If your income doesn’t come from a simple PAYE salary, you may have already discovered how difficult it can be to get a mortgage from a high street lender.

Whether you’re self-employed, earning bonuses, paid in a foreign currency, or have multiple income sources, lenders often struggle to assess your finances properly—and that can lead to delays, rejections, or poor terms.

The good news is, yes—you can get a mortgage with complex income.

You just need the right broker, the right lender, and the right presentation of your case.

Here’s how Willow Private Finance helps clients with complex income secure mortgages others can’t.

🧾 What Is “Complex Income”?

Lenders define income as “complex” when it doesn’t fit neatly into a single, salaried role with regular monthly pay.

Common examples of complex income include:

• Self-employed earnings
• Bonuses or commission-based pay
• Dividends or director income
• Foreign currency income
• Rental or investment income
• Trust distributions or inheritance
• Multiple part-time roles or portfolio careers
• SPV or company profit share

In each of these cases, income can be perfectly strong—but harder to document, prove consistency, or model into affordability rules.

Even with complex income, mortgage options exist, but approval is subject to each lender’s affordability assessments and you may need additional documentation

🏦 Why High Street Lenders Struggle

Most mainstream banks use automated systems and rigid affordability models. That means:

• They require 2–3 years of income history
• They often average out variable earnings, reducing your affordability
• They may ignore non-traditional income completely
• They may decline your application if you’ve had recent changes (e.g. salary shift, change of company structure)

Many clients come to Willow after being rejected despite strong overall finances—simply because they don’t tick the usual boxes.

🧠 How Willow Approaches Complex Income

At Willow, we specialise in exactly these kinds of cases. Our approach includes:

1. Understanding the Full Picture

We take time to understand all your income sources—not just the headline number. That includes:

• Business performance (if self-employed)
• Frequency and pattern of bonuses
• Supporting documentation (contracts, dividend schedules, tax returns)
• Currency exposure and FX consistency (if overseas)

2. Matching You with the Right Lender

Not all lenders are equal. Some are more:

• Comfortable with variable or high-bonus roles (e.g. sales, banking)
• Flexible with self-employed applicants
• Able to assess retained profits or company turnover
• Familiar with international clients

We maintain a network of high street, specialist, and private lenders who evaluate complex income intelligently.

3. Packaging Your Case Correctly

We know how to present your finances in a way underwriters understand. That means:

• Highlighting strong trends or increasing income
• Providing a clear audit trail for variable earnings
• Explaining foreign income in GBP equivalents
• Flagging one-offs, such as COVID-era income dips or recent restructures

💼 Self-Employed? Here’s What Lenders Need

For self-employed applicants, lenders typically request:

• 2–3 years of SA302s or tax calculations
• Full business accounts
• Accountant’s reference
• Business bank statements

Some lenders only require 1 year of accounts if you have a strong recent trajectory or previous employment in the same sector. Others will consider retained profits, not just declared income—especially in Ltd Company structures.

We work with lenders who specialise in:

• Sole traders
• Directors and shareholders
• Contractors and freelancers
• SPVs and LLPs

💰 Bonus, Commission & Variable Pay

Many professionals earn a base salary but rely heavily on:

• Performance bonuses
• Commission (monthly/quarterly/annual)
• Overtime
• RSUs or share incentives

Mainstream banks often ignore or discount these amounts. Willow works with lenders who:

• Accept 100% of bonus/commission if it’s consistent
• Use 2–3 year averages or most recent year (depending on policy)
• Consider RSUs or stock-based pay as part of total compensation

🌍 Foreign Currency or Overseas Income

We regularly help clients earning in:

• AED (UAE dirhams)
• USD (US dollars)
• EUR (Euros)
• SGD (Singapore dollars)
• HKD, CHF and others

Our lender network includes private banks and international mortgage specialists who are comfortable with:

• Non-UK residency
• Tax differentials
• FX hedging or stress-testing
• Contracts and payslips in foreign formats

🏡 Real Client Case: Director with Variable Pay

Client: Director of a fintech firm in London

Challenge:

• Paid £55k base salary
• £140k annual bonus (variable)
• Previous broker declined application as income deemed “unstable”
  

Willow’s Solution:

• Presented bonus history over 3 years
• Included company performance forecasts
• Brokered through a private lender who accepted full bonus as income

 Result: £1.1M mortgage at 80% LTV completed in 6 weeks

🤝 Why Complex Income Clients Choose Willow

✅ Decades of experience with self-employed, international and variable income
✅ Access to specialist lenders who go beyond the tick-box
✅ Faster approvals by pre-packaging strong applications
✅ Personal, strategic advice with no time wasted
✅ Trusted by clients in finance, law, tech, creative, and investment sectors

❓ FAQs: Mortgages with Complex Income

Can I get a mortgage with just 1 year of self-employed income?

Yes—some lenders will consider 1 year with strong evidence and sector continuity.

Will bonuses count toward my mortgage affordability?

Yes—if they are regular and provable. We can help identify lenders that accept 100% of your bonus.

Do I need to move lenders if I earn in a different currency?

Not necessarily—but we’ll likely need to use a lender familiar with FX income, especially if you’re paid in AED, USD, or EUR.

Can I include rental income or dividends?

Yes—provided we can show a clear and consistent track record.

Final Thought

Complex income shouldn’t be a barrier to homeownership or property investment. You just need a broker who understands how to structure your case—and which lenders will listen.

At Willow Private Finance, we turn “too complicated” into “fully approved”—with the experience, network, and service to make it seamless.

📞 Struggling to Get a Mortgage with Complex Income?

We’ve helped hundreds of clients secure mortgages others couldn’t. Speak to Willow today for an honest assessment and a smart solution.