What documents do I need for a business loan in NZ?

Standard pack — every NZ business loan

• Financial statements. 2 years of filed accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow). Get from your accountant.
• Tax returns. Last 2 years filed (IR3 sole trader / IR4 company). Confirms revenue + ties to financials.
• Bank statements. 6–12 months of business bank statements as PDF, or open-banking permissioned feed.
• Debtor + creditor lists. Aged receivables and aged payables, current as of application date.
• Identity (AML/CFT). Passport or NZ driver licence + proof of address (utility bill / bank statement) for every director.
• Business identifiers. NZBN, GST registration, IRD number.
• Loan purpose statement. 1–2 paragraphs on what the loan funds and how it is repaid.

Asset-secured lending adds…

• Asset details: tax invoice / sale-and-purchase agreement / valuation.
• For property: registered valuation by a panel valuer, LIM report, council compliance.
• For equipment / vehicles: serial / VIN, condition report, supplier invoice.
• PPSR security details if existing finance is secured against the asset.
• Insurance: certificate of currency listing the lender's interest.

Business acquisition lending adds…

• Target's 3 years of financial statements + tax returns.
• Signed sale-and-purchase agreement (or detailed term sheet).
• Due-diligence reports (financial, legal, commercial).
• Vendor finance terms (if part of the deal).
• Forecast cash-flow showing serviceability post-acquisition.
• Buyer's source-of-funds documentation for the deposit.

Startup / pre-revenue lending adds…

• Business plan (5–15 pages, covering market, model, risks, financials).
• Founder CVs / experience evidence.
• Personal asset + liability statement (founder wealth + debts).
• Personal-guarantee documentation (security against personal property usually applies).
• Forecast model: 24–36 months of monthly P&L + cash flow.

Alternative-lender minimum pack

Most NZ alternative lenders (e.g., Prospa, Bizcap) underwrite from a much lighter pack:

• NZBN + IRD number.
• 6 months of business bank statements (often via open banking).
• Director ID + AML/CFT documents.
• Loan amount + brief purpose statement.

Trade-off: smaller maximum loan size and higher pricing than banks, but faster decision and lighter documentation burden.