{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/consulting-fee","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/consulting-fee","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"consulting-fee","term":"Consulting Fee","group":"Doing the deal","definition":"This is the payment for professional advice or services from an expert. In an acquisition, it often covers M&A advisors, business brokers, or other specialists.","what_it_means":"Consulting fees related to the acquisition are typically considered Soft Costs and can be included in the Total Project Costs for SBA financing. Ensure these fees are reasonable and properly documented as part of your Use of Proceeds.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/consulting-fee","official_sources":[{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"},{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"}],"related":[{"slug":"soft-costs","term":"Soft Costs","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/soft-costs"},{"slug":"business-broker","term":"Business broker","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/business-broker"},{"slug":"ma-advisor","term":"M&A advisor","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ma-advisor"},{"slug":"use-of-proceeds","term":"Use of proceeds","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/use-of-proceeds"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Does a full standby seller note prevent the seller from receiving any consulting fees from the business post-acquisition?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/does-a-full-standby-seller-note-prevent-the-seller-from-receiving-any-consulting-fees-from"},{"question":"Are there any other lender-specific fees beyond the SBA guaranty fee and ongoing servicing fee?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-there-any-other-lender-specific-fees-beyond-the-sba-guaranty-fee-and-ongoing-servicing"},{"question":"Can the lender charge application fees or underwriting fees in addition to the SBA guaranty fee?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-the-lender-charge-application-fees-or-underwriting-fees-in-addition-to-the-sba-guarant"},{"question":"Are there annual servicing fees or other recurring charges beyond the SBA servicing fee?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-there-annual-servicing-fees-or-other-recurring-charges-beyond-the-sba-servicing-fee"},{"question":"Can the lender charge an additional \"packaging fee\" on top of the SBA fees?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-the-lender-charge-an-additional-packaging-fee-on-top-of-the-sba-fees"},{"question":"Can a seller's post-closing consulting agreement influence the standby status of their seller note?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-a-seller-s-post-closing-consulting-agreement-influence-the-standby-status-of-their-sel"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Consulting Fee","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/consulting-fee","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}