Should I refinance before or after moving from self-employed to PAYG?

It depends where the numbers are stronger. If your tax returns are strong, before can work. If the new salary looks better than your returns, after usually makes more sense.

Can I get a loan straight after starting a new salary job?

Often, yes. Many lenders accept a payslip and employment contract for a full-time role, but some want you through probation or a few months in first.

Do lenders count industry experience if I've just started a job?

Some do. A common pattern is accepting 12 months in the same industry in place of time with your current employer.

How do lenders assess self-employed income?

Usually from your tax returns, using the profit you made on paper after expenses, with some add-backs allowed.

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Straight Answers · Refinancing

I'm self-employed and about to start a salary job. Should I refinance before or after?

Bayley Clarke · Mortgage broker on the road · Last checked 11 November 2026 · 2 min read

The short answer

It depends how your numbers sit. As a self-employed person, lenders traditionally verify your income from your tax returns, so it's what you earned on paper. In a full-time salary job, we can generally use a payslip and your employment contract to show what you'll earn going forward.

So the question is whether the numbers stack up better before the change or after it. That's mostly what decides whether you refinance before or after you start the new job.

The 60 second version, filmed from the driver's seat. The rest of this page is the detail underneath it.

Refinancing before you switch

If your tax returns show a healthy, steady profit, and the refinance works on those numbers, doing it before you change jobs can make sense. You're assessed on income you've already proven, and there's no question about how long you've been in a new role.

This is usually the better path when your business income on paper is strong, or when the new salary is lower than what the business has been showing.

Refinancing after you start

If your returns are low because you've written off a lot of expenses, or the business had a patchy year, the salary might look a lot better to a bank than your tax returns ever did. Many lenders will use a full-time salary from day one with a payslip and contract, so you don't have to wait two years of tax returns to show what you earn.

The catch is that lenders differ on how long you need to be in the job. Some have no minimum, some want you through probation or a few months in, and some will accept less time in the role if you've got 12 months or more in the same industry. Coming straight out of self-employment, how your past work lines up with the new role can matter, so it's worth checking the specific lender before you count on day-one approval.

The honest bit: run both before you resign

This is a timing decision, and it's much easier to make before you've changed anything. Once you've closed the business or signed the contract, one of the two options may be gone.

Bring your last two tax returns and the offer letter, and we'll see which side the numbers stack up on.

Changing from self-employed to salary?

A 30 minute call. We run your refinance on your tax returns and on the new salary, and see which side comes out ahead.

Book a 30 minute call Call 0437 189 939

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Next question

I'm self-employed. How many years of financials do I need, and which ones count?

Two years is the rule of thumb, and many banks average them or take the lowest.