If you’re self-employed and applying for a mortgage, you may be asked to provide an SA302. This is a common part of the mortgage process for sole traders, freelancers, contractors and some company directors.
An SA302 helps mortgage lenders understand the income you’ve declared through Self Assessment. But it doesn’t work on its own. Lenders usually look at it alongside other documents, such as tax year overviews, accounts and bank statements.
Here’s what an SA302 is, why lenders ask for it, and what to watch out for before applying for a mortgage.
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What is an SA302?
An SA302 is an HMRC tax calculation.
It shows the total income on which tax is due, any allowances and reliefs, the total amount owed for the tax year and how HMRC has worked out that amount.
In simple terms, it’s the tax calculation produced from your Self Assessment return.
For self-employed mortgage applicants, an SA302 calculation is often used as proof of declared income. This can be especially important if you don’t have payslips in the same way an employed applicant would.
You may need an SA302 if you’re:
- A sole trader
- In a partnership
- A freelancer
- A contractor
- A limited company director who completes Self Assessment
- Someone with income from several sources
Not every lender asks for the same documents, but SA302s are a common request in a self-employed mortgage application.
Why do mortgage lenders ask for an SA302?
Mortgage lenders need to check whether your income is reliable enough to support the mortgage you want.
For employed applicants, lenders usually look at payslips and P60s. For self-employed applicants, income can be more complex. It may change from year to year, come from different sources, or depend on business profits.
An SA302 calculation helps lenders verify what income has been declared to HMRC.
For regulated mortgages, FCA income-evidence rules require lenders to obtain evidence for the income they use when assessing affordability. The evidence must be suitable for the type and period of income being assessed.
They may use it to check:
- How much income you declared for the tax year
- Whether your income is stable or changing
- Whether your tax documents match your accounts
- Whether your income supports the mortgage amount requested
- Whether there are any obvious inconsistencies in the application
An SA302 is usually only one part of the wider checks. A lender may also ask for accounts, tax year overviews, business bank statements, personal bank statements and other self-employed mortgage documents.
If you’re still working out what you might be able to borrow, a self-employed mortgage calculator can help you get a rough estimate before speaking to a broker.
Do all mortgage lenders ask for an SA302?
No. Many mortgage lenders ask for SA302s or equivalent tax calculations from self-employed applicants, but requirements vary.
Depending on the lender and how your income is structured, you may instead be asked for tax year overviews, business accounts, an accountant’s certificate or a combination of documents.
This is why it’s worth checking the lender’s evidence requirements before applying rather than assuming an SA302 will always be required.
Can I get a mortgage without an SA302?
Possibly. Not every mortgage lender requires an SA302 in every case.
Depending on the lender and how your income is structured, you may be able to provide other evidence such as tax year overviews, business accounts, an accountant’s certificate or bank statements.
The documents required can vary between sole traders, contractors and limited company directors, so it’s worth checking the lender’s criteria before applying.
What does an SA302 show and what does it look like?
An SA302 tax calculation usually shows key information from your Self Assessment return.
This may include:
- Your income for the tax year
- Your self-employed profit or earnings
- Other income declared through Self Assessment
- Taxable income
- Tax due
- National Insurance contributions, where relevant
- The final tax calculation for that year
The exact layout can vary depending on how your tax return was filed. If you use HMRC’s online services, you can print the tax calculation from your HMRC account. If you or your accountant use commercial software, the equivalent document may instead be labelled something like a “tax computation”.
The important point is that lenders are usually interested in the income they can verify.
For example, if you’re a sole trader and your business turns over £80,000 but the profit shown in your tax calculation is £45,000, a lender may use the £45,000 figure rather than the turnover, depending on its criteria.
This is one of the reasons self-employed applicants can sometimes feel their borrowing power is lower than expected.
Is an SA302 the same as a tax return?
No. An SA302 is not the same as your Self Assessment tax return.
Your tax return contains the information you submitted to HMRC about your income, expenses and other taxable amounts. The SA302 is the tax calculation produced from that information.
For mortgage purposes, lenders may ask for the SA302 because it summarises the income declared and the tax due for that year. They may also ask for the corresponding tax year overview or other supporting documents.
SA302 vs tax year overview: What’s the difference?
