The Real Costs of Selling a Business: What Sellers Don’t Budget For

Most owners know they’ll pay a broker commission.
What they don’t budget for is everything else that shows up along the way.

Here are the real costs that surprise sellers the most:

1. Attorney Fees

Expect anywhere from $2,000–$6,000+ depending on complexity.
If the buyer has SBA financing, expect the attorney to spend more time - and therefore cost more.

2. Accountant or cleanup work

If your books aren’t perfect, expect to pay your CPA to:

• Reconcile

• Clean up financials

• Separate personal expenses

• Provide add-back detail

This is often $1,000–$3,500, sometimes more.

3. UCC Terminations

If you have old equipment loans, credit lines, or a past SBA/EIDL, you may need lien terminations. These are usually cheap - but banks are slow. Time is the real cost.

4. Landlord Fees

Landlords in NY/NJ especially may charge:

• Assignment fees

• Attorney review fees

• Deposit adjustments

The buyer usually pays for the landlord fees but your lease may contain an assignment fee of $500–$2,500, but can be more.

5. Inventory or working capital adjustments

If the business carries inventory, the count may affect the final price.
Sellers forget this all the time.

6. Sales tax or payroll tax surprises

NY, NJ, and CT all review tax filings during a sale.
If you owe something, even small, the state can make the buyer hold back funds until it’s settled.

Bottom line:

Selling a business isn’t expensive…
surprises are expensive.

When sellers prepare upfront, most of these costs stay small - and the closing stays clean.