Who this guide is for
Australian painters on ABN — sole traders, small business owners, subcontractors — wanting home loans that recognise painting trade income.
- Sole trader painters with residential and commercial client bases
- Subcontracted painters working construction or renovation sites
- Small painting companies with employees
- South Asian painters needing cultural language support
The real challenge
Painter ABN income shares challenges with other trades — variable monthly billing, equipment expenses, and tax returns that understate true financial capacity. Major banks default to conservative assessments.
Specialist lenders handle painter trade income with 2+ years of BAS and tax returns.
How Mortgagefy helps
Mortgagefy works with lenders comfortable with painting trade income. We document trading consistency and identify lenders flexible with painter ABN structures.
Free advice.
How it works — 4 simple steps
Free painter chat
20-minute call about your structure, BAS, income and target home.
Compare lender options
We identify lenders that maximise painter ABN borrowing.
Application package
We compile your tax returns, BAS, business statements and supporting documents.
Settle your home
Approval through to settlement with ongoing support.
Frequently asked questions
I'm sole trader painter. Will banks lend?
My income varies a lot month to month. Will lenders accept that?
I subcontract for builders. How is that assessed?
How much can I borrow as a painter on $90K net?
How much deposit will I need?
Get a painter home loan assessment
Free 20-minute call about your real options as a painter.
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What lenders actually check on a painter application
Painters get hit with the same rules as other ABN trades — but the income pattern is unusually seasonal. Many lenders apply a "lower of the last two years" rule, which works against painters who've had one strong year and one quieter one. The right lender will average across both, or use BAS-based assessment instead of just tax returns.
If you employ subcontractors or carry your own scaffolding and equipment, your taxable income often understates the cash position of the business. Specialist lenders add back depreciation, vehicle costs, equipment finance and home-office deductions — often lifting assessable income and meaningfully changing your borrowing capacity.
Most painter applications run cleaner with 12 months of BAS plus 6 months of business bank statements rather than the full 2-year tax return path. We model both before lodging so you see which lender gives the strongest position.
Three common painter loan scenarios
Solo painter, 3-year ABN
$95K declared, $40K add-backs. Specialist lender accepts both years, lifts assessable income to $135K. Borrowing capacity can change meaningfully, depending on the lender's assessment.
Painter with subcontractors
Company structure, $180K turnover, $75K personal income. We use BAS-based low doc, lifting capacity above the standard tax-return-only path.
15-month ABN painter
Under 2 years' trading. Many banks decline outright. We use a specialist lender accepting 12 months BAS — settlement in 5 weeks.
More questions painters ask
Do my equipment finance repayments count against my borrowing capacity?
Can I seek approval if my last quarter was a slow one?
Will lenders count cash work?
Related guides for self-employed tradies
Model your scenarios: Use our free home loan calculators to estimate borrowing capacity, repayments, and savings.