Xero reporting packs for lenders and investors: what to include and how to present it

If you’ve ever applied for funding (or even started the conversation), you’ll know the routine: “Can you send us a quick pack from Xero?” Sounds simple—until you realise they don’t want a folder of exports. They want a clear story, backed by reliable numbers, presented in a way they can trust.

A strong Xero reporting pack does 3 things:

• It makes your figures easy to believe (because the data is clean and consistent).
• It answers the real funding questions (repayment risk for lenders, growth potential for investors).
• It reduces follow-up questions (because the pack is structured and explained properly).

This guide walks you through exactly what to include, how to present it, and the small details that make your pack feel “fundable” rather than rushed.

What lenders and investors are actually looking for

Different funders ask for different things, but underneath it all they’re trying to answer the same few questions:

• Can you repay? (lenders)
• Will this business grow? (investors)
• Do you understand your cash position in £, not just profit on paper? (both)
• Are the figures reliable and up to date? (both)
• Is there anything hidden in the detail—tax balances, overdue debtors, stretched creditors, debt you’ve forgotten to mention? (both)

That’s why presentation matters. A pack that looks tidy and consistent signals control. A pack that looks messy signals risk—even if the underlying business is doing well.

If your numbers feel “almost right” but not fully reliable, start with the basics: clean, reconciled bookkeeping and proper month-end routines. That’s exactly what our Xero bookkeeping service is designed to fix.

Before you export anything: set your pack rules

The fastest way to make a pack look professional is to make it consistent. Decide these rules first, then export everything using the same approach.

Use these defaults (they work for most businesses)

• One reporting period across the pack (e.g., last 12 months, year-to-date, last 2 financial years)
• One accounting basis for the core reports (typically accrual, unless the funder requests cash)
• Clear comparisons (prior year and/or budget)
• Rounding that makes sense (summary pages often in £’000s, detail pages in exact £)
• One “as at” date for balance sheet and cash position

If you’re not confident your Xero file is set up properly for reporting—tracking categories, bank rules, VAT settings, consistent coding—build that foundation first. You’ll get a better pack and save yourself hours every time you need reports. Our article on Automations in Xero is a good starting point.

The core reports every pack should include

1) Profit & Loss (P&L)

Your P&L is the headline. It tells the reader how your business makes money and whether it’s improving.

Include:

• Last full financial year (or last 2 years if available)
• Year-to-date
• Rolling last 12 months (monthly columns are ideal)

Add comparisons (at minimum: prior year; ideally: budget as well).

What to add beneath the report (a short commentary):

• What drove revenue changes?
• Any margin changes and why
• Any one-off costs (and whether they’re coming back)
• Seasonality or timing points (e.g., big Q4 projects, annual renewals)

This doesn’t need to be a novel—just 6–10 lines in plain English that stop the funder guessing.

If you already produce monthly packs internally, this will feel familiar. If you don’t, it’s worth implementing a simple monthly close and reporting rhythm through an outsourced finance department setup.

2) Balance Sheet

Funders use the balance sheet as a “truth test”. They’re checking if your P&L is supported by reality.

Include:

• A balance sheet as at the same date as your cash position
• Comparative balance sheet (prior year end can be helpful)

They’ll look closely at:

• Bank balances
• Trade debtors and trade creditors
• VAT, PAYE and other tax balances
• Loans and director loans
• Stock (if relevant)
• Any unusual or “hanging” balances that don’t move

If your balance sheet doesn’t look right, it’s usually a bookkeeping and reconciliation issue—exactly why consistent month-end bookkeeping matters. If you need that day-to-day control, our bookkeeping service is built around keeping records tidy and lender-ready.

3) Cash position and cash runway

Xero can give you useful cash reports, but funders want your cash explained in practical terms.

Include a simple cash section that answers:

• How much cash do you have today (£)?
• What does “normal” monthly net cash movement look like?
• How many months of runway does that give you?
• What’s expected to hit cash in the next 30–90 days?

Even a straightforward cash runway table can be more helpful than a complicated export. The goal is clarity, not complexity.

The supporting reports that build credibility fast

4) Aged receivables (who owes you money)

Export the Aged Receivables Summary (and detailed version if requested).

