You can finance a new/used vehicle or equipment through your ABN (business) with most lenders. The main criteria is to be able to prove to lenders and the ATO that it will be used for business purposes and qualify for the loan.

With regards to lenders, borrowers can access both full doc or low doc ABN finance options and in some cases half doc.

Full doc finance is a traditional loan and may require a large amount of paperwork; including tax returns, bank statements, business activity statements and up to date accounts. Rates for full doc loans are often lower than low doc finance.

Low doc finance is popular as it requires less paperwork along with a bit more flexibility in approvals. General lender requirements for low doc finance may include; recent BAS or from previous year, summary of business accounts, possibly a deposit or be asset backed.

Half doc finance is obviously in the middle of the other options, typically requiring documents like a BAS + 6 months bank statements.

In all cases the better your credit the better your rate and chances of approval.

A quick chat with the Comparison Australia team can quickly highlight options across our large panel of lenders.

The main reasons a business owner may get knocked back from finance include:

– ABN age and activity. Those with a short trading history may not be able to demonstrate steady income. (However there are instance where 1 day ABN’s or business continuance can be approved due to prior history)

– Not being GST registered will reduce options, often reducing the amount a lender will provide.

– Poor credit or banking conduct. Low running balances, late fees or dishonours will often lead to a decline in funding.

– Negative or low cash flow will impact serviceability resulting in declines. The business must show the capacity to repay the loan on top of general business running costs.

– Business in liquidation or being de-registered by the government will not be able to borrow.

The above are some of the more common reasons a business will not qualify for finance. By speaking with a Comparison Australia partner, they will be able to quickly outline potential options if your dealing with any or multiple points above. Whilst borrowing options will be reduced or tricky, there still may be specialist lenders willing to provide funds.

Below are some of the best ways to improve your chances of approval.

– Register for GST as this tells lenders straightaway that your business turns over at least $75,000 a year.

– Have a deposit, the bigger the better. This helps reduce risk to the bank as the asset has some of your money against it.

– Strong banking figures showing good and steady cash flow/turnover.

– Have proof of contracts and be able to provide what few invoices you have.

– Having a good credit history goes without saying, will always help with approvals and better finance options.

– Be able to show how the funds or vehicle well be used for the business.

For 1 day or newer ABN’s, providing all the documentation needed to qualify can be difficult. In these situations, a low doc or no doc loan can be a great option to access cash needed to grow your business.

Comparison Australia’s broker partners have access to Australia’s leading low doc lenders in addition to other finance options for newer businesses.

In most cases being GST registered is required to qualify for a business loan. In cases where lenders do allow for non-GST registered applicants, the loan amount will be much lower.