Can you get a mortgage without tax returns?
I'm Travis Penny, a Senior Mortgage Broker with Vision Mortgage. People ask me this when tax returns show a small number and the business, the contract income, the savings, or the rental property tells a different story.
The honest answer is yes, some files can qualify without using tax returns as the income test. It is not a shortcut around underwriting, and it is not one product. The right path depends on whether you are buying a home to live in, or a rental you will not occupy.
For a primary home or second home, I can review this in Maine and Florida only. For a DSCR loan on investment property, I work in the 38 states listed on my Licensing page.
FAQ
- Can you get a mortgage without tax returns?
- Yes, some borrowers can. For a primary or second home in Maine or Florida, I may use bank statement, 1099, or asset depletion programs instead of tax-return income. For a rental in the 38 states I cover, a DSCR loan qualifies on the property's rent, not your personal tax returns. Credit, assets, and the property still matter. Not everyone will qualify.
- Do I still have to provide tax returns on a bank statement or 1099 loan?
- Not always as the income test. Some specialty programs use eligible deposits or documented 1099 earnings rather than relying only on tax-return income. Exact documentation varies by program, and a lender may still request other documents. I confirm the list for the program we use.
- Can I use a DSCR loan on the house I will live in so I can skip tax returns?
- No. A DSCR loan is a business-purpose loan for a rental you do not live in. If you are buying a primary or second home in Maine or Florida, I look at bank statement, 1099, asset depletion, or a standard income program instead.
- Is there a DSCR loan with no down payment if I do not use tax returns?
- No. A DSCR loan needs a down payment on a purchase, or enough equity on a refinance. Qualifying on rent does not remove the down payment.
- Can retirees get a mortgage without recent earned income on a tax return?
- Sometimes. An asset depletion loan can convert eligible savings, investments, and retirement assets into qualifying income for a primary or second home in Maine or Florida. I review the accounts and the program rules. Not everyone will qualify.
- Are these options available in every state?
- No. Bank statement, 1099, and asset depletion loans for a primary or second home are Maine and Florida only. DSCR investor loans are available in the 38 states listed on my Licensing page.
All loans are subject to credit and underwriting approval. Not all applicants will qualify. Program terms and availability can change. This page is for general education and is not a loan offer or a commitment to make a loan.
Owner-occupied and second-home options in Maine and Florida
These programs are for a home you will live in, or a second home you will use yourself. They are not DSCR loans, and they are not available from me as residential mortgages outside Maine and Florida.
Bank statement loans
A bank statement loan may let me qualify self-employed clients using 12 or 24 months of eligible deposits instead of tax-return income alone. Transfers and deposits unrelated to earnings may be excluded, and an expense factor may apply. Credit, reserves, and the property still matter. I also have a Florida-specific write-up at bank statement loans for self-employed buyers in Florida, plus the broader Maine self-employment and Florida self-employed pages.
1099 mortgages
A 1099 mortgage may let me qualify eligible contractors, realtors, travel nurses, and other 1099 earners using documented 1099 income, rather than relying only on net income shown on tax returns. Work history, the source and consistency of income, and any program expense calculation still matter. This is not the same as a bank statement loan. If you are weighing W-2 work against 1099 work, see W-2 vs 1099 for a mortgage.
My 1099 mortgage page also describes a purchase option that can use one year of 1099 income for buyers with a 760 or higher credit score, and a day-one option for people who just moved from a W-2 job to 1099 work in the same line of work. Those are file-specific and not automatic. Not everyone will qualify.
Asset depletion
An asset depletion loan converts eligible savings, investments, and retirement assets into monthly qualifying income. I use this for a primary or second home in Maine or Florida when the accounts tell a clearer story than a current paycheck or a tax return. You keep the assets; they are used to show you can pay, subject to the program's rules on which accounts count and how. Florida details are on Florida asset depletion. I also compare the approach in asset depletion vs a traditional mortgage.
These are types of non-QM loans. Non-QM just means the loan sits outside standard qualified-mortgage rules, but still has to meet federal ability-to-repay rules. I still review credit, assets, and the property. Some programs may still request tax returns or other documents for reasons other than the income calculation. I confirm the documentation list for the program we actually use, rather than promising a file with no tax returns in the folder.
