Will a lender want my forecasts or accounts audited?

Audit is rarely a requirement

The large majority of UK small companies are exempt from statutory audit, and lenders do not generally demand audited accounts for a standard business loan. What they want is properly prepared, filed accounts — see presenting your accounts — plus recent management figures. If your company is audited anyway, provide the audited set; if not, that is entirely normal.

Forecasts are about credibility, not audit

Forecasts are inherently unaudited — they are projections. A lender judges a forecast on whether its assumptions are realistic and consistent with your history and bank data, not on any external sign-off. An honest, conservative forecast carries more weight than an optimistic one, audited or not.

When audit might come up

On very large facilities, or for companies above the audit thresholds, a lender may expect audited accounts as the baseline. For most SME borrowing it simply does not arise. Focus on getting the figures accurate and consistent, run them through the affordability calculator, and present them cleanly. The underwriting guide shows what evidence carries weight.