Ausschüttungs

Ausschüttung is the German term for the distribution of profits, earnings, or reserves by an entity to its owners or investors. The concept covers payments made to shareholders or unit holders and is the counterpart to reinvestment of profits. The word is often used in the context of corporations, investment funds, and other organizations that generate distributable income. The base verb Ausschütten means to pour out or distribute.

In corporations, a typical Ausschüttung is a dividend paid to shareholders. This can take the form of a cash payment (Barausschüttung) or, less commonly, as an issue of additional shares (Aktienausschüttung or stock dividend). Distributions may be regular, based on a fixed schedule, or irregular, depending on earnings and board decisions. Some distributions also reflect the return of capital or special one-time payments.

In investment funds, Ausschüttung refers to payments made to fund investors from the fund’s earnings. Funds can be structured as distributing (thesport fields) or accumulating (thesaurierend) funds. Distributing funds periodically distribute income and realized gains to investors, while accumulating funds reinvest earnings back into the fund. The choice affects cash flows for investors and tax handling in many jurisdictions.

Tax and regulation surrounding Ausschüttung vary by country and instrument. Generally, distributions are taxable to the recipient in the year they are paid, and the tax treatment may depend on whether the payer is a corporation, a fund, or another type of institution, as well as on local tax laws and any applicable treaties.

See also: Dividende, Thesaurierung, Fonds, Aktien.