Personal loans for the self-employed: what matters?
Understand private borrowing when self-employed: distinguish turnover from personal income, document fluctuations and plan affordable repayments.
Updated on · Budgetcredit
Distinguish private needs from business purposes
Self-employed people may also need private financing. Classification, however, depends not only on your professional status but on the purpose of the loan. A loan for private purposes differs from financing professional or commercial activity. Art. 3 of the Consumer Credit Act (KKG) defines a consumer by reference to a purpose outside that activity.
State the actual intended use. A private purchase and financing stock for your business are different projects. A business purpose should not be described as private simply because a form seems easier. This article deals exclusively with personal loans for private purposes.
In its FAQ, Budgetcredit notes that self-employed people can discuss an enquiry. This is an opportunity for an individual assessment, not a blanket acceptance guarantee for every activity and income situation.
Why turnover is not available net salary
Turnover is initially business income. Materials, rent, insurance, social contributions and other business costs may need to be paid from it. Only an adjusted assessment shows what amount is sustainably available to the private household. A transfer from a business account to your private account does not by itself prove sustainable income either.
A simplified planning example: monthly receipts of 10'000 francs are set against business expenses of 5'500 francs and other necessary provisions. Using the full 10'000 francs as private net salary greatly overstates capacity. The precise reconciliation must suit your business structure and accounts; a general allowance cannot replace it.
For an initial estimate, use a cautiously derived amount regularly available. Strong months must not conceal weak ones. This especially applies to seasonal work, project fees or customer invoices still outstanding. An invoice does not automatically mean money has already been received.
Documents must explain how the situation has developed
Clarify in advance which evidence the particular lender requires. Tax records and suitable business documents can help substantiate personal income and its development. Art. 31 KKG provides for other documents giving information about income where the person is not in salaried employment.
Historical documents should be consistent with the situation today. Explain any significant change in your business since the last accounts. A good prior year cannot make a current gap in orders disappear. Conversely, a verifiable improvement is better demonstrated with reliable figures than an optimistic estimate.
Record recurring private commitments regardless of which account has previously paid them. What matters is the household’s actual financial burden. A private health insurance premium, for example, does not vanish from the budget because it was accidentally paid through a business account.
Reserves matter when receipts fluctuate
A loan instalment falls due on the agreed dates. Your customers, however, may pay irregularly. Plan separate reserves for the business and private household. Funds set aside for charges or expected bills are not freely available just because they are currently in the account.
Test your personal plan against a weaker month. Which necessary expenses still arise? How long could you bridge a delayed payment? This thought exercise is not a statutory affordability assessment, but helps avoid basing an instalment only on particularly good months.
If the business is already under strain, a personal loan should not quietly become a means of covering ongoing business losses. That would be a different financing purpose and would add pressure to your personal budget. First clarify the actual need and whether a new private commitment makes sense at all.
How to prepare a realistic enquiry
- Identify the private purpose and the amount actually needed.
- Establish sustainably available personal income.
- Record household costs, existing debts and reserves completely.
- Agree the required income documents with the adviser.
- Assess a concrete offer by instalment, term and total costs.
A longer term can reduce the contractual monthly instalment, but does not replace the statutory assessment framework for KKG loans. Professional bookkeeping does not automatically lead to approval either. It simply makes the situation easier to verify. The lender decides on the basis of the complete dossier and its product criteria.
Start with your personal budget if you do not yet know the affordable amount. If your need is clear, make a focused enquiry with clearly explained figures. Reliable information matters more than the highest possible income figure.
Frequently asked questions
Can a self-employed person enquire about a personal loan?
An individual assessment is possible. The private purpose, documented income, affordability and lender acceptance criteria are decisive.
May I state my turnover as net salary?
No. Turnover is not personal disposable income. Business expenses, charges and necessary provisions must be accounted for properly.
Is there one minimum period of self-employment for all providers?
The KKG does not establish a general minimum number of business years for every product. Check specific requirements with the relevant provider.
Sources and information date
Information as of 13 October 2026. Provider conditions may change. The individual assessment and contract documents are decisive.
Credit must not be granted if it would lead to over-indebtedness. A budget calculation provides a non-binding indication, not a loan offer.
