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Compare ROBS and SBA loan assumptions without forcing a winner.

Use this calculator when the same funding need could be modeled with retirement-plan stock funding, SBA debt, borrower injection, or a hybrid worksheet. It uses only the values you enter.

ROBS total-cost calculator ROBS vs SBA guide ROBS plus SBA guide ROBS opportunity cost

Enter the two funding scenarios

Every amount defaults to zero. Use written assumptions only; the calculator does not quote lenders, providers, lender approval probability, or tax results.

Comparable funding need

The same project cost, acquisition need, franchise budget, or working-capital target both scenarios are being compared against. Allowed range: 0–10000000; whole thousand dollars.

Comparison horizon

How many years of cash cost, debt service, remaining balance, and opportunity-growth scenario to display. Allowed range: 1–30; whole years.

ROBS scenario

Retirement funds committed through ROBS

Retirement-plan assets that would buy employer stock and become exposed to the business value. Allowed range: 0–10000000; whole thousand dollars.

ROBS setup and implementation cost

User-entered setup, corporation, plan document, rollover, stock issuance, or professional implementation cost. Allowed range: 0–250000; whole dollars.

ROBS annual administration cost

Annual plan administration, recordkeeping, testing, Form 5500 support, or provider support if included in your quote. Allowed range: 0–100000; whole dollars.

ROBS annual valuation cost

Annual employer-stock valuation or appraisal support assumption. Allowed range: 0–100000; whole dollars.

ROBS exit or termination cost

Sale, redemption, final filing, plan termination, or rollover-out cost if the horizon includes an exit. Allowed range: 0–500000; whole dollars.

Retirement opportunity-growth assumption

Optional annual growth scenario for retirement assets had they remained invested elsewhere. Enter 0 to exclude this scenario. Allowed range: 0–25; quarter percentage point.

Include ROBS exit cost in final yearIf off, the exit input remains visible but is not counted in cash paid.

SBA loan scenario

SBA loan principal

Gross loan principal to amortize. SBA 7(a) loan amounts, guaranty percentages, rates, fees, and terms are lender- and program-specific. Allowed range: 0–10000000; whole thousand dollars.

Borrower cash injection

Cash equity injection, down payment, seller equity, or other borrower funds included in this SBA scenario. Allowed range: 0–10000000; whole thousand dollars.

SBA annual interest rate

Annual note rate entered by the user. The tool does not calculate maximum SBA rates or current base rates. Allowed range: 0–30; one-eighth percentage point.

SBA repayment term

Amortization term used for the monthly payment. Use the actual note term, not the planning horizon. Allowed range: 1–30; whole years.

SBA upfront guaranty fee passed to borrower

Borrower-paid upfront guaranty fee only if passed through and known. Do not include SBA annual service fees that may not be passed to the borrower. Allowed range: 0–1000000; whole dollars.

Loan packaging or broker fee

Loan packaging, broker, advisory, or referral fee you want counted as borrower-paid cash. Allowed range: 0–500000; whole dollars.

Closing, legal, appraisal, or lender costs

Lender, legal, appraisal, lien, title, or closing costs from your worksheet. Allowed range: 0–500000; whole dollars.

Other borrower-paid SBA loan fees

Other user-entered borrower-paid loan fees not listed above. Allowed range: 0–500000; whole dollars.

ROBS cash paid

SBA cash paid

Retirement funds committed

$1,000

SBA monthly payment

Side-by-side results

Measure	ROBS scenario	SBA loan scenario
Cash paid during horizon	$0	$0
Interest paid	Not loan interest	$0
Borrower-paid fees	Included in ROBS cash paid	$0
Remaining balance	No loan balance modeled	$0
Opportunity-cost scenario	$0	Not modeled
Total modeled cost plus remaining balance	$0	$0
Funding gap versus need	$0	$0

Cash paid during horizon

ROBS scenario: $0
SBA loan scenario: $0

Interest paid

ROBS scenario: Not loan interest
SBA loan scenario: $0

Borrower-paid fees

ROBS scenario: Included in ROBS cash paid
SBA loan scenario: $0

Remaining balance

ROBS scenario: No loan balance modeled
SBA loan scenario: $0

Opportunity-cost scenario

ROBS scenario: $0
SBA loan scenario: Not modeled

Total modeled cost plus remaining balance

ROBS scenario: $0
SBA loan scenario: $0

Funding gap versus need

ROBS scenario: $0
SBA loan scenario: $0

Year-by-year timing

Year	SBA debt service	SBA interest	SBA balance	ROBS admin/valuation	ROBS opportunity scenario	ROBS exit
1	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
2	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
3	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
4	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
5	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Year 1

SBA debt service: $0
SBA interest: $0
SBA balance: $0
ROBS admin/valuation: $0
ROBS opportunity scenario: $0
ROBS exit: $0

