Contractors, loggers, fishers, consultants, incorporated business owners. You write off expenses to save tax, then a bank reads that smaller number and shrugs. I present self-employed income the way lenders need to see it, for files across BC.
Your accountant's job is to make your taxable income small. A lender's job is to make sure your income is big enough. Both read the same line on your tax return.
Gross revenue, the trucks and tools it buys, the life it funds. Real, but not what most lenders start from.
Net income after every legitimate write-off. This is the number most prime lenders qualify you on, averaged over two years.
Most self-employed files fit a prime lender once presented well. When they don't, there are honest second options.
Two years in business, taxes paid, declared income that carries the purchase. Best pricing, same products as any salaried buyer.
Bank-statement programs for strong earners whose returns undersell them. Costs more and usually wants a bigger down payment, often as a 1 to 2 year bridge back to prime.
Sometimes the best move is adjusting deductions for one tax year before buying. Boring advice, big payoff. I'll tell you if you're better off waiting.
A free 15-minute call and your last two returns. I'll tell you honestly how a lender reads them, and what would make them stronger.