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Monotributista? How to prove income to buy a two-bedroom apartment - La Nacion Propiedades
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www.lanacion.com.ar
March 02, 2026
Not all transactions require the same level of collateral; the scenario changes depending on whether the purchase is made in cash or involves a mortgage.
By Candela Contreras
The simplified tax system is simple until you think about buying a house
When considering buying a property , simply having the money isn't always enough ; you also need to be able to explain the source of that capital and make sure the story adds up. In a country with nearly three million workers registered under the simplified tax regime, understanding how to demonstrate income becomes crucial when taking the leap towards homeownership .
The simplified tax system is simple until you think about buying a house . Then, the low thresholds of the system clash with the reality of the real estate market, transforming that initial simplicity into a paperwork nightmare .
To put this in context, after the readjustment in the real estate market in 2024 and 2025 , following a sharp post-pandemic drop, apartment prices in the city of Buenos Aires are at a turning point: they are waiting to see what will happen in 2026, since the sector has been at stable values since October 2025.
In January 2026, the average price per square meter in Buenos Aires was US$2,450 , with no significant changes during the month. An average studio apartment costs around US$108,000 ; a one-bedroom apartment, US$129,000 ; and a three-bedroom apartment of 70 m² reaches US$178,000 , according to data from Zonaprop.
A three-room apartment in Buenos Aires can be equivalent to several full years of declared income for an average self-employed taxpayer. And when the purchase price exceeds the reported annual income, the question is no longer whether it can be paid. The question is how it can be justified .
In a country with millions of self-employed workers, proving income becomes key when taking the leap towards homeownership.Shutterstock
Justifying funds doesn't mean explaining every single dollar earned throughout one's life . It means demonstrating that the money has a legitimate, identifiable origin, consistent with the buyer's economic profile. The analysis focuses not only on current earnings but also on whether the accumulated wealth is reasonable in relation to the declared income.
“The monotributista presents documentation like any other taxpayer: what he does, whether he has a CUIT or CUIL, what his activity is, his economic profile,” explains notary Julián González Mantelli, legal-notarial advisor with a tax perspective from the College of Notaries of the city of Buenos Aires.
The first step is to profile the client. This involves understanding their business activities and estimating their "foreseeable" net worth. When the transaction exceeds this reasonable amount, more in-depth controls are activated.
“If someone who runs a small business comes to buy a property for US$250,000, we're not going to automatically say no. But it will raise a red flag for us, and we'll ask them to justify the source of the funds ,” he says.
Not all transactions require the same level of collateral . The scenario changes depending on whether the purchase is made in cash or involves a mortgage.
In Argentina, the use of cash in real estate transactions remains common ; in fact, it tends to be the most common. “Unlike in other countries, notaries aren't afraid of using cash. We know that culturally, people save outside the banking system,” explains González Mantelli.
But that doesn't eliminate oversight. If the transaction exceeds certain thresholds, such as the purchase of a three-room apartment—which costs over US$250,000— the notary must intensify the verification process and ask about the source of the funds .
The funds may originate from accumulated savings, an inheritance, a donation, or a documented loan. They may even be funds generated years ago when the person had formal employment and later changed careers.
“It could be someone who is currently self-employed, but three years ago worked as an employee, was laid off, received a significant severance payment, and that money was declared in their Personal Assets Tax return. If there is traceability, the transaction can be explained,” he details.
Not all real estate transactions require the same level of backing. There are situations where proof of income or funds is unavoidable, and others where the requirement is simpler.
In a cash purchase, the main scenarios are usually:
When the funds come from personal savings, the important thing is to be able to demonstrate that those resources were generated legitimately. Daniel Basualdo
To do this, they analyze formal income, job stability, debt levels, and the relationship between income and loan payments. This analysis is not limited to a snapshot in time, but rather seeks to establish a certain continuity over time. For this reason, both those who are employed and those who are self-employed must submit documentation relevant to their situation .
