How to Calculate Total Debt: A Simple Guide

Introduction

Running a business is challenging. One essential part of succeeding is creating a sound financial strategy. Managing debt is a crucial component of an effective financial strategy.

Understanding your business’s total debt is crucial for maintaining healthy cash flow and making informed decisions. If you’re unsure about what is included in total debt or how to calculate it, this confusion can lead to financial missteps and hurt your business.

To make it easier for you, in this blog, we’ll break down what total debt is, how to find it, and the formula to calculate it. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of what total debt is, how to calculate it, and how to manage it effectively. Let’s get to it.

What Is Total Debt?

Total debt represents the sum of all financial obligations your business owes to external parties. It encompasses short-term debts, due within a year, and long-term debts, payable after one year. Understanding your total debt is crucial for assessing your business’s financial health.

Think of your business like a household. Just as you might have monthly bills (short-term debts) and a mortgage or car loan (long-term debts), your business has similar financial obligations. Managing both types of debt effectively ensures your business stays financially stable, just like keeping up with household expenses keeps your home running smoothly.

What Is Included in Total Debt?

Total debt includes all the financial obligations your business owes to others, both short-term and long-term. In this case, short-term debt are the ones that last for a year where as long-term debts have a payment timeline of more than a year. The sum of both these debts gives the total debt. 

Short-Term Debt: These are debts that need to be paid within a year. They include:

• Bank Overdrafts: Money borrowed from the bank that needs to be repaid quickly.
• Short-Term Loans: Loans that are due within a year.
• Accounts Payable: Bills from suppliers that you need to pay soon.
• Current Portion of Long-Term Debt: The part of long-term loans that you need to pay off this year.

Long-Term Debt: These are debts that are due after a year. They include:

• Long-Term Loans: Loans that you repay over several years.
• Bonds Payable: Money borrowed through bonds that will be repaid in the future.
• Mortgages: Loans taken to buy a property, paid off over several years.

By understanding what’s included in total debt, you can better manage your business’s financial obligations and keep your finances in check.

Why Is it Crucial to Understand Your Total Debt

Understanding and managing total debt is crucial for every business. Here’s why:

1. Financial health assessment

Knowing your total debt helps you gauge your business’s financial stability. It gives you a clear picture of how much you owe and to whom, allowing you to make informed decisions about spending, saving, and investing.

2. Cash flow management

Total debt impacts your cash flow. By keeping track of your debts, you can plan your payments better, ensuring you have enough cash on hand to meet daily operational needs without getting caught off guard by large, unexpected payments.

3. Risk management

High levels of debt can indicate higher financial risk. Understanding your total debt allows you to identify potential financial strains early and take corrective measures to mitigate risks, such as renegotiating payment terms or prioritizing debt repayment.

4. Creditworthiness

Lenders and investors look at your total debt to assess your creditworthiness. A well-managed debt profile can improve your chances of securing loans or attracting investment, as it shows that your business is capable of handling its financial obligations responsibly.

5. Strategic planning

Knowing your total debt helps in strategic business planning. Whether it’s planning for expansion, new investments, or debt repayment strategies, a clear understanding of your debt allows you to make better long-term decisions.

By monitoring your total debt, you can maintain a healthy balance sheet, enhance your financial stability, and set your business up for sustained success.

How to Calculate Total Debt: A Practical Example

Total debt represents the sum of all financial obligations a company owes, both short-term and long-term. To calculate total debt, you add together the company’s short-term debt (due within one year) and long-term debt (due in more than one year). This gives a clear picture of the company’s overall debt.

For instance, if a company has $50,000 in short-term debt and $150,000 in long-term debt, the total debt would be $200,000. This calculation helps assess the company’s financial health and its ability to meet financial obligations.

Example Balance Sheet

Let’s take an example of a company named ABC Corp. Here’s the balance sheet of the company:

ABC Corp Balance Sheet	Amount ($)
Assets
Cash and Cash Equivalents	50,000
Accounts Receivable	30,000
Inventory	20,000
Property, Plant, and Equipment	200,000
Total Assets	300,000

Liabilities and Equity	Amount ($)
Short-Term Liabilities
Accounts Payable	25,000
Short-Term Loans	15,000
Current Portion of Long-Term Debt	10,000
Total Short-Term Liabilities	50,000

Long-Term Liabilities	Amount ($)
Long-Term Loans	100,000
Bonds Payable	50,000
Mortgages	150,000
Total Long-Term Liabilities	300,000
Total Liabilities	350,000

Equity	Amount ($)
Owner’s Equity	50,000
Retained Earnings	100,000
Total Equity	150,000
Total Liabilities and Equity	500,000

Calculation of Total Debt

To calculate the total debt, we need to sum up the short-term liabilities and long-term liabilities.

