Fast business loan FAQs

Funding can be possible within 24 hours in some approved private mortgage scenarios, when the security, the documents and the exit are all ready. Many files take a few business days. Unsecured options depend on bank statements, revenue and lender assessment, so they run on their own timeline.

Private first and second mortgage options may not need business cash-flow records for initial assessment, because the property security carries the application. Unsecured business loans generally need bank statements or cash-flow records to show the business can repay.

Yes. Bad credit can be considered, especially with suitable property security. Defaults, past ATO debt and bank declines do not automatically end an application, though every file is still assessed on its own security, purpose and exit.

No. Unsecured business loans do not need property security, but they generally need evidence of trading: a track record, regular revenue and recent bank statements. They suit established businesses more than start-ups.

Yes. The funds are paid to the ATO and the debt is replaced by a loan you can structure around the business. Property-secured private funding is common when the debt is large or time is tight, and unsecured options exist for businesses with strong bank statements. An ATO payment plan is the alternative, so compare both before you decide.

A second mortgage is a loan secured by a property that already has a mortgage on it. It sits behind the first mortgage, so you can use the equity in the property without refinancing the existing loan. It suits business owners who need funding quickly or want to leave a bank loan untouched.

Property-secured funding commonly runs from $20,000 to $5m, depending on the security and the structure. Unsecured options for trading businesses commonly run from $5,000 to $500,000, sized on turnover and bank statements. The right amount comes down to your purpose, your security and how the loan will be repaid.

On many short-term property loans, yes. Interest can often be prepaid or added to the loan, which keeps repayments off your cash flow while you wait for the exit. Pricing is individual to each deal and set once your details are assessed.

We are a matching service, not the lender on every deal. You complete one application and we help match you with the lenders we work with and the funding path that fits: private first or second mortgage funding, a tax debt loan or an unsecured business loan. That gives you multiple lender options from one application.

Common uses include clearing a tax debt, working capital, stock, payroll, equipment, expansion, bridging a settlement and urgent business expenses. Funding is for business purposes only.

Often yes, but lodge what is outstanding first. A lender needs to know the true balance, and the ATO treats unlodged statements as an open problem. Property-secured funding looks mainly at the equity and the exit, so a patchy lodgment history does not automatically stop a loan.

It clears the amount you pay, which stops further interest on that portion. The ATO then updates the account, and any later BAS or instalments still fall due as normal. It pays to check the balance a day or two after payment and keep the confirmation.

It depends on who owes the debt and who owns the security. A company debt is usually borrowed by the company with a director guarantee or director-owned property as security. We sort the structure when we read your file, so you do not need to decide it up front.

Clear as much as you can with the loan and put the rest on an ATO payment plan. Part payment brings the balance and the interest down, and a plan on the remainder keeps you engaged with the ATO. Compare the combined cost before you commit.

Both can be cleared in the same payment run. The ATO keeps income tax and activity statement accounts separate, so each needs its own payout figure and its own payment. Give us both balances and we will size the loan to cover them together.

For a tax-debt purpose the cleanest set-up is for the funds to be paid to the ATO using your account's payment details. It keeps the use of funds obvious to everyone and removes the temptation to spend part of it elsewhere. Any balance after the debt is cleared can go to you.

Yes. The loan can be sized to cover tax, penalties and the general interest charge that has built up, because the payout figure includes them. Ask for a figure valid to a specific payment date so interest accrued in between does not leave a small balance behind.

It will, because interest accrues daily and new lodgments may adjust the account. We size the loan with a small buffer and re-check the figure just before payment. Any difference is topped up from the buffer or returned to you.

The ATO's small business guidance suggests speaking with a registered tax professional about business loan options, where interest may remain deductible. GIC itself is no longer deductible for charges from 1 July 2025. Your own tax agent can confirm how it applies to your structure.

