--- title: I'm self-employed. How do you verify income on a mortgage application? description: How does income verification on mortgage applications work if I'm self-employed? image: https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/file-236153969-jpg/images/self-employed.jpg --- [![MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png?width=464&name=MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png "MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2")](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Auto](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Business](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - [Insurance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/insurance) - [Investments](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investments) Filter by Category** - 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[dormant account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/dormant-account) - [inactive account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/inactive-account) # I'm self-employed. How do you verify income on a mortgage application? ** [Bill Burpeau](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/author/bill-burpeau) ** Jul 26, 2013 ![](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/file-236153969-jpg/images/self-employed.jpg) Generally, the income of self-employed borrowers is verified by obtaining copies of personal (and business, if applicable) federal tax returns for the most recent two-year period. However, based on your entire financial situation, we may not need full copies of your tax returns. We'll review and average the net income from self-employment that's reported on your tax returns to determine the income that can be used to qualify. We won't be able to consider any income that hasn't been reported as such on your tax returns. Typically, we'll need at least one, and sometimes a full two-year history of self-employment to verify that your self-employment income is stable. **Will my overtime, commission, or bonus income be considered when evaluating my application?  ** In order for bonus, overtime, or commission income to be considered, you must have a history of receiving it and it must be likely to continue. We'll usually need to obtain copies of W-2 statements for the previous two years and a recent pay stub to verify this type of income. If a major part of your income is commission earnings, we may need to obtain copies of recent tax returns to verify the amount of business-related expenses, if any. We'll average the amounts you have received over the past two years to calculate the amount that can be considered as a regular part of your income. If you haven't been receiving bonus, overtime, or commission income for at least one year, it probably can't be given full value when your loan is reviewed for approval.  **I am retired and my income is from pension or social security. What will I need to provide?  ** We will ask for copies of your recent pension check stubs, or bank statement if your pension or retirement income is deposited directly in your bank account. Sometimes it will also be necessary to verify that this income will continue for at least three years since some pension or retirement plans do not provide income for life. This can usually be verified with a copy of your award letter. If you don't have an award letter, we can contact the source of this income directly for verification. If you're receiving tax-free income, such as social security earnings in some cases, we'll consider the fact that taxes will not be deducted from this income when reviewing your request. ** If I have income that's not reported on my tax return, can it be considered?  ** Generally, only income that is reported on your tax return can be considered when applying for a mortgage. Unless, of course, the income is legally tax-free and isn't required to be reported. Some lenders may offer a stated income program, which means that you can be qualified for a loan based on the income you state rather than that which can be verified. Usually these programs require larger down payments and offer interest rates that are substantially higher than regular mortgage rates. We do not offer stated income programs at this time. **How will [rental income](https://hfcu.mortgagewebcenter.com/ResourceCenter/Glossary.asp?PID=85&GLET=I#364) be verified?  ** If you own rental properties, we'll generally ask for the most recent year's federal tax return to verify your rental income. We'll review the Schedule E of the tax return to verify your rental income, after all expenses except depreciation. Since depreciation is only a paper loss, it won't be counted against your rental income. If you haven't owned the rental property for a complete tax year, we'll ask for a copy of any leases you've executed and we'll estimate the expenses of ownership. **I have income from dividends and/or interest. What documents will I need to provide?  ** Generally, two years personal tax returns are required to verify the amount of your dividend and/or interest income so that an average of the amounts you receive can be calculated. In addition, we will need to verify your ownership of the assets that generate the income using copies of statements from your financial institution, brokerage statements, stock certificates or Promissory Notes. Typically, income from dividends and/or interest must be expected to continue for at least three years to be considered for repayment. **Do I have to provide information about my child support, alimony or separate maintenance income?  ** Information about child support, alimony, or separate maintenance income does not need to be provided unless you wish to have it considered for repaying this mortgage loan. **Will my second job income be considered?  ** Typically, income from a second job will be considered if a one-year history of secondary employment can be verified. **I've had a few employers in the last few years. Will that affect my ability to get a new mortgage?  ** Having changed employers frequently is typically not a hindrance to obtaining a new mortgage loan. This is particularly true if you made employment changes without having periods of time in between without employment. We'll also look at your income advancements as you have changed employment. If you're paid on a commission basis, a recent job change may be an issue since we'll have a difficult time of predicting your earnings without a history with your new employer. **I was in school before obtaining my current job. How do I complete the application? ** If you were in school before your current job, enter the name of the school you attended and the length of time you were in school in the "length of employment" fields. You can enter a position of "student" and income of "0." If you're seriously thinking about buying a home this year, get [pre-qualified](https://hfcu.mortgagewebcenter.com/ApplyNow/Application.asp?PID=1) and keep an eye on interest rates.  You can sign up for [rate watch](https://hfcu.mortgagewebcenter.com/CheckRates/RateWatch) today and get our mortgages emailed to you daily.  Or if you prefer, you set specific criteria for the rate you want and we'll email you when that criteria is met.   [![Sign up for Rate Watch](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118438/7bca79c9-5aa3-4ad5-b15d-6007b947313a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118438/7bca79c9-5aa3-4ad5-b15d-6007b947313a) ** [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) [** Can you apply for mortgage loans before you find a home to purchase? ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/149496/can-you-apply-for-mortgage-loans-before-you-find-a-home-to-purchase) [** What happens after you complete an on-line mortgage application? ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/149501/what-happens-after-you-complete-an-on-line-mortgage-application) ### About Author ![Bill Burpeau](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/file-2383552195-png/Blog_Authors/Bill_Burpeau.png) Bill Burpeau Bill Burpeau is a Financial Wellness Coach at Hanscom FCU. As a Credit Union Certified Financial Counselor, he is an enthusiastic advocate of everyone being engaged in their financial health, educated and empowered to make the best financial decisions for themselves every day. He constantly studies and is up to date with the latest financial management concepts and technology. Bill is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Business Management and served in the U.S. Navy as a Supply Officer. 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Moreover, Hanscom Federal Credit Union's privacy policies do not apply to any of the linked websites within this blog. Please consult the privacy disclosures on those linked sites for further information. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Bill Burpeau" }, "dateModified" : "April 16, 2021, 4:51:07 PM", "datePublished" : "2013-07-26 20:00:00", "description" : "How does income verification on mortgage applications work if I'm self-employed?", "headline" : "I'm self-employed. 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