Are SBA guarantee fees tax deductible?
Matthew Barrera
Updated on April 01, 2026
Unfortunately, you can’t deduct an SBA guarantee fee from your federal tax bill. SBA guarantee fees aren’t tax deductible because they’re designed to transfer the cost of an SBA small business loan from taxpayers to businesses who depend on government funding.
What is an SBA guarantee fee?
What Is the SBA Guarantee Fee? The purpose of an SBA Guarantee fee is to cover the government’s cost when a borrower defaults on a loan. Since the SBA has to compensate lenders for a portion of the default, the SBA needs funding. That’s where the SBA guarantee fees help.
How are SBA guaranty fees calculated?
SBA Guarantee Fee Examples. The SBA guarantee fee is 3.5% of $750,000, or $26,250. For a $5 million loan, the SBA will guarantee 75% of the loan, or $3.75 million. The guarantee fee is 3.5% of the first $1 million that is guaranteed, plus 3.75% of the remaining $2.75 million that is guaranteed.
What percentage does the SBA guarantee for a loan?
85 percent
Percentage of guaranty For most 7(a) loan programs, the SBA can guarantee up to 85 percent of loans of $150,000 or less, and up to 75 percent of loans above $150,000. However, SBA Express loans carry a maximum of 50 percent guaranty and Export Express loans carry a maximum 90 percent guaranty.
How are guaranty fees calculated?
Calculating the SBA Guaranty Fee 2020
- Example 150,000 x .85 = 127,500 x .02 = 2,550 is the SBA Guaranty Fee.
- Example 350,000 x .75 = 262,500 x .03 = 7,875 is the SBA Guaranty Fee.
- Example 1,000,000 x .75 = 750,000 x .035 = 26,250 is the SBA Guaranty Fee.
- 63,281.25 + 26,250 = 89,531.25 is the SBA Guaranty Fee.
Are guarantee fees tax deductible?
Cross-border guarantee fees In the Commissioner’s draft view, the taxpayer’s ability to deduct any guarantee payment is limited by section DB 15. If there was no guarantee fee, per McElwee, there is unlikely to be any deduction for a guarantee payment. There would not be a taxable/non-deductible mis-match.
Does the SBA report to the IRS?
Prior to submitting an application for an SBA loan, lenders must obtain income tax return transcripts from the IRS. The small business applicant’s financial statements provided as part of the application agree with the business tax returns submitted to the IRS.
Do you have to file the SBA loan on your taxes?
The SBA loan subsidy is not taxable income to the borrower and need not be reported on your tax return as such. Further, the deductible expenses paid by the subsidy are tax deductible, such as interest and fees.
What is the guarantee fee?
A guarantee fee is a sum paid to the issuer of a mortgage-backed security. These fees help the issuer pay for administrative costs and other expenses and also reduce the risk and potential for loss in the event of default of the underlying mortgages.