It is not required, but it helps. An agent can pull the exact payout figure, lodge anything overdue and later confirm the account reads zero. If you do not have one, you can read the figures yourself from your ATO online services account.

Yes. A common approach is to clear most of the debt with a loan and put the remainder on a plan, or to start with a plan while a loan is arranged. Part payment lowers the balance that interest builds on, and an active plan keeps you engaged with the ATO.

The plan can be cancelled and the ATO can move to other action. Missing one also weakens your case for the interest-free option for small businesses, which allows at most one plan default in the last 12 months. If you see a missed payment coming, call the ATO before it happens.

Sometimes. For secured payment plans the ATO says its preferred securities are a registered mortgage over freehold property or an unconditional bank guarantee from an Australian bank. That is a different arrangement from a standard plan, and it is offered when agreement cannot otherwise be reached.

It depends on the term. A short plan with a small debt is usually cheaper than a private loan, because the loan carries fees and a price for speed. A long plan on a large debt can cost more in compounding GIC than it seems. Run both numbers over the same period.

You can request remission of GIC. The ATO considers it more favourably when late payment is out of pattern with your otherwise on-time history and you can document the event that caused it. It is a request, not an entitlement, so plan on paying the interest.

It is much harder. A lender needs a real number, and an unlodged statement means the amount owing is unknown or estimated. Lodge first, even late, then borrow against the confirmed balance. Some property-secured lenders will work in parallel if the lodgment is days away.

Treat it as the ATO's. GST collected from customers, less credits for GST you paid on purchases, is what you report and pay on the BAS. Spending it on trading costs is the most common way a business ends up with a GST debt, so lenders look closely at how the shortfall happened.

Withholding is tax taken from your employees' pay and handed to the ATO. Instalments are advance payments of your own business income tax. Both appear on the BAS, but withholding is also the debt that can make directors personally liable if a company does not pay.

No. This applies to whichever obligations you have. GST registration is required when GST turnover reaches $75,000 or more, but a business with only withholding or super debts is equally in scope. Tell us which taxes make up the balance and we will size the loan to match.

As soon as practical, because general interest charge compounds daily on whatever is unpaid. There is no fixed window, but the credit-reporting test starts at 90 days overdue and director penalty rules can apply from the due date. Earlier is cheaper and safer.

It depends on the wording of your existing mortgage. Many bank mortgages ask the borrower to tell the bank or obtain its consent before another mortgage is registered. We read your current loan terms at the start, so any notice or consent is organised in parallel with signing rather than discovered at the last minute.

It needs to be for a business purpose with a believable repayment plan. Tax debts, stock, equipment, a business purchase, wages through a gap and consolidating costly short-term debt are all common. Money for personal spending or consumer purposes is outside what these loans are built for.

There is no fixed number in principle, but every extra mortgage ranks behind the ones before it and leaves less cushion. In practice lenders rarely go beyond a second mortgage. A third ranking is only realistic on high-equity property with a very short, certain exit.

That is common with commercial property and is workable. The company or trustee signs as mortgagor, and directors or beneficiaries often sign as guarantors. Have the company details or the trust deed ready so the structure is clear from the first day and nothing needs to be rebuilt later.

It becomes part of the picture, because a new first-mortgage lender will want the second mortgage paid out or ranked appropriately at settlement. That is routine. The usual plan is that the refinance proceeds repay the second mortgage on the same day and it is discharged from title.

It suits the owner who wants to keep the asset, expects to repay in months, and needs the money now. If the property is surplus to the business, a sale may be cleaner. A second mortgage buys time without forcing a sale at the wrong moment.

In a narrow set of cases, yes. It takes a property with clear title and obvious equity, owners who can sign immediately, a first lender that needs no consent or responds quickly, and a deadline the lender is set up to meet. We say it can be possible, never promised, and tell you early if your file is not that type.

