How do I prove my income to get a mortgage as a creator?
Short answer
Lenders usually want two years of filed tax returns showing steady self-employment income, plus a current profit and loss statement and bank statements, so clean books and on-time filings are what get a creator approved.
Otavio Mayole, Co-founder, DeCypher FinancialsUpdated
What lenders typically ask for:
- Your last two years of personal tax returns, and business returns if you have an S-Corp or partnership
- A year-to-date profit and loss statement
- Recent business and personal bank statements
- Sometimes a letter or verification from your accountant
The trade-off creators don't expect: lenders look at your income after write-offs. The deductions that lower your taxes also lower the income you qualify with. If you're buying a home in the next year or two, tell us early so we can plan both.
What holds creators up:
- Unfiled returns. Most lenders won't move without them.
- Income on your return that doesn't match your deposits.
- A big swing between years, which lenders read as unstable income.
We've had clients whose home purchase depended on getting a return filed, or on fixing numbers a previous preparer got wrong. Clean books, monthly financials and on-time returns make you a much easier file.