Home Loans for Business Owners Who've Outgrown the Banks
You've built a profitable business, but your tax return tells a different story. Lenders see a modest salary rather than the company profits, trust distributions, or retained earnings behind it. Whether you're a company director, trust beneficiary, or partner, we match complex income structures to lenders who assess them properly across 40+ options.
Your accountant did their job well. That's the problem.
The same strategies that reduce your tax bill also reduce your borrowing power. You retain profits in your company, distribute income through a family trust, or salary sacrifice into super. These are smart decisions, but lenders assess personal income, not business wealth.
Company directors
You pay yourself modestly and retain profits in the business. Lenders see a low salary, not the $200K sitting in retained earnings.
Trust beneficiaries
Distributions vary year to year by design. Lenders see inconsistency where you see flexibility.
Partnerships
Your share of profit is clear on paper, but lenders still require full partnership financials to verify it.
Sole traders
Every deduction your accountant claims reduces your assessed income. Add-backs reverse this for the right lenders.
What actually moves the needle on a business owner home loan
Add-backs that increase assessable income
Lenders can add back non-cash expenses like depreciation, one-off costs, and certain discretionary deductions. The right add-back policy can shift your capacity by tens of thousands.
How lenders handle a bad year
Some lenders average 2 years of income. Others weight the most recent year. A few accept an accountant's letter explaining a one-off dip. The averaging method matters more than the dip itself.
Documents you'll need to prepare
2 years of personal and business tax returns, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and ATO notices of assessment. Having these organised before you apply reduces back-and-forth significantly.
Your borrowing capacity estimate
Two lenders can look at the same financials and arrive at figures $100,000 apart. A broker compares servicing calculators across 40+ lenders to find your strongest position.
How the right lender matches your structure
The problem isn't your structure. It's applying to a lender whose policy doesn't account for it. Here's how a broker solves each one.
Home loans for business owners depend heavily on how income flows from the business to you personally.
01
Company director
If you pay yourself $80K but the company earned $280K, some lenders assess you on $80K alone. Others factor in retained earnings, giving you a capacity figure that reflects the full picture. You don't need to change your salary. You need a lender whose policy accounts for retained earnings.
02
Trust beneficiary
Lenders assess the distributions you've received personally, not total trust income. Some want 2 years of consistent distributions. Others accept a single year with supporting documentation. Your broker identifies which lenders treat your distribution pattern most favourably.
03
Partnership
Assessed on your percentage share of partnership profit as reported on your tax return. Partnerships are more straightforward than company or trust structures, but discrepancies between profit shares and ownership percentages slow things down. Clean partnership financials speed up approval.
04
Sole trader
Assessed on net business income from your personal tax return. Add-backs for depreciation, super, and one-off expenses can significantly increase your assessed income.
What our customers
say about us
Don't just take our word for it. See what hundreds of satisfied clients across Sydney say about their experience with Stryve Finance.
“Nate and Dylan were extremely helpful in helping us secure our new home. They were easy to contact from day one, and answered any questions we had. We felt reassured at all times and are very grateful for their patience with us. I have recommended Stryve to 3 friends now who have all been successful in achieving their goals of purchasing their homes. We are so happy with the service and will definitely keep on recommending Stryve to our family and friends.”
Whitney Tran
Homeowner
“I never had a problem with Dylan. From the start of our journey on mortgage til the very end and even with refinancing, he/they were very helpful, transparent, honest and really keen to help their clients! Highly recommended.”
Cristianne Del Valle
Homeowner
“On behalf of my husband and I, we would like to truly thank Dylan Bertovic for all his assistance in helping us with our new loan - approved in time before our settlement. Dylan worked above and beyond expected. He took the time to explain every step and process with us. Any questions we had, Dylan would go out of his way to ensure they were answered. He made the process stress free and ensured we got the best possible deal. We highly recommend Dylan to all our family and friends.”
Merna Yalda
Homeowner
“Nate is great to work with, very knowledgeable, responsive and genuinely invested in helping me find the right solution. Highly recommend this firm to anyone looking for reliable, competitive and professional brokerage services.”
Julia
Homeowner
“Dylan has not only been a longtime friend, but also the trusted mortgage broker of choice for my family. He answers the phone at all hours, communicates extensively through all steps of a sometimes-complicated process and manages my risk. He has a straight to the point approach which I appreciate. Simply gets the job done, and gets it done very quickly. Thanks for everything Dylan, you're a champion broker and a good mate.”
Christian Barać
Homeowner
“Nate and Dylan were the ultimate professionals in securing a home loan to help us purchase our first home! Following the purchase of our home, they have continued to provide their exceptional service and have been able to secure two rate reductions in six months! Being self-employed wasn't an issue for me as Nate knew the process back-to-front and was able to provide sound advice throughout the application process.”
Justin Tomas
Homeowner
“It was an absolute brilliant experience with Stryve. Our first purchase was with Dylan he was always clear re: the next steps, quick to respond, never tired of questions and went over and above with communication. We went back and used him again for our next investment and the experience was just as wonderful as the first. Stryve also reviews our loans every 6 months to make sure we are getting the best rates on offer. We couldn't ask for more!”
Amber Motii
Homeowner
Frequently asked questions
Your business built the deposit. We'll find the right lender.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a broker who works with business owners daily. No sales pitch, no surprises. Most borrowers leave with a clear number.
Talk to a business owner specialist