How does Scalable Capital deduct the Vorabpauschale?

Scalable Capital functions as a German tax-resident broker, with Baader Bank as the depositary institution. The mechanics:

1. In early January 2027, Scalable calculates the Vorabpauschale for every ETF in your brokerage account and (separately) in your robo-portfolio — value × 2.29 % × 0.7 minus distributions.
2. Reduced by the equity partial exemption (30 % for equity ETFs) and offset against your Freistellungsauftrag (€1,000 saver allowance).
3. The remaining tax is debited from the settlement account — typically between January 2 and 10.
4. The transaction appears in the online portal under Account → Taxes as „Tax deduction Vorabpauschale“.

Important if you use the robo-advisor: If you have both a brokerage and a Scalable robo savings-plan, the Vorabpauschale is calculated separately for each — and both amounts are debited separately. The €1,000 Freistellungsauftrag is split internally across the two accounts.

When exactly does the posting happen?

Scalable posts slightly later than Trade Republic — typically between January 2 and 10. Unlike TR, Scalable sends an advance email roughly 7 days before posting, with the expected tax amount and a request to top up the settlement account.

Advantage of this advance notice: you have a full week to top up the account before the tax is debited. Compared with Trade Republic, which posts without warning, this is a clear plus for liquidity-conscious investors.

What happens if the settlement account is empty?

Unlike Trade Republic, which simply moves the account into negative balance, Scalable Capital takes a more conservative approach:

1. Day 1 (advance notice): Email with tax amount, request to top up within 7 days.
2. Day 7 (posting attempt): If the account is still empty, Scalable temporarily moves it into negative balance with overdraft interest (as of 2026: ~4.5 % p.a. pro-rata).
3. Day 14 (reminder): Written reminder requesting top-up within another 14 days.
4. Day 28 (forced sale): If the account is still negative, Scalable’s terms allow forced sale of ETF units to cover the tax — typically starting with the ETF that has the highest unrealized gain (which may impact your Freistellungsauftrag usage).

In practice, forced sales are rare among retail investors since the tax amounts are usually small and most clients top up in time.

Step by step: managing the Vorabpauschale at Scalable

1. Log in at de.scalable.capital → Account.
2. Tab Taxes → overview of all tax postings appears.
3. Click „Vorabpauschale 2026″ → breakdown by ETF, including partial exemption and Freistellungsauftrag offset.
4. Download the tax certificate PDF (available March/April 2027).
5. Change Freistellungsauftrag: Account → Taxes → Exemption Order — change effective from the next posting cycle.

Related topics

• Vorabpauschale 2026 — Complete Guide — mechanics, formula, examples.
• Vorabpauschale at Trade Republic — comparison guide.
• Legally Avoid the Vorabpauschale — 5 strategies to minimize.

Frequently Asked Questions