Tutoring, summer school and coaching: does the extra income count?
Extra teaching work and private tutoring need a documented earnings history. Prepare pay records for board work and tax returns with expense details for self-employment. The lender checks the amount and whether the income is continuing.
Separate your regular teaching salary from extra board work and self-employment. The records needed differ, and a recent increase may not yet be accepted as ongoing income.
Extra work paid through your board
Show which extra duties are paid through your board and whether they are ongoing. A T4 combines earnings, so an employment letter and pay records may be needed to separate base salary from variable extra work.
Even here, expect a lender to want to see it across two years rather than a single unusually busy summer.
Private tutoring and self-employment
Tutoring you invoice yourself is self-employment income. It usually needs about two years declared on your tax return, generally via a T2125, supported by your Notices of Assessment. Lenders will typically work from the net figure after expenses rather than gross receipts.
Keep tutoring revenue and expense records and file the income correctly. Do not include undocumented cash earnings in a borrowing estimate.
What each type needs
- Board-paid extra duties: two years of T4s, and your employment letter ideally referencing the ongoing role.
- Private tutoring: two years of T2125 filings plus matching Notices of Assessment.
- Tutoring through an agency: T4 or T4A depending on how they engage you, plus two years of history.
- Coaching stipends: pay records identifying the amount, frequency and whether the role is continuing.
Check the mortgage effect before taking on more work
Documented extra earnings can improve borrowing capacity, but the lender must accept their amount and history. Use the affordability calculator to compare scenarios before taking on more work specifically to qualify.
Sources and dates
Sources below support the relevant figures and rules. Source dates and historical salary years are shown where available. A planned review date does not guarantee that a figure stays current; check the source and your own eligibility before acting.
First published . Updated . Source dates are listed above.
Common questions
Will a lender count my private tutoring income?+
The lender needs to assess declared earnings, expenses and continuity. Prepare tax returns and the supporting records it requests. Do not assume every dollar of tutoring revenue will count.
Does summer school pay count?+
It may count if the lender accepts the earnings history and evidence of continuing work. Separate summer-school pay from base salary and prepare the requested records.
I only started tutoring this year. Can I use it?+
A short history may need additional evidence or may not be accepted yet. Ask which records the lender requires and have your regular teaching income assessed separately.
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