If you are self-employed, sole-trader, a contractor or a limited company director taking dividends, almost every mortgage lender will want to see your SA302 alongside the tax year overview as proof of income.
They are not complicated documents to get hold of, but the route through the HMRC website is not always obvious, and the SA302 must be paired with the tax year overview to be useful. Here is exactly how to download both.
What an SA302 actually is
An SA302 is the tax calculation HMRC produces from your Self Assessment return. It shows your total income for the year, the tax owed on it, and the figures the calculation was built from. Mortgage lenders use it as objective proof of your self-employed earnings.
It needs to be paired with a tax year overview. The overview is a separate HMRC document confirming that the SA302 calculation has been processed and the tax accounted for. The pair together is what lenders actually want.
1. The SA302 tax calculation
The SA302 is the HMRC tax calculation built from your Self Assessment return. Follow these steps for each tax year your lender has asked for, normally the two most recent.
- Go to gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services and sign in with your Government Gateway user ID and password.
- From the HMRC dashboard, select Self Assessment. It may sit under Business Tax Account or Personal Tax Account depending on how you are registered.
- Select More details about your Self Assessment returns and payments.
- Select the tax year you need from the list.
- Choose Get your SA302 tax calculation.
- Save or print the calculation as a PDF.
- Repeat for each tax year your lender has requested.
2. The tax year overview
The tax year overview confirms the SA302 figures have been processed by HMRC. Lenders need it alongside the SA302 for the same year, because an SA302 on its own can be amended after submission.
- From your Self Assessment summary, select View your tax year overview.
- Choose the same tax year as the SA302 you just downloaded.
- Save or print the overview as a PDF.
- Repeat for every year, so each SA302 has a matching overview.
For each tax year your lender requires, send the SA302 and the matching tax year overview together. Name the files clearly, for example SA302 2024-25.pdf and Tax Year Overview 2024-25.pdf, so they pair up easily.
3. The full tax return (SA100)
Most applications only need the SA302 and tax year overview. Some specialist lenders, or more complex cases with several income sources, also ask for the full tax return, the SA100. Here is how to download it.
- Sign in to HMRC online services and select Self Assessment.
- Select More details about your Self Assessment returns and payments.
- Choose the relevant tax year.
- Select View return.
- Select the option to view, print or save your return.
- Save the full SA100 and any supplementary pages as a single PDF.
- Repeat for each year requested.
What to do if you cannot access your HMRC account
If you have lost your Government Gateway sign-in details, the recovery routes are on the HMRC sign-in page. Identity verification can take a few days, so do not leave it to the day your broker needs the documents.
If your accountant filed your Self Assessment for you, they can almost always download the SA302, tax year overview, and the full tax return from their agent login. Ask them for everything your lender wants, for every year.
A note for limited company directors
If you are a director taking salary and dividends, your SA302 covers your personal income tax position, but lenders will also want sight of your company accounts and, in many cases, your CT600 corporation tax return. We help clients package those documents together to present a clean, single picture of total income.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SA302?
An SA302 is the official HMRC tax calculation showing how much tax you owe based on your Self Assessment return. Mortgage lenders use it as proof of self-employed income when assessing affordability.
Why does my lender want a tax year overview as well?
The SA302 shows the tax calculation. The tax year overview confirms the figures have actually been processed and paid through HMRC. Lenders require both because the SA302 on its own can be amended after submission.
How many years of SA302s do lenders need?
Most lenders ask for the most recent two tax years. Some specialist lenders will work with one year of trading history for clients with a strong track record in the same industry. Three years is rare but occasionally requested for complex cases.
Can my accountant download my SA302 for me?
Yes. If your accountant filed your Self Assessment through HMRC online services, they can usually print or PDF the same SA302 and tax year overview directly from their agent login. Ask them for both documents together.
What if my SA302 figure does not match my accounts?
Differences usually come from items that are accounted for differently in the trading accounts and on the tax return, such as capital allowances, pension contributions or dividends. A specialist broker can help present this clearly so it does not raise unnecessary lender queries.
Do lenders ever need my full tax return (SA100)?
Usually no, the SA302 and tax year overview are enough. But some specialist lenders, and more complex cases with several income sources, will ask for the full SA100 as well. It is worth downloading it at the same time so you have it ready.
My documents are in a different format. Will that be a problem?
It can be. Lenders generally want the official HMRC versions of these documents. Equivalents produced by accounting software are sometimes accepted but not always, so downloading the HMRC versions directly is the safest route.
Last updated: May 2026