A real Maine example is the self-employed second home case study.
38-state DSCR loans for investment property
If the property is a rental you will not live in, the question changes. A DSCR investor loan qualifies on the property's rent and cash flow, not on your personal tax returns, W-2s, or pay stubs as the basis of approval. I still review credit, down payment, reserves, and the property.
DSCR loans are business-purpose loans on non-owner-occupied residential investment property with 1 to 9 units, in the 38 states listed on my Licensing page. Funds may not be used for personal, family, or household purposes. Mobile homes and manufactured homes are not eligible. In a few states, a DSCR loan must close in an entity, not your personal name.
There is no zero-down DSCR loan. A purchase needs a down payment, and a refinance needs enough equity. On my DSCR page, I tell investors to plan on about 20% down on many programs, with some files needing more or allowing less depending on credit and the ratio. I will confirm the current range on your scenario rather than treat that as a quote.
If you want to test rent coverage, use the DSCR calculator. I also have state pages for Florida DSCR loans and Maine DSCR loans, and a separate no-ratio DSCR path when that fits the file. DSCR cannot be used on a primary residence.
Which path fits: a quick comparison
| Question | Maine and Florida primary or second home | 38-state investment property |
|---|---|---|
| Can tax returns be skipped as the income test? | Sometimes, on bank statement, 1099, or asset depletion programs | Yes, a DSCR loan qualifies on the property's rent and cash flow, not personal tax-return income |
| What is reviewed instead? | Eligible deposits, 1099 income, or eligible assets, plus credit and the property | Rent or cash flow versus the property payment, plus credit, down payment, reserves, and the property |
| Where I can arrange it | Maine and Florida only | The 38 states listed on my Licensing page |
| Occupancy | Primary home or second home you use yourself | Non-owner-occupied rental only |
| Down payment | Varies by program and file; I review cash to close with you | A down payment is required on a purchase; there is no zero-down DSCR loan |
| Still a full underwrite? | Yes. Not everyone will qualify. | Yes. Not everyone will qualify. |
What I need for a first look
Tell me whether the property is a home you will live in or a rental, the state, and how you earn money or what accounts you would use. For a self-employed Maine or Florida purchase, bank statements or 1099s are usually the first documents I ask about. For a rental, I start with the address, the rent picture, and your target down payment.
FAQ
Can you get a mortgage without tax returns?
Yes, some borrowers can. For a primary or second home in Maine or Florida, I may use bank statement, 1099, or asset depletion programs instead of tax-return income. For a rental in the 38 states I cover, a DSCR loan qualifies on the property's rent, not your personal tax returns. Credit, assets, and the property still matter. Not everyone will qualify.
Do I still have to provide tax returns on a bank statement or 1099 loan?
Not always as the income test. Some specialty programs use eligible deposits or documented 1099 earnings rather than relying only on tax-return income. Exact documentation varies by program, and a lender may still request other documents. I confirm the list for the program we use.
Can I use a DSCR loan on the house I will live in so I can skip tax returns?
No. A DSCR loan is a business-purpose loan for a rental you do not live in. If you are buying a primary or second home in Maine or Florida, I look at bank statement, 1099, asset depletion, or a standard income program instead.
Is there a DSCR loan with no down payment if I do not use tax returns?
No. A DSCR loan needs a down payment on a purchase, or enough equity on a refinance. Qualifying on rent does not remove the down payment.
Can retirees get a mortgage without recent earned income on a tax return?
Sometimes. An asset depletion loan can convert eligible savings, investments, and retirement assets into qualifying income for a primary or second home in Maine or Florida. I review the accounts and the program rules. Not everyone will qualify.
Are these options available in every state?
No. Bank statement, 1099, and asset depletion loans for a primary or second home are Maine and Florida only. DSCR investor loans are available in the 38 states listed on my Licensing page.
I'm Travis Penny, a Senior Mortgage Broker with Vision Mortgage, LLC. I help clients buy and refinance homes in Maine and Florida, and I arrange DSCR loans on investment and rental properties in 38 states. I started in 2004 and I'm still here.