Tax Guard, a Cogency Global company and the first provider of real-time IRS tax data services, has partnered with SPARK, a faster, simpler loan origination platform for the digital age.

SBA lending surged 20% in 2025, hitting a record $37.3 billion. Major players like Live Oak and U.S. Bank credit resilient small business demand and strong borrower confidence for the boom. “People that have the capital structure and the sales infrastructure to do that will continue to grow in this environment,” – Pieter Leenhouts

With the federal government shutdown halting new SBA loan approvals, small businesses are feeling the strain. Lenders, including insights from Tax Guard’s VP of Sales, Pieter Leenhouts, explain how they’re preparing to move fast once operations resume.

“There will be lending that will stop through the SBA,” says Hansen Rada, the co-founder and CEO of Tax Guard, which provides real-time tax data to lenders. “But I think the greatest impact will be a long tail, which is the IRS then having to catch up during tax season.”