Self-Employed? We Read Tax Returns for a Living
Most loan officers forward your tax returns to underwriting and hope for the best. I've spent 20 years reading self-employed income, and I know how to package a self-employed file so it gets approved instead of stalled.
Why It's Harder
Write-offs and business deductions that lower your tax liability also lower your qualifying income on paper. A lender who doesn't understand your business type can misread a strong borrower as a weak one.
Program Types
Bank-statement, P&L, and asset-based programs exist alongside traditional documentation, each suited to different business structures and income patterns. Which one fits depends on your specific situation.
Where WE Add Value
Reading tax returns correctly, not just forwarding them, is where a broker either helps or hurts a self-employed borrower. That's the part of the file we focus on first.