee and no monthly or annual fees. Money stays in your business.
Offset sub-account
Park business cash flow in an offset sub-account and reduce the interest charged over the life of your loan.
Unlimited extra repayments
Pay down your loan faster in a good month with unlimited free additional repayments on variable rates.^
No LMI to 80%
On Alt Doc, the funder covers LMI up to 80% LVR, a saving that can run into thousands.
Award-winning, 4.6★ rated
Rated 4.6 on Google from 750 reviews, and backed by the Firstmac Group.
Australian lending specialists
Talk to a Brisbane-based specialist who deals with self-employed applications every day — you’re in good hands.
Applying for a self-employed home loan
Check which loan you qualify for
Answer a few questions online to see which pathway suits you.
Talk to a specialist
Discuss your loan needs with our friendly lending specialists. We’ll confirm your pathway, borrowing power and rate.
Upload documents
BAS and your signed declaration for Alt Doc, or tax returns and financials for full doc.
Assessment & valuation
We assess your application and value the property.
Approval & settlement
Sign your loan documents and we settle your purchase or refinance.
Kathryn
Lending specialist
6 tips for self-employed borrowers
Lodge BAS on time.
Up-to-date BAS is the core evidence for Alt Doc and supports any full doc application.
Separate business and personal accounts.
It makes your income and expenses easier to verify.
Declare income you can support.
Your declared income must be backed by your BAS turnover.
Save a 20% deposit or build equity.
Alt Doc requires a maximum 80% LVR. Plus, a bigger deposit means a smaller loan, which could equal to more potential savings.
Reduce other debts.
Business credit cards, car loans and equipment finance all count against your borrowing power. Reducing these debts may also help improve your credit score.
Talk to your accountant about timing.
If a strong year is about to be lodged, full doc may give you access to our standard rates.
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FAQs
Yes. At loans.com.au you can apply with full documentation (two years of tax returns and financials) or with Self-Employed Alt Doc, which verifies income with a Declaration of Financial Status and 6 months' BAS. Your ABN needs to have been active for at least 24 months.
Yes. Self-Employed Alt Doc doesn't require tax returns or traditional financial statements. You provide a signed Declaration of Financial Status and 6 months of BAS (at least 2 quarterly statements). You'll need an ABN active for 24 months and 12 months of GST registration. Maximum LVR is 80% or a minimum 20% deposit.
Your ABN must have been registered and trading continuously for at least 24 months. Alt Doc also requires at least 12 months of GST registration.
Not on the standard self-employed home loan. With two years of tax returns and financials, you access our full home loan range at the same rates as PAYG borrowers. Self-Employed Alt Doc has its own own competitive rate that differs slightly compared to our standard home loan rates, reflecting the lighter documentation.
Not on the Self-Employed Alt Doc home loan. Because Alt Doc's maximum LVR is 80%, you'll need at least a 20% deposit or equity, which exempts you from LMI.
Generally, you may be able to borrow up to $3,000,000 at 70% LVR or less, or up to $2,000,000 at 80% LVR. Your borrowing power also depends on your declared income (supported by your BAS), your existing debts and your living expenses. Try the borrowing power calculator above for an estimate.
It's a signed form stating your income, assets and liabilities. For Alt Doc, it replaces tax returns and financial statements. Every applicant must sign it, and the income you declare must be supported by your BAS.
Yes. The Self-Employed Alt Doc home loan can be used for purchase, refinance, debt consolidation and equity release, on owner-occupied and investment properties.
Yes. Trading trust and company applicants are accepted across our standard home loan range. Business-purpose lending secured by residential property is also available at residential rates, subject to eligibility.
Yes. Our self-employed home loan product suite has fully featured product options available, which come with an offset sub-account. All our variable loans also have a full redraw facility, allowing unlimited additional payments and fee-free redraws.
$0 application fee, $300 settlement fee, security assessment fee starting at $230 for metro locations and no monthly or annual fees.
On discharge, there's a $300 discharge fee and a $250 discharge documentation fee, as well as government or legal fees that may apply.
Kathryn
Lending Specialist
Talk to a self-employed lending specialist
Tell us how your business is set up and we'll tell you which pathway gets you the best result — no obligation.