How to use the Business Closure Cost Calculator
Closing a business is not finished the day you stop trading. Winding up a US company usually means a make-good obligation on the space, an early termination payment or the remaining rent on the lease, a final payroll run, outstanding vendor payables and the filings that formally dissolve the entity with the state. One thing that does not appear here is the Korean practice of key money paid between tenants, which has no direct US equivalent; any goodwill in a US storefront is realized by selling the business, not by handing the lease on.
This calculator does not invent any amounts. It gives you the item structure and adds up whatever you enter from your own quotes, lease and invoices, splitting money going out from money coming back and showing the difference as your net closure cost. If the recoveries are larger than the outflows, the label switches to net recovery so the direction is never ambiguous.
Remaining lease exposure is months left multiplied by monthly rent plus CAM. If either box is blank the subtotal is zero and the label says so, which makes a missed input easy to spot. Whether you actually owe the full remaining term depends on your lease: many leases require the landlord to mitigate by re-letting, and some allow a negotiated buyout instead.
This page was written as of September 2026 and is for reference only. Dissolution filing requirements, final franchise tax, final payroll tax returns and creditor notice periods differ by state, so confirm the sequence with your attorney and accountant before you file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make-good costs, termination penalties and professional fees vary enormously by space, state and lease language. A made-up average would make the total look authoritative while being wrong, so the tool only adds up figures you take from your own documents.
Enter what you realistically expect to receive. Landlords commonly deduct unpaid rent, CAM reconciliations and restoration work before returning a deposit, so check your lease and any landlord notice first.
Not always. Many leases and many states require the landlord to try to re-let the space and credit that rent against your obligation, and landlords often accept a negotiated buyout. Enter your best estimate and confirm the number with your attorney.