Settlement is booked for a business day, so the final step cannot land on a weekend or public holiday. Assessment and documents can progress outside those hours, and a file that is fully signed on a Friday can be ready to settle first thing Monday. If a deadline sits on a weekend, tell us on day one so the plan works backwards from it.

Private funding generally costs more than a bank loan, and speed is part of what you are paying for. The price is set individually from the security, the size and the exit, so ask for the full cost in your offer. A cleaner, better-prepared file often earns better terms than a rushed one.

The usual alternative is a caveat loan, which can be lodged without waiting on the first lender and later converted to a registered second mortgage once the consent arrives. It is a judgement call made with you based on deadline, amount and the first mortgage wording.

No. Property-secured funding is arranged across Australia, and each state and territory has its own land registry and lodgement rules that the lender and solicitor work through. Give us the property address and the state is dealt with from there, including remote signing for owners who are travelling.

Download your latest first mortgage statement, find the council rates notice, line up photo identification for every owner, and write two sentences on the purpose and exit. Those four things remove most of the back-and-forth that turns a one-day file into a five-day one.

The bank is paid its full payout figure from the new loan at settlement, and it lodges a discharge so its mortgage comes off the title. The private lender's mortgage is registered in its place, in first position. The two steps happen together through electronic settlement, so there is no gap in which the property is unsecured.

Yes, that is one of the most common reasons borrowers come to private first mortgage funding. The lender looks at the equity, the payout figure including arrears and costs, and whether there is a credible exit. Tell us the default date and any notice you have received so the timeline is built around it.

It is normally set for a short term, from a few months to around a year or so, because the aim is to fix a situation and then move to cheaper, longer-term finance. Longer arrangements exist on some properties, but the plan going in should be a defined exit, not an open-ended hold.

No. A property with a bank mortgage can be refinanced into a private first mortgage, and a property with no mortgage can also be used. If other charges are registered on the title, such as a second mortgage or caveat, they need to be dealt with, ranked behind or paid out as part of the structure.

Yes. Shops, offices, warehouses, industrial units, mixed-use buildings and vacant land can all be considered, along with houses and units. What matters is whether the security can be sold if needed. A tenant and lease on commercial property can help, as can a clear plan for any vacant space.

A bank refinance usually needs full financials, a credit assessment and weeks of processing. A private first mortgage is assessed mainly on the property and the exit, so it can be quicker and more flexible on credit history. The trade-off is cost, which is higher, so it is meant to be temporary.

No. Many borrowers have solid records and choose it because it is quick, flexible about structure or avoids rewriting a good bank loan. Credit history is considered less heavily than at a bank, which helps borrowers with defaults, but speed and the property-led assessment are the reasons most people use it.

A bank loan is priced and approved mainly on your financial statements, credit file and policy boxes, and takes weeks. Private mortgage funding is approved mainly on the property and the exit, and can take days. The bank loan is cheaper. The private loan is faster and more forgiving of an imperfect file.

Speed depends on how much has to be checked. A loan secured by property with plenty of equity needs a title search and an identity check, not months of financial statements. An unsecured loan needs a read of your bank statements and trading history. Anything that needs a third party, such as an existing lender's discharge, adds time.

Often yes, if you can offer property security. A private mortgage can be first assessed without business cash-flow records, so a young business with a property-owning director can still be considered. Unsecured funding is harder in the first year because lenders rely on trading history and bank statements.

Usually yes, compared with a bank loan. Fast private money costs more than bank funding, and pricing is set on your individual circumstances. It is designed for when speed or flexibility is worth that difference. A short term and a firm exit keep the total cost in proportion to the problem you are solving.

Yes. Many fast loans are settled with funds paid straight to the creditor, such as the ATO or a supplier, which also gives that creditor certainty. Have the payee details and the reference number ready. For tax debts specifically, see our tax pages for how this is set up and when a payment plan is the better first call.

Send one application and tell us what you own, what you turn over and what you need. We help match you with the path that fits. If you have property equity and a short deadline, secured is often faster. If you have steady revenue and no property, unsecured is the realistic route.

