{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/financial-statements","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/financial-statements","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":"financial-statements","term":"Financial statements","group":"Reading the business","definition":"These are the core documents (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement) that show a business's past financial performance. You need them to understand profitability and health.","what_it_means":"Lenders require several years of financial statements to assess the business's ability to repay the loan. You'll use them during due diligence to verify revenue, expenses, and assets, often adjusting for owner compensation (add-backs) to calculate SDE or EBITDA.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/financial-statements","official_sources":[],"related":[{"slug":"profit-and-loss-statement","term":"Profit and Loss Statement","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/profit-and-loss-statement"},{"slug":"balance-sheet","term":"Balance Sheet","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/balance-sheet"},{"slug":"due-diligence","term":"Due diligence","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/due-diligence"},{"slug":"ebitda","term":"EBITDA","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ebitda"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Do I need to provide personal financial statements for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/do-i-need-to-provide-personal-financial-statements-for-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"What types of personal financial statements are required for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-types-of-personal-financial-statements-are-required-for-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"What types of personal financial statements are typically required for an SBA 7(a) loan application?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-types-of-personal-financial-statements-are-typically-required-for-an-sba-7-a-loan-app"},{"question":"Can unverified or inconsistent financial statements from the seller cause my SBA loan to be denied?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-unverified-or-inconsistent-financial-statements-from-the-seller-cause-my-sba-loan-to-b"},{"question":"What kind of financial statements does the SBA 7(a) loan application require from my business?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-kind-of-financial-statements-does-the-sba-7-a-loan-application-require-from-my-busine"},{"question":"What specific due diligence does the lender perform on the target business's financial statements for an acquisition?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-specific-due-diligence-does-the-lender-perform-on-the-target-business-s-financial-sta"}]},"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 — Financial statements","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/financial-statements","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}