Low doc and no doc business finance
Tax returns not done? Show us something else.
No financials, overdue lodgements, a new ABN or books that got away from you? Lenders can often work from BAS, bank statements, an accountant's letter, contracts or property equity instead. We match what you've got to the lender that accepts it.
- No credit check to enquire
- $20k – $5m secured
- A real person on your file
The swap
- Tax return 2025–264 lodged BAS
- Profit and loss6 months of statements
- Signed financialsAccountant's letter
- 2 years' historyProperty equity
- Future income proofSigned contracts
Illustrative. Which swaps work depends on the lender and your situation.
No credit check to enquire
Asking what your paperwork situation allows doesn't touch your credit file. A credit check only comes up once you choose to go ahead.
No spray-and-pray
Your enquiry isn't fired off to a list of lenders. One team reads it and matches your evidence to the lender that accepts it.
A real person on your file
A lending specialist looks at what you've got, not just what you're missing, and calls you. Honest form answers mean the right match first time.
Quick check
What's missing from your pile?
Tap a document you haven't got. We'll show what lenders commonly take in its place. For the full version, with your likely loan route and a gather list, use the substitute checker.
Instead of tax returns, lenders may accept:
- Lodged BAS for the same period show the turnover a return would have shown.
- Business bank statements show the money that actually came in.
- An accountant's letter can confirm income and that the return is being prepared.
- ATO online records show what's been lodged and whether anything is owing.
- Property equity lets the security carry the loan, so income evidence matters less.
Instead of financials, lenders may accept:
- Management accounts (a P&L and balance sheet from your software) stand in for formal statements.
- Bank statements let a lender rebuild your income and regular costs themselves.
- BAS figures give quarterly sales, GST and wages totals.
- A signed assets and liabilities statement replaces the balance sheet.
- Your accountant can confirm key figures in a letter before the full accounts are done.
Instead of current lodgements, lenders may accept:
- A tax agent's letter setting out what's outstanding and when it will be lodged.
- An ATO account statement shows exactly what's overdue and any payment arrangement.
- Bank statements prove the business is trading while the paperwork catches up.
- Property-secured lenders can often look past overdue lodgements if the equity is there.
Instead of trading history, lenders may accept:
- History under your previous ABN or structure usually counts as the same business.
- Contracts or work in hand show income that's coming, not just what's been.
- Even a short run of statements proves money is moving.
- Property equity can make a short history much less of an issue.
Start with the gap
Which document is holding you up?
Each page explains why lenders usually ask for it, what they'll look at instead, and how to put your case together.
No tax returns
Latest tax return not lodged? See which lenders fund on BAS, bank statements, an accountant's letter or property equity, and how to present each one.
What works instead →No financials
No profit and loss or balance sheet? Here's how low doc lenders rebuild the picture from bank statements, BAS, software reports and an assets list.
What works instead →Overdue lodgements
Returns or BAS overdue? How lenders view late lodgements, what a catch-up plan should show, and which low doc routes can still fund you now.
What works instead →No BAS (not GST registered)
Under the GST threshold, so no BAS to show a lender? How to prove turnover with bank statements, invoices, settlement reports and ABN records instead.
What works instead →Books behind
Bookkeeping months behind? Lenders can work from bank statements and lodged BAS. Here's the minimum catch-up worth doing before you apply.
What works instead →No accountant
No accountant to prepare financials or write a letter? The evidence you can pull together yourself from your bank, the ATO and your software.
What works instead →Loss on paper
Tax return shows a loss or tiny profit but the business is doing fine? How lenders look past taxable profit to cash flow, add-backs and security.
What works instead →Alternative evidence
Six things lenders accept instead
Missing documents answer questions: what does the business earn, is the owner on top of things, will the income last. These six can answer the same questions another way.
See all evidence types →Straight talk
No doc doesn't mean no evidence
Four things business owners tell us they've heard, and what's actually true.
Heard No doc means no questions asked.
Actually Every lender needs evidence. No doc means swapping the missing documents for other evidence, not skipping evidence altogether.
Heard If my tax return isn't done, I have to wait.
Actually BAS, bank statements and an accountant's letter often cover the same ground while the return is being finished.
Heard A loss on my tax return rules me out.
Actually Taxable profit is shaped by deductions. Lenders can look at cash flow, add-backs and security instead of one bottom-line figure.
Heard Overdue lodgements are an automatic no.
Actually They need explaining, and a clear catch-up plan helps a lot. With property security, some lenders look past them.
Two routes
Security or statements: which will carry your loan?
