Mortgage lender · Riverside, CA · LEI 549300TG5MQ8D4SYP955

The Tax Lady review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

The Tax Lady earns a C, in line with the typical performance of small mortgage lenders. It turned down 28.9% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 8th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.16 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 65th percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

380Applications2025
62.9%Originatedof applications
28.9%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
6.49%Median ratenational 6.63%
$84MLoan volume9 states

The Tax Lady at a glance, 2025

Every figure is from the lender's own HMDA filing. "vs national" compares with all lenders combined.

25.5%Denial rate (all applications)+7.55 pts vs national
28.9%Denial rate (decided applications)+6.28 pts vs national
62.9%Origination rate+4.86 pts vs national
11.1%Withdrawn by applicant
0.5%Closed for incompleteness
6.49%Median interest rate-0.13 pts vs national
0.16Median rate spread (pts over APOR)-0.10 pts vs national
$155,000Median loan amount
$3,977Median total loan costs
$112kMedian applicant income
61%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the C grade breaks down

Each component is a percentile rank among 1,883 small mortgage lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.

Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%

8th28.9% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

65th0.16 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

50th11.6%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

28th2.57% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
202357135922.2%26.0%5.88%$160M
202443623428.9%34.9%6.75%$79M
202538023925.5%28.9%6.49%$84M

What The Tax Lady lends

Applications by purpose and loan type in 2025, with the denial rate for each. A lender's mix explains a lot of its headline rate: HELOCs and FHA loans are denied far more often than conventional purchase loans.

By loan purpose

Home purchase 91 24% · 7.7% denied
Refinance 25 7% · 16.0% denied
Cash-out refinance 94 25% · 12.8% denied
Home improvement 52 14% · 42.3% denied
Other / HELOC 118 31% · 44.1% denied

By loan type

Conventional 374 98% · 25.4% denied
FHA 6 2% · 33.3% denied

Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 1 manufactured homes, 26 investment properties.

Why The Tax Lady denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 97 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 65 67%
Unverifiable information 9 9%
Collateral 8 8%
Credit history 7 7%
Incomplete application 3 3%
Insufficient cash 2 2%
Other 2 2%
Employment history 1 1%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at The Tax Lady

Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k27676.0%
$50k – $100k1197232.1%
$100k – $150k1167720.6%
$150k – $250k725220.0%
Over $250k332420.0%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
25–34402912.1%
35–44775224.6%
45–54845431.7%
55–641056131.5%
65–74442633.3%

Where The Tax Lady lends

9 states and 28 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
California36522726.0%6.49%#297

Frequently asked questions

The Tax Lady denied 28.9% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 8th percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason The Tax Lady gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 67.0% of its denials. Lenders report up to four reasons per denial to the CFPB; the full breakdown is on this page.

The median interest rate on loans The Tax Lady originated in 2025 was 6.49%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.16 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 24% of its applications were for home purchases, 31% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 45% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 98% conventional, 2% FHA, 0% VA.

Every figure on this page comes from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Loan/Application Register published by the CFPB, which lenders are required by federal law to file. We add the grade and the comparisons; we do not add facts.

About this data. HMDA data is published once a year by the CFPB. The current release covers applications acted on in calendar year 2025. Figures describe applications the lender acted on, including loans it later sold. Interest rates and costs are medians on originated loans only; some depository institutions are exempt from reporting pricing fields, which is why a few cells read "—". MortgageGrades is not affiliated with The Tax Lady. Data sources · Methodology