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Simple English definitions for legal terms
cash-basis accounting method
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A quick definition of cash-basis accounting method:
The cash-basis accounting method is a way of keeping track of money that only considers actual cash received as income and cash paid out as expenses. This is different from the accrual accounting method, which records income and expenses when they are incurred, regardless of when the money actually changes hands. Other accounting methods include cost accounting, fair-value accounting, and percentage-of-completion method.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: The cash-basis accounting method is a system for determining income and expenses for tax purposes. It considers only cash actually received as income and cash actually paid out as an expense.
Example: If a business sells a product for $100 but the customer has not yet paid, the cash-basis accounting method would not recognize the $100 as income until the customer pays. Similarly, if a business pays for a service in advance but the service has not yet been provided, the cash-basis accounting method would not recognize the payment as an expense until the service is provided.
Explanation: The cash-basis accounting method only recognizes income and expenses when cash is actually received or paid out. This means that revenue and expenses may not be recognized in the same period in which they were earned or incurred. This method is simpler than the accrual accounting method, which records entries of debits and credits when the liability arises, rather than when the income or expense is received or disbursed.