SA302 Tax Calculation: What It Is and How to Get It for a Mortgage

An SA302 is the tax calculation HMRC produces from your Self Assessment return: a one or two page summary of your income for the year, the allowances applied and the tax due. Mortgage lenders ask for it because it proves self-employed income from HMRC's side rather than yours. You can print it from your HMRC online account in a few minutes, or your accountant can provide the equivalent from their software, usually alongside a "tax year overview" that shows the tax was actually paid.

What an SA302 is

When your return is processed, HMRC calculates the tax and records the result. Originally the SA302 was the paper form that calculation was printed on; today the name refers to the calculation itself, however you obtain it. It shows:

• Income from each source: employment, self-employment, property, dividends, interest and so on.
• The personal allowance and any other reliefs.
• Income Tax, Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance, and any student loan or High Income Child Benefit Charge.
• The total due for the year and the payments on account already made.

Why mortgage lenders ask for it

A self-employed borrower has no payslips. The SA302 is the nearest equivalent: an official statement of taxable income. Lenders normally ask for two years, sometimes three, and pair each one with the tax year overview to confirm the figures match and the tax has been paid. Because the SA302 shows taxable profit after expenses and allowances, it is worth knowing before you apply that aggressive expense claims reduce the income a lender will use.

How to get your SA302 from your HMRC account

1. Sign in to your HMRC online account. Our login guide helps if you are stuck.
2. Choose "Self Assessment", then "more Self Assessment details".
3. Select "get your SA302 tax calculation" and pick the tax year.
4. View the calculation and use your browser's print or "save as PDF" option.

The last four years are available. If you filed on paper, the calculation may not be online and you will need to request it by phone, which takes up to two weeks.

Getting it from your accountant or software

If your return was filed through commercial software, as most accountants' returns are, the HMRC website may say the calculation is not available online. In that case the software produces an equivalent tax calculation, and lenders accept it, provided it comes with the tax year overview printed from HMRC's site. Accountants can also download the overview through their agent account, so one email to us is usually enough to get both documents for all the years required.

The tax year overview

The tax year overview is a separate document from your HMRC account that shows the tax charged for the year and the payments made against it. It is printed from "view your tax year overview" in the same Self Assessment menu. Lenders use it to check the SA302 has not been altered, so always provide the pair. If the overview shows an unpaid balance, expect questions; it is best to settle any outstanding tax before applying.

Common problems

• The most recent year is missing. HMRC needs about 72 hours after filing to process a return before the calculation appears. If you file in January and apply in February, this can be tight.
• Figures look different from your accounts. The SA302 shows taxable profit after capital allowances and adjustments, not the accounting profit in your financial statements. Both are correct; they measure different things.
• The lender wants HMRC headed paper. Since 2017 almost all lenders accept printed versions. Check their published list, and if they insist, HMRC can post copies.
• You have a company, not a sole trade. Lenders then usually ask for the company accounts and your personal SA302 showing salary and dividends. Our dividends guide explains how those are reported.

What Cloudkeepers can do

We provide the tax calculation and tax year overview for every year we have filed, in the format your broker asks for, usually the same day. If you are planning a mortgage application in the next year or two, tell us early: how the return is prepared can affect the income a lender will accept. See our Self Assessment service.