{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/existing-liabilities","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/existing-liabilities","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":"existing-liabilities","term":"Existing Liabilities","group":"Reading the business","definition":"These are the financial obligations or debts a business currently owes, such as accounts payable, outstanding loans, or deferred revenue.","what_it_means":"During due diligence, meticulously identify all existing liabilities of the target business. In an asset purchase, you typically avoid assuming most of the seller's liabilities, but verify this. For a stock purchase, you inherit everything, so understanding these is critical to your cash flow and deal structure.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/existing-liabilities","official_sources":[],"related":[{"slug":"liability","term":"Liability","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/liability"},{"slug":"due-diligence","term":"Due diligence","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/due-diligence"},{"slug":"balance-sheet","term":"Balance Sheet","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/balance-sheet"},{"slug":"asset-purchase","term":"Asset purchase","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/asset-purchase"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What due diligence must a lender perform regarding the seller's existing debt and liabilities in a 7(a) business acquisition?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-due-diligence-must-a-lender-perform-regarding-the-seller-s-existing-debt-and-liabilit"},{"question":"What happens if the business being acquired has significant outstanding tax liabilities at closing?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-happens-if-the-business-being-acquired-has-significant-outstanding-tax-liabilities-at"},{"question":"What if the business I want to acquire has undisclosed liabilities discovered during due diligence?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-i-want-to-acquire-has-undisclosed-liabilities-discovered-during-due-d"},{"question":"Does finding significant undisclosed liabilities during due diligence kill an SBA 7(a) acquisition loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/does-finding-significant-undisclosed-liabilities-during-due-diligence-kill-an-sba-7-a-acqu"},{"question":"If multiple owners each guarantee the loan, are their liabilities typically joint and several or individual?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/if-multiple-owners-each-guarantee-the-loan-are-their-liabilities-typically-joint-and-sever"},{"question":"Can unreported tax liabilities discovered during due diligence from the seller's business kill my acquisition loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-unreported-tax-liabilities-discovered-during-due-diligence-from-the-seller-s-business-"}]},"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 — Existing Liabilities","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/existing-liabilities","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}