Income & paperwork
Will you lend to me if my numbers are messy?
Tax returns not done, a loss year, BAS behind, takings dropped or one customer paying most of the bills. Here's how each is weighed.
Plenty of good businesses have paperwork that lags behind reality, a year that looks worse on paper than it was, or income that's lumpy or concentrated. Lenders who look past the headline figures ask why, and what current trading shows.
Bank statements and lodged BAS often matter more than last year's tax return for unsecured options, while property-secured loans rely less on income evidence. Find your situation below for how each one is weighed.
Often, yes. Many non-bank lenders don't rely on tax returns.
Read the answer → …my business made a loss last year? Often, yesOften, yes. A loss on paper doesn't always mean the business can't repay.
Read the answer → …my BAS lodgements are behind? Possible — lodge firstPossibly, but lodge first. Overdue BAS worry lenders more than most paperwork gaps, because BAS are official turnover evidence and unlodged ones can hide GST and PAYG debt.
Read the answer → …my revenue has dropped recently? Case by caseCase by case. A drop in revenue makes lenders look harder, because unsecured limits are sized on turnover and a falling trend shrinks what the business can support.
Read the answer → …most of my customers pay cash? Depends on what's bankedIt depends on what's banked and declared.
Read the answer → …one customer makes up most of my income? Yes, with contextYes, with context. Relying on one major customer is common for subcontractors, suppliers and service businesses, and lenders see it all the time.
Read the answer → …I already have other business loans? Often, yesOften, yes. Having existing business debt is normal, and lenders simply factor your current repayments into what the business can afford.
Read the answer → …my turnover is quite small? Smaller amounts, yesFor smaller amounts, often yes. Unsecured and cash-flow lenders size limits on turnover, so a smaller business can usually access a smaller facility, provided deposits are steady.
Read the answer →Other kinds of “will you lend to me if…”
New business
Three months in, a fresh ABN, a business you just bought, a switch from sole trader to company — here's what lenders actually do with a short history.
See the questions →Credit & tax debt
Defaults, ATO debt, a bank knock-back, a past bankruptcy or a company that didn't make it. Each one is a question, not an automatic no.
See the questions →Property & people
No property, a partner's property, land, a trust, a home that's already mortgaged or a director overseas. What security and structure change about the answer.
See the questions →Can't see your exact situation?
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