Finance question
Can I get finance if I use a bookkeeper, not an accountant?
Yes. You do not need an accountant to get equipment finance. Low-doc and no-doc options mean the asset secures the loan, so bookkeeper-kept records or none at all can still be enough.
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The short answer
You do not need accountant-prepared financials
Plenty of good businesses run their numbers through a bookkeeper rather than a full accountant, and that is no barrier to equipment finance. The finance is secured against the asset you are buying, so a lender is not depending on a formal set of accountant-signed financials to approve it.
Low-doc and no-doc structures are built for this. Instead of accountant-prepared tax returns, a lender may look at your ABN, GST registration, recent bank statements or BAS that your bookkeeper lodges, along with a deposit or the asset itself. That is often all it takes to fund a vehicle or a piece of equipment.
A bookkeeper who keeps clean, current records actually helps your case. Up-to-date figures and lodged BAS give a lender a clear, recent picture of the business. With 40+ lenders on the panel, the job is to match you to the ones whose requirements fit the records you already have.
Do you qualify?
What a bookkeeper-run business needs.
An active ABN
Sole traders, partnerships and companies all qualify.
A specific asset
The vehicle or machine you are buying secures the loan.
Clean records
Bookkeeper-kept figures and lodged BAS give a clear picture.
A deposit can help
It can stand in for formal financials on some deals.
Why an accountant is not required
The asset secures it
Security in the equipment offsets the lack of formal financials.
Low-doc fits the records
ABN, BAS and bank statements can be enough to fund the deal.
Clean books help
Current bookkeeper records give a lender a recent, clear picture.
A real example
An electrician whose bookkeeper handles his BAS but who has no accountant-signed financials needs a $28,000 ute and tool fit-out. His bank wanted full financials he did not have. Placed with a lender on a low-doc basis, using his BAS and bank statements and secured on the ute, it was approved. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an accountant to apply for equipment finance?
No. Low-doc and no-doc options let a lender assess your ABN, the asset and records like BAS rather than accountant-prepared financials.
Are bookkeeper-kept records enough?
Often yes. Clean, current figures and lodged BAS give a lender the picture it needs, especially with the asset securing the loan.
What if I have no financials at all?
No-doc options exist. A lender may rely on the asset, a deposit and your ABN rather than any formal financials.
Does having a bookkeeper look worse than an accountant?
No. What matters is that the records are clean and current, and that the deal is matched to a lender whose requirements fit them.