The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) of up to $2 million to for small businesses affected by disaster to help meet working capital needs or normal business operating expenses through the recovery period. Businesses are eligible for these loans regardless of whether or not they have suffered property damage, however you must be in an affected area. You can check to see if you are is affected here.
You can apply online for all types of SBA disaster assistance loans. The online application is the fastest method to receive a decision about your loan eligibility. You must also submit a signed and dated IRS Form 4506-T giving permission for the IRS to provide the SBA your tax return information.
Loan Amounts and Use
Substantial economic injury means the business is unable to meet its obligations and to pay its ordinary and necessary operating expenses. EIDLs provide the necessary working capital to help small businesses survive until normal operations resume after a disaster.
The SBA can provide up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred. The loan amount will be based on your actual economic injury and your company’s financial needs, regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.
Eligibility and Terms
The interest rate on EIDLs will not exceed 4 percent per year. The term of these loans will not exceed 30 years. The repayment term will be determined by your ability to repay the loan.
EIDL assistance is available only to small businesses when SBA determines they are unable to obtain credit elsewhere.
How to Apply
You can apply online for an SBA disaster assistance loan. You must submit the completed loan application and a signed and dated IRS Form 4506-T giving permission for the IRS to provide SBA your tax return information.
You can also contact the SBA disaster assistance customer service center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
