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Basis, Fair Value, and Measurement Attributes

Accounting terms for adjusted basis, cash basis, fair value, FVPL, historical cost, and revaluation methods.

Basis, Fair Value, and Measurement Attributes covers adjusted basis, cash basis, fair value, FVPL, historical cost, and revaluation methods.

Use these pages when accounting mechanics change how a transaction becomes a reported asset, liability, income item, expense, equity item, or cash-flow classification. It sits inside Recognition, Measurement, and Qualitative Characteristics, so readers can move up when the broader accounting context matters.

Use the table below to choose the narrower accounting branch before applying a term to a statement line, model input, audit trail, tax schedule, covenant test, or management report.

What This Branch Covers

AreaUse it for
Adjusted BasisTax or accounting basis after increases, decreases, depreciation, or improvements, used to calculate gain, loss, and deductions.
BasisBasis refers to the amount representing the taxpayer’s cost in acquiring an asset, used for computing gain or loss on sale, exchange, and depreciation purposes.
Cash BasisAccounting basis that records income and expenses when cash is received or paid, rather than when obligations are earned or incurred.
Fair ValueMeasurement estimate of an asset or liability’s market-based value, central to reporting, valuation, and disclosure.
Fair Value Through Profit or Loss (FVPL)Fair value through profit or loss reports qualifying assets or liabilities at fair value with changes recognized in earnings.
Historical Cost PrincipleThe Historical Cost Principle dictates that assets are recorded at their original purchase cost, ensuring objectivity and reliability in financial statements.
Revaluation MethodThe revaluation method reports certain assets at updated fair values rather than historical cost, subject to accounting rules.

What to Check

  • Source document, journal entry, ledger account, reconciliation, cut-off date, and financial statement mapping.
  • Recognition rule, derecognition trigger, measurement basis, accrual, prepayment, estimate, and control trail.
  • Effect on timing, classification, comparability, cash-flow presentation, and statement reliability.
  • Whether the issue belongs to bookkeeping mechanics, external reporting, management reporting, tax, or audit evidence.
  • Consistency across periods, systems, accounts, and reporting frameworks.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing cash movement with accrual recognition.
  • Ignoring cut-off, reversing entries, prepayments, and reconciliations.
  • Treating ledger mechanics as the final finance conclusion without statement context.
  • Mixing debit-credit form with economic inflow and outflow language.

Accounting-foundation content is educational and does not provide bookkeeping, accounting, tax, audit, legal, investment, or valuation advice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Adjusted Basis

Tax or accounting basis after increases, decreases, depreciation, or improvements, used to calculate gain, loss, and deductions.

Basis

Basis refers to the amount representing the taxpayer's cost in acquiring an asset, used for computing gain or loss on sale, exchange, and depreciation purposes.

Cash Basis

The cash basis, or cash method, is an accounting approach used by most individual taxpayers that recognizes income and deductions when money is received or paid.

Fair Value

Measurement estimate of an asset or liability's market-based value, central to reporting, valuation, and disclosure.

Historical Cost Principle

The Historical Cost Principle dictates that assets are recorded at their original purchase cost, ensuring objectivity and reliability in financial statements.

Revaluation Method

The revaluation method reports certain assets at updated fair values rather than historical cost, subject to accounting rules.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026