It's important to clarify that one of the essential requirements for accessing a long-term loan from all banks is that the initial loan payment cannot exceed a certain percentage of the applicant's income (in most cases, 25% of the total). This point is particularly relevant for taxpayers in the simplified tax regime because it's necessary to determine which income bracket is considered valid for calculating the loan amount. This factor can be their Achilles' heel .
www.buysellba.com
What does Akiya mean: the reason why this country has 9 million empty houses
The financial institutions use the annual billing limit for the category in which the taxpayer is registered and divide it by 12 to estimate their monthly income. For example, if a self-employed individual is registered in category D, whose maximum billing is $26,212,853.42, dividing that amount by 12 results in an estimated monthly income of $2,184,404. This is the amount the bank will use to determine if the person meets the requirements to obtain the loan.
The problem is the discrepancy . “The reclassification uses income from the previous year, which creates a mismatch in inflationary contexts,” explains economist Federico González Rouco. In other words, the bank may be assessing today's ability to pay with figures that reflect the economic reality of 12 months ago.
The outdated categorization of the simplified tax regime means that even those whose income is increasing don't see that growth reflected until a year later . This delay complicates matters for applicants, as banks assess their ability to pay using data that doesn't reflect their current economic reality. "The problem for those registered under the simplified tax regime is that this will persist until we have a country without inflation," explains the economist.
A clear example of these difficulties could be seen during the granting of mortgage loans under Mauricio Macri's government . "At that time, almost 80% of the loans granted went to salaried workers, in a country that is heavily represented by self-employed individuals," says González Rouco.
Furthermore, if the applicant does not receive income through a salary account with the financial institution , they typically qualify for a higher interest rate. For those registered solely under the simplified tax regime, this translates into higher financing costs and, consequently, reduced borrowing capacity.
www,buysellba.com
Source:
¿Monotributista? Cómo demostrar ingresos para comprar un 3 ambientes
No todas las operaciones exigen el mismo nivel de respaldo; el escenario cambia si la compra es al contado o si interviene un crédito hipotecario
www.lanacion.com.ar
March 02, 2026
Not all transactions require the same level of collateral; the scenario changes depending on whether the purchase is made in cash or involves a mortgage.
By Candela Contreras
The simplified tax system is simple until you think about buying a house
When considering buying a property , simply having the money isn't always enough ; you also need to be able to explain the source of that capital and make sure the story adds up. In a country with nearly three million workers registered under the simplified tax regime, understanding how to demonstrate income becomes crucial when taking the leap towards homeownership .
The simplified tax system is simple until you think about buying a house . Then, the low thresholds of the system clash with the reality of the real estate market, transforming that initial simplicity into a paperwork nightmare .
To put this in context, after the readjustment in the real estate market in 2024 and 2025 , following a sharp post-pandemic drop, apartment prices in the city of Buenos Aires are at a turning point: they are waiting to see what will happen in 2026, since the sector has been at stable values since October 2025.
In January 2026, the average price per square meter in Buenos Aires was US$2,450 , with no significant changes during the month. An average studio apartment costs around US$108,000 ; a one-bedroom apartment, US$129,000 ; and a three-bedroom apartment of 70 m² reaches US$178,000 , according to data from Zonaprop.
Justify income or justify funds
The market is stable, but in terms of declared income, the equation is different . The price per square meter may not change, but the gap between what an average self-employed worker earns and the cost of a three-room apartment remains wide.A three-room apartment in Buenos Aires can be equivalent to several full years of declared income for an average self-employed taxpayer. And when the purchase price exceeds the reported annual income, the question is no longer whether it can be paid. The question is how it can be justified .
In a country with millions of self-employed workers, proving income becomes key when taking the leap towards homeownership.Shutterstock
Justifying funds doesn't mean explaining every single dollar earned throughout one's life . It means demonstrating that the money has a legitimate, identifiable origin, consistent with the buyer's economic profile. The analysis focuses not only on current earnings but also on whether the accumulated wealth is reasonable in relation to the declared income.
“The monotributista presents documentation like any other taxpayer: what he does, whether he has a CUIT or CUIL, what his activity is, his economic profile,” explains notary Julián González Mantelli, legal-notarial advisor with a tax perspective from the College of Notaries of the city of Buenos Aires.
The first step is to profile the client. This involves understanding their business activities and estimating their "foreseeable" net worth. When the transaction exceeds this reasonable amount, more in-depth controls are activated.
