From Longman Business Dictionaryaccrual basisacˈcrual ˌbasis (also accruals basis, accrual method or, accruals method) noun [singular]ACCOUNTING a principle used in accounting that when a business buys or sells something, this should affect the results for the period of time when it happens, not when the related payment is sent or received, even if the payment occurs in a different accounting periodSome businesses have to compute tax on an accruals basis, which means they account for it when work is carried out. → compare cash basis