Then add a short note:

• Any large overdue balances (and the reason)
• Customer concentration (e.g., “Top 3 customers represent 60% of outstanding invoices”)
• Your typical payment terms and how you chase

For lenders, this is about proving your revenue turns into cash. For investors, it’s about proving your billing and collections process is controlled.

5) Aged payables (what you owe)

Export Aged Payables Summary.

Funders will be looking for:

• Stretched supplier payments
• Hidden liabilities (old bills not being addressed)
• A pattern of paying VAT/PAYE late (a big red flag in many underwriting models)

If you run payroll, make sure payroll liabilities are accurate and filed properly. If you want that side handled smoothly, payroll services can help you keep everything accurate, compliant, and easy to explain.

6) Bank reconciliation evidence

You don’t need to include every reconciliation screenshot, but you do need to remove doubt.

Include either:

• A bank reconciliation summary report, or
• A line in your commentary confirming your bank accounts are reconciled to the pack date

If the bank isn’t reconciled, the pack won’t land well—because the reader assumes the rest of the numbers might be unreliable too. If you want to tighten your process, our guide on Xero bank reconciliation is a useful reference.

Add the funding pages (where the pack becomes “approval-ready”)

This is the part that changes depending on whether you’re dealing with a lender or an investor.

If you’re speaking to a lender: prove affordability and risk control

7) A simple debt schedule

Create a table (not a screenshot) showing each borrowing line:

• Lender name
• Current balance (£)
• Monthly payment (£)
• Term / review date
• Security (if any)
• Any covenants you’re aware of (if relevant)

Keep it clean and factual.

8) A 12-month forecast (minimum)

Most lenders want to see you’ve thought about the future—especially if you’re taking on new repayments.

Your forecast should include:

• Revenue assumptions (and what they’re based on)
• Cost assumptions
• Staffing changes
• Loan repayments
• VAT and payroll timing (if relevant)

If you’re VAT registered, make sure VAT is being handled properly and consistently in the forecast. A surprising number of funding headaches come from VAT timing misunderstandings. If you want the compliance side straightforward, VAT return services can keep filings accurate and predictable.

If you’re speaking to an investor: prove growth logic and unit economics

9) A KPI page (choose 6–10 KPIs that match your model)

Examples that work well:

• Revenue by month
• Gross margin %
• Average order value (if relevant)
• Pipeline value and conversion rate (if you sell through a pipeline)
• Customer churn or retention (if recurring)
• Monthly burn (£) and runway
• Headcount and revenue per head

The key is to pick KPIs you can defend. Don’t throw in metrics you don’t track properly.

10) Segment reporting (optional, but powerful)

Investors love clarity around what’s driving performance.

If you can break down results by service line, region, product, or project, include it.

In Xero, this usually means using tracking categories and/or Projects properly. If you want to set that up in a way that works long-term, have a look at Xero Projects and tracking categories.

Add the “compliance credibility” without overloading the pack

You don’t want a 120-page pack. But you do want to show that your compliance position is under control and easy to evidence if requested.

Depending on the funding type, add references to:

• Your latest filed or draft accounts via annual statutory accounts
• Your current corporation tax position via company tax returns
• Any relevant company admin housekeeping (confirmation statement, share changes, director changes) via company secretarial services

If you’re early-stage and still getting the structure right, it can help to show you’ve set things up properly from day 1. Our accountants for start-ups service is designed to cover exactly that—structure, registrations, and early reporting foundations.

If property is involved: add property-specific reporting (funders expect it)

Property finance gets judged differently, especially when there’s client money, service charges, deposits, SPVs, or mixed-use income.

If you’re in property, consider adding:

• Property-level income summary
• Occupancy/void assumptions
• Arrears and rent collection position
• Repairs and maintenance profile
• Any service charge funds held and reconciled (where relevant)

If you manage commercial property, your reporting needs to stand up to scrutiny because it’s not just your money you’re reporting on. That’s exactly what commercial property management accounting is built for.

If service charges are involved, transparency matters even more. A clean service charge pack can prevent disputes and keep funders confident in how money is managed. See service charge accounting for how that should be structured.

And if your funding conversation includes tax structure questions (SPVs, VAT on property, option to tax), don’t wing it. Bring in a specialist early through property tax accountants.

