Written and reviewed by John Pierre Saliba, Director and Senior Finance Broker, MFAA Accredited, ACL 511092. Last reviewed 8 October 2026.
Key facts
| Maximum LVR without LMI | Typically up to 90%, subject to lender assessment; several lenders cap waived loan sizes |
| Who qualifies | Equity partners of accounting firms holding CA or CPA membership; fixed-share and full equity partners assessed differently |
| Income evidence | One to two years of partnership distributions and tax returns typically; some lenders accept an appointment letter and distribution schedule for established firms |
| Common income threshold | Waiver thresholds often around $150,000; partner incomes usually clear this comfortably |
| Documents usually requested | Partnership appointment letter, distribution statements, personal and trust tax returns, partnership agreement extracts |
| Typical approval timeline | 3-5 weeks; structure complexity is the main driver |
How Do Lenders Assess Accounting Firm Partnership Income in 2026?
Once you hold equity, most lenders stop treating you as a salaried employee and assess you as self-employed, looking at your share of partnership profit rather than a payslip. What evidence they accept for that profit is where lenders differ sharply.
The conservative approach is one to two years of personal tax returns showing partnership distributions, sometimes with the partnership's own financials. The more pragmatic approach, available from a number of lenders for partners of established firms, is to assess income from your monthly drawings, the firm's distribution schedule or your appointment letter. Fixed-share partners with a guaranteed draw sit somewhere in between and are sometimes assessed close to PAYG. Because your income often arrives as a mix of draws, quarterly distributions and a year-end true-up, presenting it correctly to the right lender is most of the work.
Do New Equity Partners Have to Wait Two Years for a Home Loan in 2026?
No, not necessarily. While many lenders want one to two years of post-admission tax returns, some will lend to newly admitted partners of established firms on the strength of the appointment letter and the firm's distribution history, subject to assessment.
This matters because admission to partnership often coincides with exactly the moment you want to upgrade the family home, and a mechanical two-year rule would park you in limbo despite your income having just stepped up. Lenders that run genuine partner policies recognise that a new equity partner at a stable, decades-old firm is not a startup founder. The trade-off is that these policies are not advertised; they sit in credit policy documents and BDM conversations, which is where a broker earns their keep. If you have just been admitted, our partners and directors page and the self-employed lending guide are useful companions to this page.
The best partner applications I lodge are prepared before the client signs the partnership deed. Collect your appointment letter, the fixed draw and distribution schedule, and the relevant partnership agreement extracts as you receive them. If we also have your last two years of returns from your employed life, I can usually keep your options open across both the partner-policy lenders and the traditional ones, and pick whichever prices better.
Can I Finance a Partnership Buy-In in 2026?
Yes. Equity buy-ins are routinely financed through home equity release, dedicated professional capital loans, or facilities arranged alongside the firm, and the buy-in can often be run in parallel with a home purchase.
The common sequence: release equity from an existing property to fund the capital contribution, then refinance or purchase once the first distributions flow. Some lenders will consider the future partnership income when assessing the buy-in facility itself, which avoids a chicken-and-egg problem. Whether interest on buy-in borrowing is deductible depends on your structure and is a question for your own accountant or tax adviser; we arrange the finance and coordinate with them rather than advising on tax.
How Are Trust and Service Entity Distributions Treated in 2026?
Lenders will generally assess trust distributions that are consistent and likely to continue, evidenced by the trust deed plus trust and personal tax returns. Income parked in a bucket company or service entity can often be added back, but only by lenders comfortable with professional structures.
Partner remuneration frequently runs through family trusts for legitimate planning reasons, and the difference between a lender that reads structures fluently and one that does not can be hundreds of thousands of dollars of borrowing power. Two practical rules: keep distribution patterns consistent year to year where you can, and have your accountant's working papers ready, because a lender that understands the structure quickly is a lender that approves quickly.
How Much LMI Can an Equity Partner Save on a $2.2M Sydney Home?
At 90% LVR on a $2,200,000 purchase, the waived premium is typically in the tens of thousands:
- Purchase price (Sydney house): $2,200,000
- Deposit (10%): $220,000
- Loan amount: $1,980,000 (90% LVR)
- LMI normally payable at 90% LVR: approximately $45,000 to $60,000, depending on lender and insurer
- LMI with a professional waiver: $0
- Cash kept in your offset or toward the buy-in: the full premium plus the $220,000 you did not need to double
Figures are illustrative only and vary by lender, insurer and circumstances. At this loan size, waiver caps apply with several lenders, so the shortlist is narrower than for a $900,000 purchase; we model it lender by lender. Start with the LMI calculator or check capacity on the borrowing power calculator.
What Documents Do Accounting Firm Partners Need in 2026?
- Partnership appointment letter and, where relevant, extracts of the partnership agreement
- Distribution statements or the firm's draw and distribution schedule
- Last one to two years of personal tax returns and notices of assessment
- Trust deeds and trust returns where income flows through a family trust
- Evidence of CA or CPA membership, ID and bank statements
Employed colleagues can work from the shorter list on our accountants page, and law firm equivalents are covered at home loans for law firm partners. All professions sit under the professional LMI waiver hub.
Book a free 15-minute call with John Pierre Saliba
Partner-level lending is about structure, not forms. One call and I will tell you which lenders fit yours.