“If someone who runs a small business comes to buy a property for US$250,000, we're not going to automatically say no. But it will raise a red flag for us, and we'll ask them to justify the source of the funds ,” he says.
Not all transactions require the same level of collateral . The scenario changes depending on whether the purchase is made in cash or involves a mortgage.
Buy for cash
It's often believed that there are no major requirements for spot transactions . But that's not entirely true.In Argentina, the use of cash in real estate transactions remains common ; in fact, it tends to be the most common. “Unlike in other countries, notaries aren't afraid of using cash. We know that culturally, people save outside the banking system,” explains González Mantelli.
But that doesn't eliminate oversight. If the transaction exceeds certain thresholds, such as the purchase of a three-room apartment—which costs over US$250,000— the notary must intensify the verification process and ask about the source of the funds .
The funds may originate from accumulated savings, an inheritance, a donation, or a documented loan. They may even be funds generated years ago when the person had formal employment and later changed careers.
“It could be someone who is currently self-employed, but three years ago worked as an employee, was laid off, received a significant severance payment, and that money was declared in their Personal Assets Tax return. If there is traceability, the transaction can be explained,” he details.
Not all real estate transactions require the same level of backing. There are situations where proof of income or funds is unavoidable, and others where the requirement is simpler.
In a cash purchase, the main scenarios are usually:
- Personal savings: When funds come from personal savings, the important thing is to be able to demonstrate that those resources were generated legitimately. Reconstructing one's entire working life is not usually required, but there must be consistency between historical income and the amount saved.
- Inheritances: If the money comes from an inheritance, documentation to support its origin, such as probate documents or deeds, is usually required. This documentation justifies the capital when it is not directly related to the buyer's usual income.
- Donations or family support: In cases involving contributions from third parties, it is also necessary to have legal documents that prove the origin of the funds. This is especially relevant in high-value transactions.
When the funds come from personal savings, the important thing is to be able to demonstrate that those resources were generated legitimately. Daniel Basualdo
What changes if the purchase is made with a mortgage?
When the purchase is financed with a mortgage, proof of income is also mandatory. In this case, banks need to assess the applicant's ability to pay and determine if they can afford the monthly payments for the entire loan term.To do this, they analyze formal income, job stability, debt levels, and the relationship between income and loan payments. This analysis is not limited to a snapshot in time, but rather seeks to establish a certain continuity over time. For this reason, both those who are employed and those who are self-employed must submit documentation relevant to their situation .
It's important to clarify that one of the essential requirements for accessing a long-term loan from all banks is that the initial loan payment cannot exceed a certain percentage of the applicant's income (in most cases, 25% of the total). This point is particularly relevant for taxpayers in the simplified tax regime because it's necessary to determine which income bracket is considered valid for calculating the loan amount. This factor can be their Achilles' heel .
www.buysellba.com
What does Akiya mean: the reason why this country has 9 million empty houses
The financial institutions use the annual billing limit for the category in which the taxpayer is registered and divide it by 12 to estimate their monthly income. For example, if a self-employed individual is registered in category D, whose maximum billing is $26,212,853.42, dividing that amount by 12 results in an estimated monthly income of $2,184,404. This is the amount the bank will use to determine if the person meets the requirements to obtain the loan.
The problem is the discrepancy . “The reclassification uses income from the previous year, which creates a mismatch in inflationary contexts,” explains economist Federico González Rouco. In other words, the bank may be assessing today's ability to pay with figures that reflect the economic reality of 12 months ago.
The outdated categorization of the simplified tax regime means that even those whose income is increasing don't see that growth reflected until a year later . This delay complicates matters for applicants, as banks assess their ability to pay using data that doesn't reflect their current economic reality. "The problem for those registered under the simplified tax regime is that this will persist until we have a country without inflation," explains the economist.
A clear example of these difficulties could be seen during the granting of mortgage loans under Mauricio Macri's government . "At that time, almost 80% of the loans granted went to salaried workers, in a country that is heavily represented by self-employed individuals," says González Rouco.
Furthermore, if the applicant does not receive income through a salary account with the financial institution , they typically qualify for a higher interest rate. For those registered solely under the simplified tax regime, this translates into higher financing costs and, consequently, reduced borrowing capacity.
www,buysellba.com
