Kuittaus

Kuittaus is a Finnish term with several related meanings tied to acknowledgment, confirmation, or settlement. It derives from the verb kuittaa, and in contemporary use it often denotes either an acknowledgment of receipt (for example, a document or goods) or the settlement of claims between parties. The word is cognate with Swedish kvittens and with historical Germanic terms such as Quittung, reflecting its role as a formal acknowledgment.

Common usage covers two main domains. In everyday commerce and administration, kuittaus refers to the act of confirming that something has been received or processed, such as signing to acknowledge delivery or payment and thereby providing a receipt or proof of receipt. In a broader sense, kuittaus can describe the handling of documents that prove receipt or completion, or the formal acknowledgment of a payment or transaction.

Financial and legal context: In accounting and law, kuittaus also means the set-off or netting of claims. When two parties owe each other money, they may perform kuittaus by offsetting their respective obligations, resulting in a reduced net payment. This concept is used in invoice management, debt settlements, and administrative processing of payments or refunds, helping to simplify balances and avoid duplicative payments.

Related terms include kuitti (receipt) and kvittens, which describe the physical evidence of receipt and the broader notion of acknowledgment in various administrative and commercial processes.