Skip to main content

SBA Resources · Verified against SOP 50 10 8 · Updated July 2026

Global DSCR Calculator

The coverage number SBA lenders actually decide on — your business, your household, and any other business you own, measured against every debt payment. Run it before the lender does.

Global DSCR = (business cash flow + household income − living expenses + your other businesses' net cash flow) ÷ (all business + personal debt service). SOP 50 10 8 sets a 1.15x minimum; most lenders want 1.25x. The "global" is literal — every business you own or control is part of the picture (you disclose them all on SBA Form 1919).

TH

Written by Thomas Hartwell, author of the FUNDED series of industry-specific SBA lending guides.

Run Your Global DSCR

Enter annual figures. Leave anything that doesn't apply at 0.

EBITDA or SDE before your own pay. If your number already deducts your salary, add that salary to household income below.

Spouse W-2, rental income, other verifiable income.

Combined EBITDA of your other businesses (disclosed on Form 1919). Enter a negative number if any lose money. Add their loan payments to business debt service below.

Everything except debt payments: housing not in a loan, food, insurance, childcare, taxes.

The new SBA payment plus any surviving business loans — including your other businesses' payments.

Mortgage, autos, student loans, card minimums — what your credit report shows.

Global DSCR is one gate. The kit runs all of them.

The "Will the SBA Fund This Deal?" kit runs your actual deal the way an underwriter will — walk-away price, equity injection, collateral, global DSCR with the household and your other businesses in it, and the red flags that kill applications — verified against the current SOP 50 10 8. And we don't sell your lead.

See the Kit →

Get the free 27-Point SBA Loan Checklist

DSCR is one line. Get the full list of what lenders check before you apply.

We'll send you the SBA loan checklist and notify you of new book releases.

Enter your email and we'll send you the free 27-point checklist instantly.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We'll also notify you of new book editions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is global DSCR and how is it different from business DSCR?

Business DSCR looks only at the business: its cash flow divided by its debt service. Global DSCR is the number SBA lenders actually decide on — it adds the owner's household (income minus living expenses and personal debt) and any other business the owner controls. A business can post a strong 1.8x business DSCR and still be declined because the owner's household or a money-losing second business pulls the global number under the line.

What minimum global DSCR do SBA lenders require?

SOP 50 10 8 requires minimum projected coverage of 1.15x within the first two years. That's the floor, not the target — most lenders underwrite to 1.25x, and conservative committees or higher-risk industries look for 1.50x. The calculator flags where your number lands against all three.

Does the lender count my spouse's income and my other businesses?

Yes to both. Verifiable household income — spouse wages, rental income, other recurring income documented on tax returns — counts in the numerator. And the analysis is 'global': every business you own or control is disclosed on SBA Form 1919, and its net cash flow is folded in (a profitable one helps; a money-losing one is a drain), with its loan payments added to the denominator.

What is the 10% stress test?

Lenders re-run coverage with the business's cash flow cut by 10% to see whether the deal still covers its debt under pressure. It's the standard SBA sensitivity check. If your stressed global DSCR falls below about 1.15x, expect a smaller loan, a larger equity injection, or a decline.