Free tool · 2 minutes
What can I use instead?
Tick the paperwork you haven't got, then tick what you do have. You'll see what can substitute for each missing document, what security would help, and the loan route that fits.
How the substitute checker works
Most business loan checklists assume you have everything: two years of tax returns, signed financial statements, every BAS lodged on time and an accountant on speed dial. Plenty of good businesses don't. The owner has been flat out, the bookkeeper left, the ABN is new, or last year's return is sitting with the tax agent. This checker starts from the other end. It asks what's missing, then looks at what you already hold that can do the same job.
Each missing document is there to answer a question the lender has. Tax returns and financials answer "how much does this business earn?" Current lodgements answer "is this owner on top of their obligations?" Trading history answers "will the income keep coming?" When the usual document can't answer, something else often can. Bank statements show real money arriving. Lodged BAS show quarterly turnover. A letter from your accountant confirms figures before the formal accounts are finished. Contracts show income that's locked in. Property equity can carry the loan so the income questions matter less.
Reading your result
- Strong means your gaps are covered by independent evidence, or property security gives a lender a clear fallback. Expect a straightforward first conversation.
- Workable means most gaps are covered but one or two will need explaining. That's normal for low doc lending, and it's exactly what a specialist helps with.
- Thin means there isn't enough independent evidence yet. It doesn't mean no. It means start with the one or two items the gather list puts first, or talk to us about whether security changes the picture.
The "likely route" follows two facts. Property-secured loans (first mortgages, second mortgages and caveat loans) run from $20,000 to $5,000,000 against residential or commercial property, and they lean on the security more than the paperwork. Unsecured cash-flow loans and lines of credit are typically $5,000 to $500,000 and are sized on turnover and bank statements, so a clean run of statements matters most there. Past credit issues and ATO debt are looked at case by case either way.
What the checker can't see
It doesn't know your credit history, how your statements actually look, your industry, or what the money is for. Those all shape the answer. A 60-second enquiry lets a real person fill in those blanks and tell you plainly what's realistic. For a deeper look at any document, start with business loans without tax returns, using bank statements as evidence or what no doc really means. To test your statements themselves, try the bank statement snapshot.
When you're ready, tell us what you've got and what you need. Please answer the form accurately, including the paperwork that's behind. It's the fastest way to be matched with a lender that accepts your evidence first time.
Questions about the checker
Is the result an approval or an offer?
No. It's a plain-English read of how your paperwork gaps line up against the evidence you already have. A lending specialist confirms what's actually possible once they've seen your situation.
Does using the checker affect my credit file?
No. Nothing you tick is sent anywhere or stored. It runs entirely in your browser. There's also no credit check when you make an enquiry with us; that only comes up if you decide to go ahead.
What if I'm missing nearly everything?
Tick it all honestly. If you own property, a property-secured loan may still work because the security does most of the heavy lifting. If you don't, the result shows which one or two pieces of evidence would open up the most options, so you know where to start.
Why does property make such a difference?
A lender secured by a first or second mortgage, or a caveat, can rely on the property if the loan isn't repaid. That means they need less proof of income than an unsecured lender, who is relying on the business's cash flow alone.
Which substitute do lenders value most?
For unsecured lending, business bank statements usually carry the most weight because they come straight from the bank and are hard to dress up. For secured lending, the property and a believable way out of the loan matter most.
Should I fix my paperwork first or apply now?
Often both at once. If you need funds now, enquire with what you have and start the catch-up in parallel. The checker's gather list shows the few documents worth getting first.
Got a result? Let's make it real.
One short enquiry, no credit check when you first enquire, and a specialist who works with the evidence you have rather than the evidence you don't.
No credit check to enquire
No spray-and-pray
A real person on your file