1. 1. Short-Term Debt:
      • Accounts Payable: $25,000
      • Short-Term Loans: $15,000
      • Current Portion of Long-Term Debt: $10,000

Total Short-Term Debt=$25,000+$15,000+$10,000=$50,000

1. 1. Long-Term Debt:
      • Long-Term Loans: $100,000
      • Bonds Payable: $50,000
      • Mortgages: $150,000

Total Long-Term Debt=$100,000+$50,000+$150,000=$300,000

1. Total Debt:
   • Total Short-Term Debt: $50,000
   • Total Long-Term Debt: $300,000

Total Debt=$50,000+$300,000=$350,000

Summary Table

Debt Type	Amount ($)
Short-Term Debt	50,000
Long-Term Debt	300,000
Total Debt	350,000

By adding together the short-term and long-term debts from the balance sheet, we find that ABC Corp has a total debt of $350,000. This straightforward calculation helps in understanding the business’s financial obligations, allowing for better financial planning and management.

How Streamlining Collections Can Help Reduce Total Debt?

Managing total debt is a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy financial status for small to mid-sized businesses. One effective way to manage and potentially reduce total debt is by streamlining the collections process. Here’s how a more efficient collections system can make a significant impact on reducing total debt.

1. Improved Cash Flow

Problem: Late payments can strain your cash flow, making it harder to meet debt obligations and forcing you to rely on more borrowing.

Solution: Streamlining collections ensures that invoices are paid promptly, improving cash flow. This reduces the need for additional short-term loans to cover operational expenses.

Example: Automating invoice reminders and follow-ups ensures customers pay on time, reducing the instances where you need to take out short-term loans to cover gaps in cash flow.

2. Reduced Bad Debt

Problem: Uncollected invoices eventually turn into bad debt, which can inflate your total debt figures if you need to borrow to cover these losses.

Solution: Efficient collections processes, such as regular follow-ups and clear payment terms, reduce the risk of invoices becoming bad debt. This means fewer write-offs and less need to borrow to cover these losses.

Example: Implementing a robust credit control system that flags overdue accounts early allows you to take timely action, reducing the amount of debt that becomes uncollectible.

3. Lower Interest Costs

Problem: High levels of outstanding debt often result in higher interest expenses, increasing your total debt over time.

Solution: By improving collections, you can pay down existing debts faster, thereby reducing the amount of interest accrued over time.

Example: Faster collections mean you can pay off a $50,000 loan quicker, saving on interest payments and reducing the overall debt burden.

4. Stronger Supplier Relationships

Problem: Poor cash flow due to delayed collections can strain your ability to pay suppliers on time, potentially damaging relationships and leading to less favorable credit terms.

Solution: Consistent cash flow from streamlined collections allows you to pay suppliers promptly, maintaining strong relationships and potentially negotiating better credit terms, which can reduce your overall debt.

Example: Consistent payments to suppliers can lead to them offering early payment discounts or extended payment terms, reducing your short-term debt requirements.

5. Enhanced Creditworthiness

Problem: High outstanding debt can negatively impact your credit rating, making it more expensive or difficult to borrow when necessary.

Solution: Efficient collections improve your financial metrics, demonstrating strong cash flow management and reducing your overall debt load, thus enhancing your creditworthiness.

Example: A business with timely collections can show a lower debt-to-equity ratio on its financial statements, making it more attractive to lenders and investors, potentially securing better loan terms.

How Can HighRadius Help?

HighRadius Collections Management Software, a component of the Order To Cash Product Suite, is powered by AI and offers a variety of features designed by experts to optimize your collections processes. Our extensive features include AI Prioritized Worklists, In-App Dialers, Intelligent Email Inboxes, Advanced Dunning, Generative AI via FreedaGPT, AP Portal Automation, In-App Payments Acceptance, Dispute Management, Proof of Delivery Automation, ERP Connectivity, Collection Agency Cases Integration, Customer Master Hierarchy Extensibility, and Activity Logging and Tracking. These modules streamline collections workflows, automate communication with customers, facilitate dispute resolution, integrate with ERP systems, and provide insights through data analytics, ultimately enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in your collections management.

FAQs

1) What is the total debt formula?

Total debt is calculated using the formula: 

Total Debt = Short-Term Debt + Long-Term Debt

Total debt is the financial obligations that your business owes to others. It is usually categorized into short-term debts and long-term debts. Here, short-term debt is the finances within one year whereas long-term debt includes the financial obligations that lasts for more than a year. 

2) Is total debt the same as total liabilities?

No, total debt includes only short-term and long-term borrowings, while total liabilities encompass all financial obligations, including accounts payable and other non-debt liabilities.

3) How is the total debt ratio calculated?

The total debt ratio is calculated by dividing total debt by total assets:

Total Debt Ratio = Total Debt ÷ Total Assets

4) What is the total debt to total assets ratio?

The total debt to total assets ratio measures the proportion of a company’s assets financed by debt. It is calculated as:

Total Debt to Total Assets Ratio = Total Debt ÷ Total Assets