Mortgages for self-employed applicants

A self-employed person or company owner can apply for a mortgage for a home. The bank does not assess only the net profit shown on a tax return. Each lender sets its own method for recognising income, the required trading history and the documents it needs.

How banks calculate business income

Depending on the bank, the calculation may use the tax base, net profit, turnover or your ownership share in a company. A lender may count a different share of turnover when you use flat-rate expenses than when you report actual expenses. Your assessed income can therefore differ between banks even if you provide the same tax return.

Slovenská sporiteľňa publishes examples for selected sectors: it uses 20%, 30% or up to 40% of turnover for some professions, and up to 60% for flat-rate expenses under stated conditions. The bank compares a turnover-based calculation with a profit-based one. These examples are not a universal table for every bank or profession.

Fio banka usually asks for tax returns for two completed periods, while allowing one in some cases that it does not specify. VÚB publicly confirms applications from self-employed people and company owners, but its published article does not set a current recognised-income percentage.

Documents to prepare

Banks commonly ask for recent tax returns and attachments, accounts, proof of tax status or statements from a business account. They may also request evidence of how long you have been trading and your ownership share. The list depends on your legal form and income type.

Ask the lender for its current list before applying and check which period it will use. If you have a short trading history, use flat-rate expenses, earn seasonal revenue or receive dividends, ask how those items will be assessed.

The same mortgage limits apply

NBS limits on repayments (DSTI), total debt (DTI) and collateral value (LTV) also apply to self-employed borrowers. The bank also checks income stability, existing debts and the property. The income calculator on this site is only an estimate; it may not use the bank’s calculation of your business income.

Read what income banks accept and mortgage requirements for more detail.