Documents you need for a business loan application

Paperwork is one of the main reasons business loans take longer than they need to. The good news is that most of what lenders ask for is predictable. Gather it before you apply and the process moves much faster.

The basics, for almost every application

• Photo ID for each director, owner or guarantor (driver’s licence or passport).
• ABN and business details: legal name, structure, trading name, address and how long you have traded.
• Business bank statements: usually the last six months, ideally shared through a secure read-only link.
• What the money is for and how it will be repaid.
• Existing debts: loans, leases, credit cards and any ATO payment plan.

That is often enough for unsecured funding up to moderate amounts.

For larger or bank loans

Document	Why it is asked for
BAS lodgements	Confirms reported sales and GST
Financial statements	Shows profit, assets and liabilities
Tax returns	Confirms income and tax compliance
ATO statement of account	Shows any tax owing
Aged debtors and creditors	Shows who owes you and who you owe
Business plan or forecast	For growth or acquisition funding

Short on time? Skip the reading and send a quick enquiry. No credit check, no lead auction, and a real person on the other end.

For property-secured loans

• Property address and type (residential or commercial).
• Names of everyone on the title.
• Existing mortgage balance and lender.
• Recent rates notice, if handy.
• Trust deed or company documents if the property is held in a trust or company.

No valuation is needed for the property-secured loans we arrange; the property is assessed from its details and recent sales information.

For companies and trusts

• Company extract or ASIC details.
• Trust deed, including any amendments, if borrowing through a trust.
• Details of all directors and shareholders, or trustees and beneficiaries.

A missing page in a trust deed is one of the most common causes of delay. Find it early.

Tips that save days

1. Share statements online rather than downloading and emailing PDFs.
2. Bring lodgements up to date before applying, especially BAS.
3. Explain anything unusual in the bank statements up front, such as a large one-off deposit.
4. Tell co-owners and guarantors so they are ready to sign.
5. Keep business and personal accounts separate, which makes everything clearer.

Low doc options

If your financial statements or tax returns are not ready, low doc lending relies on bank statements, BAS or property security instead. It is not no doc, but it is far less paperwork.

What happens next

Our how it works page explains the process from enquiry to funds, and our guide to reading your bank statements like a lender shows what an assessor looks for in the most important document of all.

A simple checklist to print

• Photo ID for every director, owner and guarantor.
• ABN, business name and structure.
• Online banking access for a secure statement link.
• Latest BAS and, if relevant, an ATO statement of account.
• A list of current loans, leases and payment plans.
• Property address, owners and current loan balance, if property is involved.
• Trust deed or company extract, if relevant.
• One sentence on what the money is for and how it will be repaid.

Tick these off before you enquire, and most applications move without a single follow-up request.

Read next

• Reading your bank statements like a lender: What lenders look for in business bank statements: deposits, balances, dishonours, other lenders and owner transfers, and how to present your statements well.
• Low doc business loans: Low doc business loans rely on bank statements, BAS or property instead of full financials. Who they suit, what evidence matters and how much is typical.
• How lenders assess unsecured business loans: Inside an unsecured business loan assessment: trading history, turnover, statements, credit, existing debt and guarantees, and how each affects the amount.
• Property-secured business loans: Property-secured business loans from $20k to $5m against residential or commercial property, with no valuation needed and flexible repayment options.

Terms used in this guide

• BAS: the business activity statement used to report and pay GST, PAYG withholding and other amounts to the ATO.
• Personal guarantee: a promise by a director or owner to repay a business debt if the business does not.
• Low doc lending: lending assessed on bank statements, BAS or security instead of full financial statements.

Five things to confirm with any lender

• What is the full cost of this finance in dollars over the whole term?
• Can I repay early, and will that cost extra?
• Is there a fee on the unused part of the limit?
• Who needs to sign or guarantee the loan?
• What exactly triggers a default under the contract?

Who else to talk to

Funding decisions often have tax, legal or family consequences. Talk to your accountant about how repayments, interest and any asset purchases will be treated, and to a lawyer if property, guarantees or a change of structure are involved. Getting advice before you sign is far cheaper than unwinding a decision afterwards, and it usually makes the application stronger too.

The short version

• Every application starts with ID, ABN and bank statements
• Larger loans add BAS, financials and tax returns
• Property-secured loans add property and mortgage details
• Secure online bank links are faster than PDFs

What to expect from us

You send a 60-second enquiry with the amount, the purpose and a few facts about the business. A real person reads it, usually the same business day, and calls to fill in the gaps. For unsecured options they will ask for recent business bank statements, which can normally be shared through a secure read-only link. For property-secured options they will ask about the property and what is owed on it, with no valuation needed. You then see the offer in plain terms, including the total cost, and decide whether to go ahead. A credit check happens only at that point. If something about your situation is unusual, say so early; it is far easier to plan around a known issue than a surprise.

When borrowing helps, and when it does not

Not every cash problem is a funding problem. Sometimes the better fix is a conversation with a supplier, a payment plan with the ATO, chasing an overdue invoice or adjusting prices. Funding earns its place when it solves a timing gap or unlocks an opportunity worth more than its cost. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

A simple preparation list

Have these within reach and the process moves quickly, because each one answers a question the assessor would otherwise have to come back and ask:

• ABN, business structure and how long you have traded.
• Recent business bank statements, ideally shared online.
• What the money is for and how it will be repaid.
• Any tax debt, default or arrears you should mention up front.
• Contact details for anyone else who would need to sign.

About the questions we ask

Late surprises are what slow funding down. A second property owner nobody mentioned, turnover that is lower in the statements than on the form, an amount that doubles after the first call: each one sends the assessment back to the start. If you tell us the full story at the beginning, even the awkward parts, the file only has to be worked through once.

Your next step

You can check your eligibility in about a minute. There is no credit check to enquire, no lead farming and no call centre script, just a person who looks at your situation and tells you plainly what could work. The more accurate the answers on the form, particularly the amount, revenue and whether you own real estate, the faster and better that first conversation will be.