What documents will lenders usually ask for?

For most UK SMB loan applications, lenders ask for the same six core documents: 6 months of business bank statements (PDFs direct from your bank), latest filed Companies House accounts, most recent management accounts (P&L plus balance sheet), photo ID for every director with 25%+ shareholding, proof of address less than 3 months old for those directors, and a one-page use of funds memo.

Product-specific additions stack on top. Asset finance: supplier proforma invoice with make, model and serial number. Invoice finance: aged debtors report and a sample of recent invoices. Commercial mortgage: existing finance agreement, property title, valuation. Merchant cash advance: 6 months of card-machine statements. Sole trader applications: most recent SA302 self-assessment and 12 months of personal bank statements where the trading account is also personal.

For HMRC-stretched borrowers add: the most recent VAT return, PAYE receipt for current period, and any Time to Pay arrangement letter. For post-decline borrowers add: the previous lender's decline letter (this is genuinely useful, not awkward), as it shortcuts a lot of explanation. For start-ups under 12 months trading: business plan, 24-month forecast, and personal financial information for all directors.

Three documents that delay applications most often. Stale management accounts (over 6 months old). Bank statements with redactions or that look scanned. Director ID where photo or address does not match Companies House records (ECCTA 2026 cross-checks bite hard here).

See our pre-application checklist for the full ranked list, and what documents will speed up my application for the same question framed for speed.