These documents help a lender understand the income you have declared. Finding them should not become the most frustrating part of buying a home.
This guide explains how to print or download your SA302 and tax year overview, what to do if you use an accountant, and how to avoid sending the wrong paperwork.
Get your tax calculation from the service used to file your return, and your tax year overview from HMRC. Save both for each tax year your mortgage adviser requests.
What is an SA302?
An SA302 is a Self Assessment tax calculation. It sets out taxable income, allowances and reliefs, and how the tax liability for a particular year has been calculated.
You may also hear it called a “tax calculation” or “tax computation”. Those different names can make a straightforward request sound more complicated than it is.
It is not your business bank statement, your sales total or a copy of every page of your tax return. It has a specific purpose: explaining the calculation of your personal tax.
What is a tax year overview?
Your tax year overview is a separate HMRC record showing the tax charged, payments and balance for a particular tax year.
Think of the calculation and overview as a pair. One explains the calculation; the other provides the account information for that year.
SA302 (tax calculation)
Explains how your tax for the year was calculated.
From your filing service or accountant
Tax year overview
Shows the tax charged, payments and balance for that year.
From HMRC
Sending only one can leave your adviser needing to come back to you. Before downloading anything, ask which years are required and whether the lender needs any additional evidence.
Before you log in: get these things ready
- Set aside a quiet few minutes, ideally using a laptop or desktop if you find downloading files on your phone awkward. Have your HMRC sign-in details available, along with the device you use for security checks.
- Write down the requested tax years. “Last year” is easy to misunderstand when you are thinking in calendar years but your accountant is thinking in tax years.
- Create a folder for the documents before you start. That small step saves hunting through downloads later, particularly if you are applying jointly and both applicants need to supply information.
Good to know: you do not need to give your broker your password or security codes. We need the documents, not access to your tax account.
How to print or download your SA302
For returns filed through HMRC, start at the official GOV.UK SA302 guidance. Sign in, select Self Assessment, then “More details about your Self Assessment returns and payments”. Find the submitted return for the required year and open its tax calculation.
- Check the year before saving anything.
- Choose the option to view or print the full calculation. Menu labels may vary.
- In the print window, select “Save as PDF” or your device’s equivalent, or choose your printer for a paper copy.
- Include every page and open the saved file to check it is readable.
- Repeat for the other years requested.
A useful filename is SA302-2024-2025.pdf. If two people are providing documents, add the applicant’s name so the files are easy to distinguish.
A PDF is generally easier to review than several photographs of a screen. Before sending it, check that no page has been missed and that the text has not been cropped by the print settings.
How to print or download your tax year overview
Within your HMRC Self Assessment account, open the relevant tax year and look for the tax year overview. Select the year, then use the print option and save the complete document as a PDF.
For example, keep Tax-Year-Overview-2024-2025.pdf alongside the calculation bearing the same year.
Do the same for every year requested. Your finished folder should contain a clearly identifiable pair for each year, rather than a mixture of calculations from one period and overviews from another.
Open the files before uploading them. A file can download successfully while still being the wrong page. Checking now is much easier than discovering the problem when a lender asks for a replacement.
What if my accountant files my tax return?
If commercial software was used, obtain the tax calculation from that software or your accountant. The overview still comes from HMRC. Do not assume a missing calculation in your account means something has gone wrong.
You can send your accountant this simple request:
Please could you provide my final submitted personal tax calculations and matching HMRC tax year overviews for the tax years my mortgage adviser has requested? Please include all pages and confirm whether any returns have subsequently been amended.
Add the actual years before sending it. If your accountant provides only the calculations, check whether they can also obtain the overviews or whether you should download those yourself.
This is also a good time to flag anything unusual, such as a change in your business structure. Giving your adviser that context helps them ask the right questions before an application is submitted.
Why can’t I see my latest SA302?
HMRC says you cannot print these documents until 72 hours after submitting your return. Its tax calculation guidance also explains that access to the calculation can be unavailable during this period.
If you have only just filed, tell your adviser when you submitted the return rather than repeatedly trying to download it. If the documents remain unavailable, check with your accountant or HMRC.
Other useful checks are whether you are looking at the correct account, the correct year and a submitted return rather than a draft.
A preview used while preparing a return should not be passed off as final submitted evidence. If you are unsure what you have downloaded, ask before relying on it.
How many years do I need for a mortgage?
