Business structure
Sole traders, partners and limited-company directors can be assessed using different income evidence. Make sure you know which figures describe your position.
Employment & income · Less straightforward does not mean impossible
Can I get a mortgage with only one year of self-employed accounts?
A shorter trading history can narrow the routes available, but it is not the same as an automatic decline. The quality and consistency of the evidence becomes especially important.
self employedone year accountssole traderlimited companydirector
What this means
Criteria vary significantly
A shorter trading history can narrow the routes available, but it is not the same as an automatic decline. The quality and consistency of the evidence becomes especially important.
0%Preparation checklistNot an eligibility score
What may matter
Break the problem into the parts a lender may actually assess.
Filed versus current figures
Filed accounts and tax documents matter, but current trading performance can also help explain whether the latest year is representative.
Previous experience
A new business in an industry you have worked in for years can be a different story from a completely new occupation, although lender treatment still varies.
Prepare before applying
Turn the uncertainty into a checklist.
Mark an item when you have genuinely organised it. Progress is stored on this device and feeds into My Money Plan.
Collect the latest accounts and tax documents
Keep the filed figures together rather than relying on rough estimates.
Bring business and personal bank records up to date
Clean records help explain the flow from business income to personal income.
Know the current trading position
Recent turnover, contracts or management figures may help explain how the business is performing now.
Make accountant details easy to access
If clarification is needed, it helps to know who prepared the figures and what can be evidenced.
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Suggested next action
Collect the latest accounts and tax documentsKeep the filed figures together rather than relying on rough estimates.
Worth watching
Avoid creating a second problem while solving the first.
- Do not choose a taxable-income strategy without considering future borrowing goals alongside tax advice.
- A strong turnover figure is not automatically the same as the income a lender will use.
- Avoid presenting different versions of income across applications, accounts and tax records.
Related circumstances
Check whether another part of the same case also matters.
Mortgage cases are often combinations rather than single labels. These are nearby situations based on shared themes and category, not lender eligibility matches.
Employment & incomeEvidence depends on your structure
Contractor / freelancer
What financials and evidence do contractors or freelancers need for a mortgage?
Shared theme: limited company. Contractor and freelance income can be assessed differently depending on whether you are PAYE, umbrella, a sole trader or operating through a limited company. Build one consistent income story across the contract, financial records, tax evidence and bank activity before relying on a headline day rate.
Review this circumstance →Employment & incomeEvidence pattern matters
Bonus / overtime / commission
Will a lender count my bonus, overtime or commission?
Variable income is not always ignored, but the amount a lender is prepared to use can depend on history, regularity and evidence. Build the pattern before relying on the full figure.
Review this circumstance →Employment & incomeCriteria and currency treatment vary
Foreign / overseas income
Can I get a UK mortgage if some or all of my income is paid overseas or in a foreign currency?
Overseas or foreign-currency income can create additional lender, evidence and exchange-rate considerations. The first step is to make the source, currency, tax position and payment history clear rather than converting one month into a permanent sterling figure.
Review this circumstance →Explore another situation
Mortgage problems are often combinations, not single labels.
If more than one issue applies, review each relevant page and keep the facts consistent across them. Started checklists will reappear at the top of the Circumstances Hub and inside My Money Plan.