SBA 7(a) Q&A
Short answer
No, as the borrower, you do not typically pay annual maintenance or servicing fees directly to the SBA. These are usually charged by the lender and may be built into your interest rate or loan costs.
The SBA charges an annual service fee (often called a 'SBA Servicing Fee' or 'Lender Annual Service Fee') to the lender for the guaranteed portion of the loan. While this cost is ultimately passed on to the borrower, it's typically either factored into the interest rate or sometimes presented as a separate, lender-charged annual fee, not a direct payment to the SBA by the borrower.
If your lender has an annual servicing fee of 0.5% on the guaranteed portion of your loan, they will collect this from you, usually as part of your monthly payment or an annual invoice, and then remit the required portion to the SBA.
13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans
Office of the Federal Register · Federal regulation
7(a) Fees Effective During Fiscal Year 2026
SOP 50 10 - Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
Last checked 2026-06-14. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Last reviewed 2026-06-14 · SBA sources checked through 2026-06-14. DealRoom analysis of public SBA 7(a) lending records (FY2020–present). Grounded in the current SBA rulebook; verify against the official sources above before relying on it for a live deal. Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision.
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