Funding Guides

An SBA microloan is a loan of up to $50,000 made through a nonprofit intermediary lender, not by the SBA itself.

Yes. SBA 7(a) loans can finance buying an existing business.

How much down payment an SBA 504 loan needs in 2026: 10% for most projects, 15% for newer businesses or special-purpose buildings, 20% for both, per SBA rules.

SBA 504 vs 7(a) in 2026: loan limits, uses, down payment, collateral, rates and terms compared from SBA's own rules, plus when each one fits better.

Yes, but only for property whose construction begins on or before June 30, 2026.

The employer-provided child care credit under Internal Revenue Code section 45F is a general business credit for employers that pay qualified child care or child care resource and referral costs for their employees.

Yes, for most new projects. Under the 2025 tax law, business solar facilities that began construction after July 4, 2026 get the clean electricity investment or production credit only if they're placed in service by December 31, 2027.

You generally qualify if you have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees, pay average annual wages under the IRS limit, buy employee coverage through a SHOP Marketplace plan, and pay at least 50% of the premium cost.

A cost segregation study splits the cost of a building you own into parts with shorter tax recovery periods, such as 5-, 7- or 15-year property, instead of depreciating it all as 39-year nonresidential or 27.5-year residential rental property.

The disabled access credit is a federal tax credit for small businesses that spend money to make their business accessible to people with disabilities.

Not under current law. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit only covers people who began work on or before December 31, 2025, and as of October 30, 2026, Congress had not passed an extension.

The 2025 tax law (P.L. 119-21, which the IRS now calls the Working Families Tax Cuts) made 100% bonus depreciation permanent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, raised the Section 179 limit, restored immediate deductions for domestic research costs, and raised the 1099-NEC reporting threshold to $2,000 for 2026 payments.

Yes, if it's a qualified small business: generally gross receipts under $5 million for the year and no gross receipts before the 5-tax-year period ending with that year.

There's no IRS list of qualifying makes and models.

Yes, for most qualifying property. Under the 2025 tax law (P.L. 119-21), bonus depreciation is a permanent 100% for qualified property acquired and placed in service after January 19, 2025.

For tax years beginning in 2026, the Section 179 limit is $2,560,000, phasing out above $4,090,000 of purchases.

A practical, step-by-step way to find the federal, state and local tax credits and incentives your business may qualify for, the credits small businesses most often check, and what's expired.

179D doesn't apply to property whose construction began after June 30, 2026.

Find an open topic in a participating agency's SBIR solicitation, make sure your company qualifies (a for-profit U.S. business with fewer than 500 employees, owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent residents), register in SAM.gov, and submit a proposal before that solicitation closes.

The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) is a competitive USDA Rural Development grant that helps farmers, ranchers and producer-owned businesses turn raw agricultural commodities into higher-value products and market them.

There's no general federal grant that pays a manufacturer to start or expand.

There's no open federal grant program for restaurants in 2026.

EDA grants go to governments, tribes, nonprofits, universities and districts, not businesses.

Vermont's main state business lender is the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA), which offers the Direct Loan Program (up to $5 million), the Small Business Loan Program (up to $1,000,000) and the Entrepreneurial Loan Program for start-up and early-stage companies.

For Texas franchise tax reports due in 2026 and 2027, the no tax due threshold is $2,650,000 in annualized total revenue.

Yes, for qualifying manufacturers. Oklahoma exempts machinery, equipment, raw materials and other items used in a manufacturing operation from sales and use tax, but you need a Manufacturer Sales Tax Exemption Permit from the Oklahoma Tax Commission and must give it to your vendors.

The Regional 166 Direct Loan is an Ohio Department of Development program that makes low-interest loans to established businesses for land, buildings, machinery and equipment in industry, commerce, distribution or research projects.

South Carolina's main business incentives in 2026: Job Tax Credit, small business jobs credit, investment tax credit, FILOT, property tax abatement and more.

Oklahoma's Quality Jobs programs pay quarterly cash rebates of up to 5% of new taxable payroll.

Texas business incentives in 2026: the franchise tax threshold, Skills Development Fund, Texas Enterprise Fund, JETI and local property tax abatements.