I’m a finance lawyer (not an accountant but I believe the following is correct: If you borrower money an asset (cash) and a liability (the debt) is created on your balance sheet but it has no impact on your income/profit and loss statement. Similarly, when you repay a loan your assets are reduced (since you use cash) but your liabilities are also reduced (since you have repaid the loan), again this has no impact on your income/profit and loss statement. Payments of interest are accounted for as an expense and do figure as a deduction on your income/profit and loss statement and reduce taxable profits. Repayments of principal are balance sheet items and aren’t tax deductible.