For landlords specifically, it can help to include a simple “property income and expenditure” summary and confirm how rental income is being captured and declared. If you want that handled end-to-end, our landlord accountant service covers reporting and tax support in one place.

How to present the pack so it feels professional

A good pack is mostly about structure and readability. You’re aiming for “easy to follow” and “hard to misunderstand”.

Use this pack structure (it works)

1) Cover page

• Business name
• Period covered
• Prepared on date
• Version number

2) One-page executive summary
Keep it simple:

• What you do (2–3 lines)
• Trading summary (revenue, margin, profit)
• Cash position (£)
• Key movements since the last period
• Any risks and what you’re doing about them

3) Contents page
Make it easy to navigate.

4) Core financials
P&L, balance sheet, cash section.

5) Working capital
Aged receivables and aged payables, with commentary.

6) Funding-specific section
Debt schedule + forecast (lender) or KPI/segments (investor).

7) Appendices (only if needed)
Tax references, payroll notes, larger schedules, supporting detail.

Keep commentary short, but useful

You’re not trying to “sell”. You’re trying to remove uncertainty.

Aim for:

• 3–6 bullet points under each key section
• Plain English
• Factual explanations, not excuses
• Clear next steps where something needs improving

Export as a single PDF where possible

A single PDF pack looks deliberate and controlled. A folder of exports looks rushed and increases questions.

If you can, combine:

• The narrative pages (summary, commentary, tables)
• The Xero exports (as appendices)

Common mistakes that weaken your pack quickly

These are the things that cause funders to slow down, ask more questions, or lose confidence:

• Bank accounts not reconciled to the pack date
• Core reports prepared on different bases (cash vs accrual) without explanation
• Aged debtors full of old invoices that should be written off or corrected
• VAT/PAYE balances ignored (or “we’ll sort it later”)
• A pack with no narrative, forcing the reader to guess what’s going on
• Too many irrelevant reports (noise hides the important signals)

If you want a practical reminder of the basics that keep reporting clean, our article on why accurate bookkeeping matters is worth a quick read.

FAQs

What’s the difference between a lender pack and an investor pack?

A lender pack is mainly about repayment confidence: cash, affordability, liabilities, working capital and risk. An investor pack is mainly about growth confidence: momentum, margins, unit economics, and how investment turns into scale. The core Xero reports overlap, but the emphasis and the commentary should change depending on who’s reading it.

How far back should my reporting pack go?

A sensible baseline is:

• Rolling last 12 months (monthly)
• Year-to-date
• Last full financial year (2 years if available)

Some lenders will request 24 months. If you have it, include it—just keep the “front” of the pack focused and put deeper history into an appendix.

Should I use cash basis or accrual basis reports from Xero?

Most funders prefer accrual-based management reporting because it aligns invoices and bills to the period they relate to. But a cash basis can be useful for explaining real-world cash. If you do both, be clear which is which and why you’ve included it.

What if my Xero data isn’t clean yet?

Then build the pack in 2 stages: tidy the data first (reconciliations, coding, VAT, debtor/creditor clean-up), then export. A pack built on messy records creates more questions than it answers.

Do I need a forecast if I’m applying for a smaller facility?

Often, yes. Even a simple 12-month forecast shows you understand timing and cash in £. It doesn’t need to be perfect—it needs to be reasonable, explained, and consistent with recent performance.

Can you help me create a lender- or investor-ready pack from Xero?

Yes. If you want a pack that’s clean, consistent and ready to share (without spending nights exporting and formatting), we can help you tighten the bookkeeping, improve the reporting setup, and produce a pack that funders can actually use. Start with Xero bookkeeping or step up to an outsourced finance department approach if you need ongoing reporting and forecasting support.

Ready to put a proper reporting pack together?

If you’re raising finance and want your Xero reporting to look sharp, reliable, and easy to approve, we can help you get there quickly—without the stress and last-minute scrambling. Head to our contact page and tell us what you’re applying for and when you need the pack.

Kellee Quigley

I lead FHP Accounting, an accountancy practice specialising in Commercial and Residential Property Accounting. Our goal is to make the administration of running property portfolios easier for landlords, managers, and investors — allowing you to focus on what you do best, while we take care of everything behind the scenes.