Year 2

SBA debt service: $0
SBA interest: $0
SBA balance: $0
ROBS admin/valuation: $0
ROBS opportunity scenario: $0
ROBS exit: $0

Year 3

SBA debt service: $0
SBA interest: $0
SBA balance: $0
ROBS admin/valuation: $0
ROBS opportunity scenario: $0
ROBS exit: $0

Year 4

SBA debt service: $0
SBA interest: $0
SBA balance: $0
ROBS admin/valuation: $0
ROBS opportunity scenario: $0
ROBS exit: $0

Year 5

SBA debt service: $0
SBA interest: $0
SBA balance: $0
ROBS admin/valuation: $0
ROBS opportunity scenario: $0
ROBS exit: $0

Formulas

SBA monthly payment = P × r × (1 + r)^n ÷ ((1 + r)^n − 1); if r = 0, payment = P ÷ n.
Debt service paid during horizon = amortized payments through the lesser of horizon months and term months.
Remaining SBA balance = principal minus principal repaid through the horizon.
ROBS cash paid = setup + (annual administration + annual valuation) × horizon years + final-year exit cost when selected.
ROBS opportunity-cost scenario = retirement funds committed × ((1 + growth rate ÷ 100)^horizon years − 1).

No winner and no approval conclusion

This worksheet separates cash paid, debt service, remaining balance, borrower fees, retirement funds committed, and an optional opportunity-growth scenario. It does not decide eligibility, lender approval, tax treatment, fiduciary prudence, collateral sufficiency, personal-guarantee exposure, or business viability.

Privacy and trust

There is no account creation, saved scenario, lender referral, provider match, or lead form. Calculations run in this browser from FormData values submitted on this page.

What this comparison measures

SBA 7(a) loans are made by participating lenders, not directly by SBA, and SBA describes loan amount, guaranty percentage, maturity, interest-rate, collateral, and fee limits by program and loan facts. [1] [2] The calculator therefore asks for loan principal, borrower injection, interest rate, term, and borrower-paid fees instead of quoting a current loan offer.

The IRS describes ROBS as a structure where retirement funds roll into a qualified plan that buys stock of a new C corporation, giving the corporation capital while the plan holds employer stock. IRS materials focus on valuation, plan operation, filings, employee participation, and prohibited-transaction concerns. [4] [5] The ROBS side therefore shows retirement funds committed, cash costs, and an optional opportunity-growth scenario separately.

Do not use the output as an eligibility, approval, tax, fiduciary, valuation, or investment conclusion. Use it as a documented arithmetic worksheet for a lender, CPA, ERISA attorney, valuation professional, plan administrator, or provider.

Source notes

SBA 7(a) loans. Official SBA page supporting that 7(a) loans are made through lenders, may be used for working capital and business purchases, carry negotiated rates subject to SBA maximums, and have program-specific maximum amounts, guaranties, maturities, collateral, and fees. Checked Aug. 12, 2026.
SBA 7(a) lender terms, rates, and fees. Official SBA lender-facing terms supporting 7(a) loan amount, maturity, guaranty percentage, maximum variable-rate spread, upfront guaranty fee, and the annual service fee boundary. Checked Aug. 12, 2026.
SBA FY 2026 7(a) fee notice. Official notice supporting the fiscal-year fee schedule and the distinction between upfront guaranty fees and annual service fees. The calculator requires the user to enter any borrower-paid fee rather than hard-coding current fee tables. Checked Aug. 12, 2026.
IRS ROBS compliance project. Primary IRS ROBS source supporting the C corporation and qualified-plan stock purchase structure, valuation and recordkeeping concerns, Form 5500/Form 1120 issues, and the boundary that a determination letter does not approve a transaction's operation. Page last reviewed Nov. 16, 2025; checked Aug. 12, 2026.
IRS TE/GE ROBS guidelines memorandum. Primary IRS memorandum supporting concern about adequate consideration, start-up stock valuation, promoter fees, employee participation, and prohibited-transaction analysis in ROBS examinations. Checked Aug. 12, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Does the calculator pick ROBS or an SBA loan?

No. It keeps the scenarios side by side and separates cash paid, debt service, remaining balance, fees, retirement funds committed, and opportunity-cost assumptions. It does not score, rank, or declare a winner.

Why are SBA fees user-entered?

SBA rules, lender policies, loan type, maturity, guaranty percentage, fiscal-year fee notices, and borrower facts can change the fee calculation. Enter only borrower-paid fees from a lender worksheet or documented assumption.

Why does the ROBS side include opportunity cost?

A ROBS plan exchanges retirement assets for employer stock. The opportunity-growth field is an optional scenario for what those retirement assets might have earned elsewhere; it is not a prediction and defaults to zero.

Does this decide tax treatment or eligibility?

No. SBA approval, equity injection, collateral, personal guarantees, ROBS plan qualification, rollover availability, valuation, fiduciary prudence, and tax treatment require lender, plan, tax, valuation, and legal review.