Earnout arrangements have important tax implications for both the buyer and seller. This article focuses on the buyer side of the equation.In short, an earnout provision allows the seller to maintain an interest in the company postclose while the buyer gets a lower purchase price. An earnout is a useful means of bridging a valuation gap and getting a deal done. The earnout provision requires the buyer to pay an additional amount in purchase price after the closing of the sale, if after the closing the company achieves. An earnout is a form of contingent, deferred consideration that is often utilized to reconcile a difference of opinions between the buyer and the seller. An earnout provision makes the purchase price (typically, some part of it) payable in the future dependent on the buyer's financial performance. What is an Earnout Agreement? ​​An earnout agreement, also referred to as an earn-in or earn-out, is a type of acquisition payment structure.