A basis of accounting can be defined as the time various financial transactions are recorded. The cash basis (EU VAT vocabulary Cash accounting) and the accrual basis are the two primary methods of tracking income and expenses in accounting.

Both can be used in a range of situations from the accounts of a whole country, a large corporation, a small business or an individual. In many cases regulatory bodies may require individuals, businesses or corporations use one method or the other. When this is not the case, the choice of which to use is an important decision as both have advantages and disadvantages.