Congrats on the first close, and this is a common spot to land in. Huntington asking for a tax return isn't really a credit-box issue, it's a seasoning check. They want to see the division you already bought performing under your ownership before they'll stack more debt on top of it, and a full tax year is the cleanest proof of that. A few ways around the wait: some SBA lenders will underwrite off year-to-date financials plus bank statements rather than insisting on a filed return, especially if you can show clean monthly trends since close. If the seller is willing to carry part of the second tranche as a note, that also reduces what a new lender needs to get comfortable with, since it shows the seller still has skin in the outcome. Worth going back to Huntington with 8-9 months of statements and a current P&L before assuming they're a no, some relationship managers can work with that even without a return. Boston's a good connect on this too, that's worth following up on.

Congratulations on getting your first deal closed. We would be happy to take a look and see if we can assist you with another acquisition. We have clients we have financed multiple acquisitions for in close order. You can reach me here or directly at redacted