When paperwork is light, one of these usually does the heavy lifting. Many owners qualify for both.
Property-secured
$20k to $5m
First mortgages, second mortgages and caveat loans against residential or commercial property. The equity does most of the work, so missing returns weigh far less.
Low doc secured loans →Statement-based
Typically $5k to $500k
Unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options for trading businesses, sized on the turnover your bank statements show. No property needed.
Bank statement loans →Past credit issues and ATO debt considered case by case. Business purposes only. Every loan is priced on your circumstances, so we don't publish rates. Compare every option on the loan types page.
How it works
From “my paperwork’s a mess” to a clear answer
- 1
Tell us what's missing and what you've got
The 60-second form asks what you need and what paperwork is behind. Be straight with us: gaps are our speciality, surprises aren't.
- 2
A specialist reads the whole picture
A real person looks at your evidence, your security and the purpose, then calls to fill in the blanks. No credit check to get this far.
- 3
We match evidence to lender
Some lenders lean on BAS, some on statements, some on equity. We take your file to the one that accepts what you actually hold.
- 4
Gather only what's needed
You get a short, specific list, not a generic checklist. Then assessment, approval and funding once you decide to go ahead.
Who we help
Built for owners whose paperwork lags their business
Self-employed
Self-employed and short on paperwork? How sole traders and small operators prove income for a business loan with BAS, statements and myGov records.
See what works →New ABN
New ABN and no trading history to show? The evidence that can open doors: prior industry experience, contracts, early statements, a previous ABN or property.
See what works →Sole trader to company
Moved from sole trader to a company and now look brand new to lenders? How to link your trading history to the new entity so it counts on a low doc loan.
See what works →Bought a business
Bought a business and need finance before financials exist in your name? Using the seller's records, your early statements and property as evidence.
See what works →Cash and card businesses
Cafés, retail, salons and trades taking cash and card: how settlement reports, banked takings and BAS prove turnover when financials are behind.
See what works →Checking your statements first? Try the bank statement snapshot.
Guides
Get your evidence in order
Practical guides for the months before you need finance, and the week you realise you do.
Reading Your BAS Like a Lender: Label by Label
What a credit analyst reads on your BAS when tax returns are missing: G1, 1A, 1B, W1 and W2, how they're cross-checked and the patterns that raise questions.
Tax Return Not Lodged Yet? Show a Lender It's in Hand
Late isn't always overdue. How to prove your tax return is underway: agent letters, ATO lodgement history, account statements and a simple status summary.
Making Cash Takings Count When You Need Business Finance
Cash that isn't banked doesn't exist to a lender. A daily takings routine that makes cash turnover visible, matches your BAS and strengthens low doc loans.
Low doc questions, answered straight
What is a no doc business loan?
It's a business loan where the lender doesn't ask for the full set of tax returns and financial statements. Instead they rely on other evidence: BAS, business bank statements, an accountant's letter, contracts, or equity in property. Genuine no-evidence lending doesn't exist; the paperwork is swapped, not skipped.
Can I get a business loan without tax returns in Australia?
Often, yes. Unsecured lenders commonly size loans on turnover shown in bank statements and BAS, and property-secured lenders lean mainly on the equity. What matters is that the evidence you do have tells a believable story about income and repayment.
How much can I borrow without financials?
Property-secured options run from $20,000 to $5,000,000 by first mortgage, second mortgage or caveat. Unsecured, cash-flow and line-of-credit options are typically $5,000 to $500,000, sized on turnover and bank statements. Where you land depends on your evidence, security and purpose.
My BAS or tax returns are overdue. Can I still apply?
Yes. Overdue lodgements need explaining, and a tax agent's catch-up plan or an ATO account statement showing where things stand helps. Property-secured lenders can be more flexible where there's clear equity.
I've just got a new ABN. Is there anything for me?
Possibly. Trading history under a previous ABN or structure, signed contracts, a short run of strong statements or property security can each open doors. Tell us what you have and we'll say honestly whether it's enough yet.
Will enquiring hurt my credit score?
No. There's no credit check when you first enquire. A credit check only comes up once you've seen your options and decided to go ahead.
Do you send my details to lots of lenders?
No. Your enquiry is read by one team, and your file goes only to the lender that suits your evidence, with your agreement. No spray and pray.
More answers on the FAQ page.
Paperwork behind? Let's see what you've got.
Tell us what's missing and what you have. No credit check when you first enquire, no blasting your details to a pile of lenders, and a real person who knows low doc lending.
No credit check to enquire
No spray-and-pray
A real person on your file