Mortgages for accountants

Accountants appear on most lenders' professional lists, but the details differ: some want chartered status, and accountants who run their own practice are assessed as self-employed.

Last checked 13 September 2026. Editor: Kris · editorial standards

Sources checked 15 October 2026.

1. Which accountants count as "professional"

The wording matters. Kensington's professional range lists "chartered accountants"; Metro Bank's lists "accountants" who are registered with their professional body and practising (links in the table below). In practice lenders look for full membership of a recognised body, such as ICAEW, ACCA or CIMA, rather than being part-qualified or a bookkeeper. Members can be checked in directories like ICAEW and ACCA's.

Professional mortgages: what lenders actually publish

A handful of lenders have a "professional" range that lends more than the usual 4 to 4.5 times income to people in named professions. Criteria as published on 15 October 2026:

Lender	Up to	Main conditions
Metro Bank, professional range	6 × income	Qualified in the last ten years; registered with the UK professional body and practising; subject to affordability
Kensington, professionals	6 × income, up to 90% LTV	Fully qualified, registered and practising; minimum income £35,000 single or £50,000 joint

Both are offered through mortgage brokers, and both say the multiple is subject to affordability, so the full 6 × is a ceiling rather than a promise. Lenders change these ranges often; a broker will know the current list. Separately, from 28 October 2026 lenders no longer each have to keep loans at 4.5 × income or more under 15% of their own lending, only the market as a whole (PRA and FCA, PS19/26), which may make higher multiples easier to find.

Two people going through something on a laptop in an office — Photo: Austin Distel / Unsplash

2. Employed accountants

If you're on a salary in practice or industry, lenders count basic pay in full and look at bonuses over one or two years. Studying for exams on a training contract is usually treated as permanent employment, but you won't qualify for a professional range until you're fully qualified.

3. Sole practitioners

A sole trader is "classed as self-employed" and files Self Assessment (GOV.UK), so lenders want SA302s and tax year overviews, usually for two years (GOV.UK, SA302). Many lenders also want accounts prepared or checked by a qualified accountant; if that's you, ask whether the lender accepts self-prepared accounts or wants an independent accountant's certificate, as policies differ.

If you trade through your own limited company, lenders use salary plus dividends, or at some lenders your share of the company's profit; see the self-employed mortgages guide.

4. Partners

Partners and LLP members are taxed on their share of the profits through Self Assessment (GOV.UK, LLPs), and lenders read that profit share from the tax return, not drawings. Some mainstream lenders cap self-employed applicants at about 4.5 times income (Virgin Money: 4.49 times), which is where a professional range can make the biggest difference.

5. What to tell a broker

Your qualification and membership body, and when you qualified.
How you're paid: salary, sole trader, limited company, or partner.
Two years of SA302s and tax year overviews if self-employed, and who prepares your accounts.

Estimate the numbers with the borrowing calculator.

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General information, not advice. Mortgage Brokers List is a directory and a set of free tools. Only an FCA-authorised adviser can recommend a mortgage for your circumstances. See our editorial standards.