Income StatementIntermediate📖 5 min read

Total Other Finance Cost

Additional Financing Expenses Beyond Standard Interest

Nature
Non-interest financing expenses
Common Components
Debt issuance amortization, fees, penalties
Impact
Increases total financing cost; reduces pretax income
Location
Below operating income, in non-operating section

Total Other Finance Cost captures financing-related expenses that are not classified as regular interest expense on debt. These costs typically include items such as commitment fees on unused credit lines, amortization of debt issuance costs, bank charges, penalties on early debt repayment, and certain hedging or derivative costs. This line item appears in detailed income statements to provide transparency on the full cost of borrowing and financial structuring, helping analysts understand the complete picture of a company's financing burden beyond headline interest.

Table of Contents

What is Total Other Finance Cost?

Total Other Finance Cost represents the aggregate of miscellaneous financing expenses that do not qualify as traditional interest on borrowings but are still related to the cost of maintaining and managing debt or credit facilities.

These costs are classified as non-operating because they arise from financing activities rather than core business operations. They are typically deducted (as an expense) when calculating pretax income and are grouped separately from standard interest expense to improve transparency.

💡

This line is common in expanded income statements provided by financial data services and in company reconciliations.

Common Components

Typical items included in Total Other Finance Cost are:

Frequently Seen Items

  • Amortization of debt issuance costs (e.g., legal and underwriting fees for bonds or loans)
  • Commitment fees on revolving credit facilities (fees paid for unused borrowing capacity)
  • Letter of credit fees
  • Prepayment penalties or make-whole premiums on early debt retirement
  • Bank charges and arrangement fees
  • Losses on debt extinguishment (sometimes included here)
  • Certain derivative or hedging costs not capitalized

These are usually recurring in nature for companies with active debt management but are distinguished from interest to highlight the additional burden of financial structuring.

How It Affects the Income Statement

The item flows into the calculation of net interest and pretax income:

Simplified Flow
NetNonOperatingInterestIncome/Expense=(InterestIncomeInterestExpense)TotalOtherFinanceCostPretaxIncome=OperatingIncome+OtherIncome/ExpenseNetNonOperatingInterestExpenseNet Non-Operating Interest Income/Expense = (Interest Income − Interest Expense) − Total Other Finance Cost Pretax Income = Operating Income + Other Income/Expense − Net Non-Operating Interest Expense

A higher Total Other Finance Cost reduces pretax income and ultimately net income, increasing the effective cost of debt beyond the stated interest rate.

Tip: When comparing companies, adding back this cost to interest expense gives a fuller picture of total borrowing costs.

Examples

Example 1: Debt Refinancing

Company issues new bonds and pays $15M in underwriting and legal fees (capitalized and amortized over bond life) plus a $8M prepayment penalty on old debt. Annual amortization: $3M Prepayment penalty: $8M (one-time) Total Other Finance Cost for the year: $11M

Example 2: Credit Facility Fees

Company maintains a $500M revolving credit line with a 0.25% commitment fee on unused amount ($400M unused). Annual commitment fee: $1M Plus $0.5M in annual bank charges. Total Other Finance Cost: $1.5M

These costs can add 0.5–2% to the effective interest rate on debt, depending on capital structure activity.

Importance in Financial Analysis

Analysts monitor this line to assess the true cost of capital and debt management efficiency. Spikes often coincide with refinancing, acquisitions, or debt restructuring.

For credit analysis and valuation, combining interest expense with total other finance cost provides a more accurate effective interest rate. Persistent high values may indicate complex or costly financing arrangements.

⚠️

Warning: One-time large items (e.g., prepayment penalties) are sometimes excluded in adjusted EBITDA or normalized earnings calculations.

Key Takeaways

1

Total Other Finance Cost includes non-interest expenses related to debt and credit facilities.

2

Common items: amortized issuance costs, commitment fees, prepayment penalties.

3

Increases the effective cost of borrowing beyond stated interest rates.

4

Deducted in the non-operating section when arriving at pretax income.

5

Important for understanding full financing burden and debt management efficiency.

Related Terms

Apply This Knowledge

Ready to put Total Other Finance Cost into practice? Use our tools to analyze your portfolio and explore market opportunities.

This content is also available on our main website for public access.

0:00 / 0:00