It depends on the structure. Property-secured loans are anchored on the security, which may belong to a director or guarantor. Unsecured business loans commonly ask directors to guarantee the loan. We explain what applies to your file before you accept anything, so there are no surprises at signing.

Yes, but a single clear purpose usually moves faster. Lenders want to see where the money goes and how it is repaid. If you have a mix, such as stock plus a tax balance, say so and show the exit for each part. We can often structure one facility, though a split purpose can add a few questions.

Wages are the more urgent, and falling behind on them creates legal and staffing problems fast. Suppliers can sometimes be held with a written approval or a part-payment while funding settles. A short loan paid directly to the supplier can also restore trade terms. Weigh the cost of the loan against what a stopped supply costs you.

Lenders need a stated purpose and usually want supporting paperwork, such as an invoice, a quote, a contract or an ATO statement. Where we pay a creditor directly at settlement, the proof is built in. Business purposes only: these loans are not for personal or consumer spending.

Borrow what the purpose needs plus a small buffer for costs, and no more. Over-borrowing adds interest and can weaken the exit. If the need is a known invoice or tax balance, size to that figure. If it is a cash-flow gap, size to the lowest point your bank balance will reach.

Yes, though expansion is less urgent than wages or tax, so the structure matters. Property-secured funding can release equity for a fit-out or deposit, and unsecured loans suit established businesses with strong bank statements. Lenders will look closely at how the new site pays for itself and how the loan is repaid if it ramps up slowly.

No. Payday loans are small consumer products. Same day business loans here are for business purposes only, commonly secured on property, and sized from $20,000 up to $5,000,000. The speed comes from a simple assessment of the security and the exit rather than from small amounts or consumer lending rules.

It is unlikely. An afternoon application can still be assessed that day, and approval may land by evening or first thing tomorrow, but signing and settlement need a full set of business hours. If the money must move today, apply as early as you can and have every document and signatory ready.

An approval is a written offer with conditions, and the conditions matter. If the title search, a loan statement or the exit evidence differs from what you told us, the offer may change. Accurate figures at the start are the best protection against surprises at settlement.

Often it can. Suppliers, landlords and even the ATO can respond better to a dated written approval and a settlement date than to a verbal promise. It does not replace paying them, but it can buy the day or two a settlement needs. Ask us for the offer in a form you can forward.

Not always. A private mortgage may be assessed without business cash-flow records at the start, which is part of why they move quickly. Unsecured loans generally do need bank statements and are quicker than a bank but rarely same day. The security, not your reporting, carries a secured file.

No. Many owners use a quick loan simply because the bank timetable does not suit the opportunity: a stock deal, a deposit, a short settlement gap. Urgency raises the price of delay, but speed is also useful when you want certainty. The right test is whether the benefit of moving now exceeds the extra cost.

Not necessarily. Bad credit can be considered, especially with suitable property security, because the lender leans on the property and the exit rather than a score alone. Unsecured quick loans lean more on trading performance and bank statements, so a poor record has less room to hide there.

A quick loan is a one-off lump sum paid out when approved. A line of credit is a limit you draw on and repay repeatedly. A line suits recurring cash-flow swings; a loan suits one defined need. Setting up a line can itself take a few days, so it is less of a rescue tool.

Identity details that do not match across documents. A name spelled one way on the application and another on the licence, or a company address that differs from the registry, triggers questions that cost hours. Copy details exactly from the source documents and the file stays on its clock.

Approval is a decision; payment is a logistics job. Once a lender is comfortable it can say yes in hours, but funds only move after documents are signed, the security is registered and any outgoing lender has supplied a payout figure. Each of those can sit with someone other than you, and that is usually where the extra days come from.

They slow settlement more than approval. Registering security and moving funds run on business days, so a Friday afternoon approval often settles early the next week. If your deadline sits just after a long weekend, apply earlier than feels necessary and put the date in your first message.

