Times Interest Earned Ratio: What It Is, How to Calculate TIE

This ratio can be calculated by dividing a company’s EBIT by its periodic interest expense. The ratio shows the number of times that a company could, theoretically, pay its periodic interest expenses should it devote all of its EBIT to debt repayment. An accounting ratio compares two line items in a company’s financial statements, namely made up of its income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. These ratios can be used to evaluate a company’s fundamentals and provide information about the performance of the company over the last quarter or fiscal year. Perhaps your accounting software or ERP system automatically calculates ratios from financial statements data. These automatic ratio calculations could include the times interest earned ratio (which may be called interest coverage ratio) from the company’s income statement data.

If you find yourself with a low times interest earned ratio, it should be more alarming than upsetting. Even if it stings at first, the bank is probably right to not loan you more. So long as you make dents in your debts, your interest expenses will decrease month to month. But at a given moment, this amount can be hundreds or thousands of dollars piling onto your plate, in addition to your regular payments and other business expenses. This is an important number for you to know, as a piece of your company’s pie will be necessary to offset the interest each month. It can also help put things in perspective and motivate you to pay down your debts sooner.

How to calculate the times interest earned ratio

Such ratios are calculated on the basis of accounting information gathered from financial statements. If you’re a small business with a limited amount of debt, the times interest earned ratio will likely not provide any new insight into your business operations. For example, if you have any current outstanding debt, you’re paying interest on that debt each month.

• Spend management gives businesses a more comprehensive overview of cash flow and expenses, and Rho fully automates the process for you.
• All accounting ratios require accurate financial statements, which is why using accounting software is the recommended method for managing your business finances.
• Last, the times interest earned ratio doesn’t include principal payments.
• Specialties include general financial planning, career development, lending, retirement, tax preparation, and credit.
• If you find yourself in this uncomfortable position, reach out to a financial consulting provider to explore how your company got here and how it can get out.
• The times interest earned ratio is calculated by dividing income before interest and income taxes by the interest expense.

If your firm must raise a large amount of capital, you may use both equity and debt, and debt generates interest expense. Lenders are interested in companies that generate consistent earnings, which is why the TIE ratio is important. In general, it’s best to have a times interest earned ratio that demonstrates the company can earn multiple times its annual debt obligation. It’s often cited that a company should have a times interest earned ratio of at least 2.5. Times interest earned ratio is a solvency metric that evaluates whether a company is earning enough money to pay its debt. It specifically compares the income a company makes prior to interest and taxes to what interest expense it must pay on its debt obligations.

How Can a Company Improve Its Times Interest Earned Ratio?

But you can rely on other ratios too that analyze the payment of both interest expense and principal on debt. Interest expense and income taxes are often reported the times interest earned ratio provides an indication of separately from the normal operating expenses for solvency analysis purposes. This also makes it easier to find the earnings before interest and taxes or EBIT.