How to Report Fraud or Burdensome Federal Regulations on SBA.gov

SBA.gov provides two separate reporting channels: one for fraud, waste, mismanagement, or misconduct involving SBA programs or employees, and one for federal regulations that hurt a small business's ability to grow, compete, or innovate. Both are open to small business owners and members of the public. The homepage lists each under its own action link — "Report fraud" and "Report red tape" — so you can pick the channel that matches your issue before you start.

Which Channel Should You Use?

The two reports go to different places and serve different purposes, so choosing correctly saves time.

A practical rule: if the problem is about how an SBA program or employee behaved, report fraud. If the problem is about a federal rule itself, report red tape. If your issue is neither — for example, you need help with a loan application or a certification — the homepage points to Business resources (loans, disaster assistance, certifications, counseling) instead.

How to Submit a Report

1. Go to SBA.gov. The homepage lists "Report red tape" and "Report fraud" as separate links in the main resource area.
2. Select the matching link. Choose "Report fraud" for integrity concerns involving SBA programs or employees; choose "Report red tape" for a regulation that is hurting your business.
3. Follow the reporting page's instructions. Each entry opens its own reporting path with the fields and submission method for that type of report.
4. Describe the specifics. For a fraud report, identify the program or employee involved and what happened. For a red tape report, name the regulation and explain how it limits your ability to grow, compete, or innovate.
5. Submit and keep your own record of what you filed and when.

Expected result: your report is routed through the channel you selected. The homepage describes the purpose of each channel but does not publish response times or case updates, so treat submission as the completion of the task rather than the start of a tracked case.

Common Pitfalls

• Using the wrong channel. A complaint about a regulation sent to the fraud channel, or a misconduct concern sent to the red tape channel, is less likely to reach the right team. Match the issue to the channel first.
• Vague descriptions. "The rules are too hard" is difficult to act on. Naming the specific regulation and the concrete effect on your business (for example, a compliance step that stalls hiring or product launches) gives the report something to work with.
• Expecting a personal case number or timeline. The SBA.gov homepage does not state response times or individual follow-up for either channel, so do not plan around a promised update.
• Confusing reporting with getting help. If you actually need funding, disaster assistance, certification, or counseling, use the Business resources entries on the homepage — those are assistance paths, not reporting paths.

Related SBA.gov Resources

The same homepage groups the agency's main small business services, which is useful if your concern turns out to be a request for help rather than a report:

• Loans — funding to start or grow a business, including loans, investments, surety bonds, and grants.
• Disaster — low-interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses recovering from declared disasters.
• Certifications — growing as a federal contractor with access to contracts set aside for certain small businesses.
• Counseling — online counseling and training, live events, and local SBA Resource Partners.

If you are unsure whether your issue is a report or a service request, start with the description of each entry: reporting is for fraud or regulatory burden, while the four resources above are for obtaining assistance.