Usually only a little. A larger file tends to have more parties, more signatures and a closer look at the security, but the steps are identical. Well-prepared large files regularly settle within days. A small file with a missing co-owner will lose to a large file with everything ready.

It can, mainly by sending your file to the right lender first time rather than to three wrong ones. One application that is routed to a suitable private mortgage or unsecured option saves the wasted round trips that cost most people their first week.

Answer the three questions a lender always asks before it is asked: is the security clean, is the purpose genuine, and is the exit real. A one-page summary with the property details, who is on title, what is owing and how you will repay covers all three.

Not in the formal sense. A caveat loan relies on a caveat lodged on the title, which records that the lender claims an interest and alerts anyone dealing with the property. A second mortgage is a registered security interest. In practice the lender's protection is stronger with the mortgage, which is why conversion exists.

It depends on your first mortgage terms. A second mortgage can need the first lender's consent, particularly if the loan contract restricts further security. A caveat may be lodged without a separate registration process, but your documents still matter. Tell us about your existing loan up front so we can say which route applies.

Speak to us before the due date, not after. A short-term loan is built around the exit, so if a sale or refinance is slipping, the sensible options are an extension, converting the caveat to a registered second mortgage, or refinancing out. Waiting until the date passes narrows those choices.

It is possible for different interests to be recorded on one title, but the order of priority and the rights of each party matter a great deal. Existing registered interests, including the first mortgage, rank by their position. Lay out everything on the title in your application so the structure can be set properly.

Either can fund an ATO payoff. A caveat loan suits a quick clearance with a near-term exit; a second mortgage suits a longer runway, such as repaying through trading over months. Our tax-debt pages explain how the funds are applied and what to have ready.

It means a director or owner agrees to repay if the company does not. For an unsecured loan, that signature is often the lender's main protection, so your personal assets can be exposed even though no asset is named. Read the guarantee terms carefully and ask whether it is limited or unlimited before you sign.

Often, yes. With suitable property security, bad credit can be considered, including past defaults, bank declines and ATO debt, because the lender is looking mainly at the property equity and the exit. Unsecured lenders lean harder on your record, so poor credit narrows those options more.

Not necessarily. Security reduces the lender's risk, which can help pricing within a given product, but a fast private mortgage costs more than a bank loan because of the speed and flexibility it provides. Compare total cost and timing, not just the label. Our guide to comparing business loans shows how.

The lender has rights over the property under the security documents, which is why the exit matters so much. Before you borrow, be clear on how the loan will be repaid, and speak to the lender early if plans slip. Extensions and refinancing are far easier to arrange before a due date than after.

No. They need less property paperwork, but they generally need bank statements or cash-flow records, identification and trading details. Because there is no asset to fall back on, the lender reads your statements closely, and gaps or irregular deposits can change the amount offered.

No. Private mortgage options may not need business cash-flow records for initial assessment, so tax returns are often not the first request. Unsecured and bank lenders more commonly ask for them. If you have a Notice of Assessment from the ATO, keep it handy, since it is available through your myGov inbox or ATO online services.

Unsecured lenders commonly look at several recent months of business bank statements, and the exact period depends on the lender and the amount. Provide complete statements for all active business accounts, not selected pages, because gaps invite questions and slow the file down.

Download a recent loan statement or ask the lender for a payout figure. An approximate number can start the conversation, but a documented balance is needed before funds move. If there are multiple loans on title, list each one and its lender.

Rarely for private mortgage funding, sometimes for unsecured or bank files. It helps most when your financial position needs explaining, such as a recent ATO debt, a lodgement catch-up or a one-off drop in trading. Ask your accountant for a short summary rather than a long report.

Yes, and it is often the fastest approach. Send the core set with your application so the lender can say yes in principle, then supply product-specific items as they are requested. Sending everything late is slower than sending the essentials early.