{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/historical-cash-flow","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/historical-cash-flow","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":"historical-cash-flow","term":"Historical Cash Flow","group":"Reading the business","definition":"The actual cash generated by a business over past periods, typically seen in tax returns and financial statements. This is a key indicator of a business's ability to cover its debt service.","what_it_means":"Lenders heavily scrutinize historical cash flow to determine if the business can support the new debt. They'll look at tax returns and Profit and Loss Statements for the last 3 years, making \"add-backs\" to calculate SDE or EBITDA. Your job is to understand these numbers and their implications for future repayment capacity.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/historical-cash-flow","official_sources":[],"related":[{"slug":"sde","term":"SDE","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sde"},{"slug":"ebitda","term":"EBITDA","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ebitda"},{"slug":"add-backs","term":"Add-backs","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/add-backs"},{"slug":"repayment-capacity","term":"Repayment capacity","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/repayment-capacity"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Can I get an SBA 7(a) loan if the business I'm buying has poor historical cash flow?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-i-get-an-sba-7-a-loan-if-the-business-i-m-buying-has-poor-historical-cash-flow"},{"question":"What if the business I'm acquiring has poor historical cash flow or declining revenues for the last two years?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-i-m-acquiring-has-poor-historical-cash-flow-or-declining-revenues-for"},{"question":"Can future cash flow or profits from the acquired business count as equity injection?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/can-future-cash-flow-or-profits-from-the-acquired-business-count-as-equity-injection"},{"question":"How can an SBA 7(a) loan help with ongoing cash flow for my business?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/how-can-an-sba-7-a-loan-help-with-ongoing-cash-flow-for-my-business"},{"question":"What is the primary factor a lender considers when evaluating the cash flow from an acquired business?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-is-the-primary-factor-a-lender-considers-when-evaluating-the-cash-flow-from-an-acquir"},{"question":"Are there any restrictions on the use of cash flow projections for an SBA 7(a) acquisition loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-there-any-restrictions-on-the-use-of-cash-flow-projections-for-an-sba-7-a-acquisition-"}]},"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 — Historical Cash Flow","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/historical-cash-flow","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}