Mortgage Solutions · Self-Employed
A "self-employed mortgage" isn't a separate product. It's a regular mortgage placed with a lender that understands how business owners actually earn. The challenge was never the mortgage. It's how the lender reads your income.
Same deposits, same business, yet a different lender doubles the income they'll qualify you on.
▍ The income lens
Most A-lenders qualify you on line 150 of your Notice of Assessment, your net income after write-offs. Specialty lenders look at gross deposits, add-backs, or business financials instead. Set your numbers and watch the qualifying income, and the mortgage, change with the lens.
What actually flows through the business in a year.
After business write-offs, usually far below your real cash flow.
Illustrative only. Mortgage estimates use a simplified income multiple, not a full GDS/TDS qualification. The point is the gap between lenses. We find the lender whose method fits your income story and package the file so your real earnings show.
When your return understates you
If your tax returns understate what you actually earn, which is the case for most incorporated and sole-proprietor owners, you need a lender that reads income differently.
Taking a small T4 salary plus dividends, where total compensation is much higher than the T4 alone.
With high business write-offs (vehicle, home office, supplies, meals) reducing reportable income.
With strong gross sales but lumpy or relatively new income history.
Trades, hospitality, retail, where the bank deposits tell the real story.
Under two years in business, with no full Notice-of-Assessment history yet.
You don't need this. Standard A-lender programs work fine for fully T4'd income.
The lender ladder
It depends on three things: which lender is underwriting you, what income method they use, and your down payment.
| Program | Income method | Max LTV | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-lender · stated income Sagen / CGI Business for Self | Reasonable line-150 for the industry; 2 yrs self-employed + clean credit | Up to 90% | Prime |
| A-lender · full documentation | Uses line 150 directly, so it works only if reported income is high enough | Up to 80% | Prime |
| B-lender · alternative | Bank statements, business financials, or stated income | 65–80% | Prime + 1–3% |
| Private | Last resort, based on equity and exit plan | Up to 75% | 8–14% |
Packaging beats luck
The difference between an approval and a decline often comes down to how the file is packaged, not whether you can really afford the mortgage.
We know which lenders accept which documentation methods. Some accept 12 months of business bank statements; some require 24. Some need professionally-prepared financials; some accept self-prepared.
For incorporated borrowers that often means business financials, T1 Generals for both you and your corporation, NOAs, and a CPA letter explaining add-backs.
Depreciation, business-use-of-home, vehicle expenses, and other non-cash deductions can often be added back to qualifying income with the right lender and the right paperwork.
If your latest NOA is much weaker than the prior year, we time the application to use the older one before the new one is filed, or wait until after a strong year is filed.
If you start at a B-lender, we map the path to refinance to A-rates once your income stabilises or your file ages into a clean two-year history.
No commitment to start. Send us your situation and we'll tell you which lender reads your income right, and what you'd qualify for.
Common questions
Tell us about your situation. We'll match you to the right product and lender.
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