An SA302 and a tax year overview provide different information. A mortgage lender may ask for both for the same tax year.
| Document | What it shows | Where to obtain it |
|---|---|---|
| SA302 or equivalent tax calculation | Declared income, allowances and the calculation of tax owed | HMRC’s online account if you filed there, or the commercial software used to submit your return |
| Tax year overview | HMRC’s record of tax due or refundable for that year and payments recorded against it | Your HMRC online Self Assessment account |
We would check that both documents cover the requested tax year and reflect the latest submitted return. If the relevant tax figures don’t reconcile, we would want to understand the difference before applying. Requirements vary between lenders.
How do you get an SA302?
How to access your SA302 through HMRC
If you submitted your return using HMRC’s online services:
- Sign in to your HMRC online account.
- Open Self Assessment, then the area for more details about your returns and payments.
- Access the tax calculation for the year requested by your lender and use the available print option.
- Obtain the corresponding tax year overview separately for the same year.
Follow HMRC’s current guidance on obtaining your tax calculation and tax year overview if you’re unsure where to find the documents.
If your accountant or commercial software filed the return
If you or your accountant used commercial software to submit your return, obtain the tax calculation from that software instead. It may be labelled a tax computation. You can still print the tax year overview from your HMRC online account.
What if you can’t find your SA302?
Check how your return was submitted. If your accountant filed it, ask them for the relevant calculation and confirm which years your lender requires. If you still can’t access the documents, contact HMRC or the software provider for help. Don’t substitute a draft return for completed income evidence without checking the lender’s requirements.
If you’re now using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, MTD doesn’t mean SA302s have disappeared or that your quarterly updates automatically replace the income evidence mortgage lenders normally request.
HMRC currently allows you to obtain SA302 evidence for the last four years, but you should still check which documents and years your mortgage provider requires.
Common SA302 issues when applying for a mortgage
SA302s are useful, but they can also raise questions during a mortgage application.
Your latest tax return may not show immediately
If you’ve only recently submitted your tax return, there can be a short delay. HMRC says you cannot print the documents until 72 hours after sending your tax return, and your tax calculation may be unavailable to view for up to 72 hours after submission.
This can be a problem if you’re trying to apply for a mortgage quickly and the lender wants the latest tax year included.
The figures may not match what you expected
Many self-employed people think about income in terms of turnover, invoices paid or money coming into the business.
Lenders can assess income differently depending on how you trade. They may use sole-trader profit, salary and dividends, or company net profit, depending on the lender’s criteria.
This means your SA302 income may be lower than the amount you feel you actually earned.
Your accountant filed your return
If your accountant filed your return, you may need to ask them for the relevant tax calculation.
Some lenders may accept accountant-produced calculations, while others may ask for specific HMRC documents. This is another reason to check lender requirements early.
You may not have enough years available
Lender requirements vary. Some require two years of self-employed income evidence, while others can consider applicants with less than two years of trading history and at least one year of suitable evidence.
If you’ve only been trading for a short time, read our guide to getting a mortgage with one year’s accounts.
Your income may look lower after expenses
Allowable business expenses can reduce the profit reported through Self Assessment.
For sole traders in particular, a lower profit figure can reduce the income available to some lenders for affordability. This can affect how much you may be able to borrow.
For a deeper explanation, it’s worth understanding how lenders calculate self-employed income before applying.
What other documents might self-employed mortgage applicants need?
An SA302 tax calculation is only one document. Lenders may ask for several pieces of evidence to build a clearer picture of your income and affordability.
You may also need:
- Tax year overviews
- Business accounts
- Business bank statements
- Personal bank statements
- Accountant’s certificate
- Company accounts, if you’re a limited company director
- Proof of deposit
- ID and proof of address
The exact paperwork depends on your lender, income structure and how long you’ve been self-employed.
For a fuller breakdown, see our guide to documents you need for a self-employed mortgage.
Can a mortgage broker help with SA302s?
Yes. A mortgage broker can help you understand whether your SA302s and supporting documents are likely to meet lender requirements.
This can be useful because different lenders assess self-employed income in different ways.
For example, lenders can differ in the number of years of evidence they require and in how they treat rising or falling income. Company directors can also be assessed differently from sole traders because some lenders use salary and dividends while others can take company net profit into account.
A broker can help check your documents before you apply, identify lenders that may suit your circumstances, and reduce the risk of applying to a lender that isn’t a good fit for your income structure.
If you’re self-employed and unsure whether your SA302s, accounts or tax year overviews are enough for a mortgage application, we can check your self-employed mortgage evidence and help you understand your options before you apply.