When applying for a self-employed mortgage, you will need to present the following documentation to substantiate your income:

• Accounts certified for at least two years
• Evidence of upcoming contracts (if you're a contractor)
• SA302 forms or a tax year overview from HMRC for the previous two or three years
• Proof of dividend payments or retained profits (if you're a director of a limited business.

Lenders also prefer self-employed mortgage applicants to produce accounts prepared by a trained, chartered accountant, if available, as this ensures their trustworthiness.

They're more than likely to focus on your average profit over the last few trading periods than to look at the latest year in isolation to get an overall picture of your average profits.

It may be difficult to persuade a lender that you can afford to repay a mortgage if you only have accounts for a year or less, but it is not impossible with support from an experienced broker.

It can help to show that you have regular work or provide proof of upcoming commissions. Still, some lenders have strict policies about minimum work periods, so it's essential to apply to the right mortgage provider from the first step.

When you're self-employed, having a solid deposit and a decent credit history will also assist you in securing a mortgage.

You must produce the following documents in addition to proof of income:

• ID documents - passport or driving license
• Income paperwork - six months of bank statements
• Address verification - utility bills within the last three months, usually plus a council tax bill

Lenders will look at your bank accounts to see how much you spend on bills and other expenses to make sure you can afford your mortgage payments. They might ask for information about:

• General household expenses.
• Your regular outgoings on things like childcare, travel, commuting, credit card repayments, loans, car finance and other credit accounts.

Note that this information is all part of the standard affordability assessment to ensure you have the income to manage your repayments. It's a normal part of the application process if you have a variable self-employed income.

Yes, with the same criteria as you'd find on any self-employed mortgage or home loan criteria for a sole trader.

The Revolution Brokers guide to mortgages for sole traders and partnerships provides more information about this type of lending.

Every mortgage lender will assess your income to arrive at a maximum amount they can offer to lend. This assessment process means having to demonstrate your income.

In the past, self-cert mortgages enabled self-employed people to declare what they were earning and mortgage lenders to use this information in their calculations.

Now, this type of mortgage no longer exists, and you must be able to prove what you are earning, backed up with official accounts and records.

There are cases where proof of income isn't required. However, this is usually restricted to specific mortgages such as a buy-to-let.

When you're self-employed, you can take a variety of steps to improve your chances of getting a mortgage, including:

• Saving as much as possible as a deposit.
• Reviewing your credit rating and correcting any errors.
• Registering to vote on the electoral roll.
• Choosing a property that isn't considered higher risk (such as a renovation project that isn't currently inhabitable or a flat about a shop that can be harder to mortgage).

Ultimately, the best way to find affordable borrowing with competitive terms is to work with an experienced, independent self-employment mortgage broker who will advocate for you and negotiate terms with the best lenders on the market.

Calculating your income can itself be a complicated process.

Besides, even if you know your average weekly or monthly income, this will not match your self-assessment tax return, where all of your tax-deductible business expenses have been taken off before your net profit is calculated.

Some lenders will lend up to a maximum of four times your average annual salary. Others will lend up to five times your earnings, and a small number of specialist lenders will offer up to six times your annual income.

Revolution Brokers works to secure the best rates on a range of mortgages for taxi drivers, including minicab drivers and remortgage applications.

Our experience means that we can find suitable lenders to apply to and provide help with demonstrating your income and putting your application together to meet the lender's criteria.