EBITDA Calculator & Business Valuation
Calculate your EBITDA, apply industry-specific multiples, and estimate what your business is worth in a sale.
low
8x
median
12x
high
20x
Using industry median: 12x
Gross Margin: 70.0%
Add-backs increase your Seller's Discretionary Earnings and directly raise your asking price.
Portion of your salary above what a hired CEO would cost
Legal fees, one-time projects, COVID costs, etc.
Vehicle, travel, phone, meals run through the company
Deal Structure Adjustments
Revenue
$2.00M
Gross Profit
$1.40M
70.0% margin
EBIT
$600k
EBITDA
$670k
33.5% margin
SDE (Normalized)
$820k
Enterprise Value
$9.84M
12x SDE
Equity Value
$9.89M
EV − debt + cash
Industry Range
$6.56M – $16.40M
8x – 20x
EBITDA
$670k
33.5% margin
SDE (Normalized)
$820k
+$150k add-backs
Gross Margin
70.0%
$1,400,000
An EBITDA calculator computes your Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization — the most widely used metric in business valuation and M&A transactions. By applying an industry-specific EBITDA multiple, you can estimate your business's enterprise value and what a buyer might pay in a sale.
Formula:
EBITDA = Revenue − COGS − Operating Expenses + Depreciation + AmortizationSDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings) = EBITDA + Owner Salary Add-Back + One-Time Expenses + Personal Expenses. SDE is used for businesses under $1M in earnings; EBITDA is used for larger businesses. Enterprise Value = SDE × Industry Multiple.
- 1
Select your industry to see typical EBITDA multiples for comparable transactions
- 2
Enter your annual revenue, cost of goods sold (COGS), and operating expenses
- 3
Add depreciation and amortization from your P&L to compute EBITDA
- 4
Enter owner add-backs: salary above market, personal expenses, and one-time costs
- 5
Review the valuation range (low/median/high) for your industry
- 6
Adjust for debt assumed and cash on hand to get your equity value
- EBITDA is the universal language of M&A — every buyer uses it to compare businesses across industries
- A 1x difference in multiple on $500k EBITDA is $500,000 — knowing where you stand in the range is worth significant money
- Add-backs can meaningfully increase your SDE — missing legitimate add-backs leaves money on the table
- Industry selection matters enormously: a SaaS business at 12x is worth 3x more than a restaurant at 4x with identical EBITDA
- Understanding enterprise value vs. equity value prevents surprises at closing when debt and working capital adjustments are applied
- Preparing your business for sale and want to know what it's worth
- Evaluating whether to acquire a competitor or target business
- Securing bank financing or SBA loans that require a business valuation
- Planning your exit strategy 2–5 years in advance to maximize multiple
- Comparing your business's value to industry benchmarks
- Determining how much your add-backs increase your asking price
- •Start improving your EBITDA 2–3 years before selling — buyers pay multiples of a trailing 12-month average, so one bad year drags your price.
- •Reduce customer concentration before selling. A single customer over 20% of revenue is a red flag that lowers multiples.
- •Recurring revenue transforms multiples. Converting project revenue to retainers or subscriptions can shift you to a higher multiple tier.
- •Get a quality of earnings (QoE) report before going to market — it validates your EBITDA and add-backs and prevents surprises in buyer due diligence.
Have questions about using this calculator? Check out our financial guides or contact us for help.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is EBITDA?
EBITDA stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization. It measures a company's core operating profitability before accounting for capital structure, tax jurisdiction, and non-cash charges. It's the most common metric used in M&A and business sale transactions.
What is a typical EBITDA multiple for a small business?
Small businesses (under $1M EBITDA) typically sell for 3–6x EBITDA. Mid-market businesses ($1M–$10M EBITDA) often command 5–8x. High-growth SaaS or tech companies may sell for 10–20x. Industry, growth rate, customer concentration, and recurring revenue all drive multiples higher or lower.
What is the difference between EBITDA and SDE?
SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings) adds back the owner's salary and personal expenses to EBITDA. It's the standard metric for businesses with under $1M in earnings where a single owner actively works in the business. EBITDA is used for larger businesses where a hired CEO would replace the owner.
What is enterprise value vs. equity value?
Enterprise Value (EV) is the total value of the business before accounting for debt and cash. Equity Value is what shareholders actually receive: EV minus debt assumed plus cash on hand. In a business sale, buyers pay EV but sellers pocket equity value.
What add-backs are allowed in an EBITDA calculation?
Common add-backs include: owner salary above market replacement cost, personal expenses run through the business (vehicle, travel, phone), one-time non-recurring expenses (legal fees, COVID costs), non-cash charges beyond D&A, and above-market rent paid to owner-related entities. Buyers scrutinize add-backs carefully — document everything.
How does industry affect the EBITDA multiple?
Industries with recurring revenue (SaaS, subscription services) command the highest multiples because future cash flows are predictable. Asset-light, high-margin businesses also get premium multiples. Capital-intensive industries (construction, restaurants) with low margins and customer concentration issues get lower multiples.
What is a normalized EBITDA?
Normalized EBITDA adjusts reported EBITDA for one-time items, owner compensation, and non-recurring expenses to show what the business would earn under typical operating conditions with an arms-length management team. This is the number buyers and their accountants will scrutinize in due diligence.