Business funding · Year-end planning
Year-End Business Funding Checklist: 7 Moves Before December 31, 2026
The last eight weeks of the year decide how a business starts the next one. Equipment has to be in service by December 31 for this year’s deduction, holiday inventory and payroll peak at the same time, and the bank statements you generate in November and December are the ones lenders will read in January. Here is what to do now, in order.
What Should a Business Do About Funding Before Year-End?
Before December 31, 2026: (1) finance and put in service any equipment you want to deduct under Section 179 this year; (2) fund holiday inventory before supplier deadlines; (3) line up payroll coverage for the holiday peak; (4) open or increase a line of credit while year-to-date revenue looks strongest; (5) start any SBA application now if you want the money in Q1; (6) keep the bank account clean through December, because those statements decide January offers; and (7) set aside a cash cushion for the January–February slowdown and April taxes.
The Year-End Funding Checklist
- Section 179 equipment. For 2026, qualifying equipment up to $2,560,000 can be expensed, phasing out above $4,090,000 of purchases, but it must be placed in service by December 31. Apply for equipment financing in November so delivery fits. Confirm the deduction with your tax adviser.
- Holiday inventory. Fund it before your supplier’s order deadline. Lines of credit and revenue-based financing can fund in 24 to 72 hours on a complete file. See inventory financing.
- Holiday payroll. Seasonal staff and overtime hit before holiday sales are collected. A line of credit or payroll funding bridges the gap.
- Open or raise a line of credit now. Limits are sized on recent deposits. If the fall was strong, apply before the January dip shows up in your statements.
- Start SBA applications. SBA 7(a) loans take 30 to 60 days. For a Q1 expansion, apply in November. See business expansion loans.
- Keep December statements clean. January applications are underwritten on October through December statements: avoid overdrafts, deposit all sales, and keep business and personal money separate.
- Plan the January–February cushion and April taxes. Decide now whether you will cover a slow first quarter from cash, a line of credit or a loan to pay taxes, rather than scrambling in March.
Year-End Funding Timeline
| When | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early November | Apply for equipment financing and holiday inventory funding | Approval, vendor payment and delivery need two to four weeks |
| Mid November | Open or increase a line of credit; start SBA files | Uses strong fall deposits; SBA takes 30 to 60 days |
| December | Put equipment in service; keep statements clean | Section 179 deadline; January offers read these statements |
| January | Review Q1 cash needs and renewal options | Slowest months for many businesses |
RAN Funding minimums: 12 months in business (six months is sometimes possible), $20,000 a month in deposits and a $20,000 minimum funding amount.
What Year-End Funding Costs
Pricing depends on the product: equipment financing about 9.9% to 24% from online and specialty lenders (6% to 12% at banks), online lines of credit 1.5% to 3% per draw or roughly 10% to 36% APR, and revenue-based financing from a 1.08 factor. Compare offers by total payback and payment size, not the headline rate; the loan payment calculator and merchant cash advance calculator help.
How RAN Funding Helps Before Year-End
- Apply once with a soft credit pull and three months of business bank statements (four in California, New York and Virginia).
- One specialist, in English or Spanish, sends the file to the lenders in our network that fit it, the same day.
- Compare equipment, line of credit, term and revenue-based offers side by side.
- Funds in 24 hours to 5 days on most products; SBA in 30 to 60 days.
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Common Questions
What is the Section 179 deadline for 2026?
Equipment must be placed in service, meaning delivered and in use, by December 31, 2026 to be expensed on the 2026 return. Financed equipment qualifies. Confirm the deduction with your tax adviser.
Is it better to apply for a business loan before or after year-end?
If your fall revenue was strong, apply before year-end: offers are sized on recent deposits, and January statements often show a seasonal dip. If your year-end numbers will look much better than your current statements, waiting a few weeks can help.
How fast can I get funding before December 31?
Revenue-based financing and lines of credit can fund in 24 to 72 hours on a complete file; equipment financing in two to seven days; SBA loans take 30 to 60 days, so they need to start in November for early Q1 funding.
Is RAN Funding a lender?
No. RAN Funding is a business financing broker. We present your application to the lenders in our network that fit your file and show you the approvals that come back; the funding partner sets the approval, amount, rate, fees and term.
Sources
- Section 179 deduction guide 2026 — Block Advisors
- 2026 Report on Employer Firms — Federal Reserve Banks
- 7(a) loans — U.S. Small Business Administration
See What You Qualify For
One application, about five minutes, soft pull only. A funding specialist tells you up front which products fit your file, what they cost and how fast each one funds.
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