Ask your adviser for a document list specific to your application. Avoid building your plans around a blanket rule you have seen online.
The evidence needed depends on the lender and your circumstances. A sole trader, a company director and someone combining employment with other income may need different supporting paperwork.
“Which years and documents do you need for the lenders you are considering for me?”
That gives you a clear task and gives your accountant a precise request. If you do not have everything requested, say so early. Your adviser can then investigate your position rather than discovering the gap after you have committed to a timescale.
Do the figures have to match exactly?
The documents should relate to the same tax year and the same person. But do not assume every number on one page should be identical to every number on the other.
The SA302 is not a running account of everything paid. HMRC explains that it excludes payments on account already made, Budget Payment Plan payments and other outstanding amounts such as penalties.
If something appears inconsistent, keep both documents intact and ask your accountant to explain it. Do not edit the PDF, remove a page or try to make the figures agree yourself.
Your adviser needs a clear explanation of the records, not a document that has been altered to look simpler.
Six mistakes worth avoiding
1. Sending your full tax return instead
If the request is for calculations and overviews, check those are the files you have supplied. Your adviser will tell you if the full return is also needed.
2. Mixing up the tax years
Read the year printed inside each document. A filename someone typed months ago is not enough to confirm what is actually in the file.
3. Sending cropped screenshots
A screenshot may cut off your name, the year or part of a calculation. Save the complete document wherever possible.
4. Missing an amendment
If your accountant has corrected a return, tell your adviser. Ask which updated documents are required rather than assuming the original download is still suitable.
5. Removing identifying information
The originals supplied securely for an application need to identify you. Follow your adviser’s instructions about the information required.
6. Leaving document collection until the last minute
Gathering paperwork before a deadline gives you room to resolve missing files or questions. It also makes conversations about your mortgage more productive.
An example: what should your folder contain?
Suppose your adviser asks for 2023/24 and 2024/25. This is an illustration, not a statement that those are the right years for every application.
Your folder would contain four documents: a calculation and an overview for 2023/24, plus a calculation and an overview for 2024/25.
If your accountant has already sent two calculations, you still need to check the two corresponding overviews are there. Four files named “tax documents” are less helpful than four clearly labelled files you have checked.
For joint applicants, organise each person’s documents separately. That makes it easier to identify what is ready and what is still outstanding.
Frequently asked questions
Is an SA302 the same as a tax year overview?
No. They serve different purposes. Check the document names and contents rather than assuming one can replace the other.
Do I need a physical printer?
No. If your device offers a PDF option in its print menu, you can save the document electronically. Keep a copy somewhere you can find again.
Will my lender accept documents I print myself?
Check with your adviser. HMRC publishes information about lenders accepting printed tax documents, but the requirements for your application should be confirmed directly.
What if I filed a paper return?
HMRC says it sends the tax calculation by post when a paper return is filed. If you cannot find your copy, contact HMRC and tell your adviser what is missing.
Does having these documents guarantee a mortgage?
No. Preparing evidence helps your application, but it is not an approval. Your adviser still needs to assess your circumstances and the lender’s requirements.
Can Evermore help if I am stuck?
Yes. Tell us which document you cannot find and the step you have reached. We can explain what we have requested; questions about your tax figures or HMRC account may need your accountant or HMRC.
How should I send the documents securely?
Use the upload method agreed with your adviser. Tax documents contain personal and financial information, so avoid posting them in public comments or sending them to an address you have not checked.
Before pressing send, compare your folder with the document request. Have you included both document types, every requested year and all pages? Can you open each PDF without an error?
If a file is password protected, agree how the recipient will receive the password separately. Do not share your HMRC login to get around a downloading problem.
Finally, keep your own copies. If your plans change or your adviser needs to revisit something, having the original files ready saves repeating the whole exercise.
Ready to get your mortgage paperwork organised?
You should not have to become a tax expert to prepare for a mortgage. Start with a clear list, download the right documents and ask questions when something does not make sense.
At Evermore Mortgage Brokers, we can help you understand the evidence needed for your circumstances. Read more about our self-employed mortgage advice, or explore our guide to contractor and tradesperson mortgages.
Tell us how you earn your income and where you are in your property plans, and we can discuss the next steps.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Guidance checked against the HMRC sources linked above on 26 October 2026. Account screens and lender requirements can change. This article provides general document guidance, not tax advice.
