Cash and accrual basis side by side: see both for your startup at the same time

You can see cash and accrual at the same time when your books record each transaction once and apply both rules to it. In Accountable, the Basis switch on Reports has Cash, Accrual and Both, and Both puts the two columns side by side with the difference. Puzzle says it also keeps both at once (June 24, 2026). In one worked quarter, cash shows $18,000 of profit and accrual $9,500.

Updated October 3, 2026 · 3 min read · By the Accountable team

The same quarter, seen on both bases at once

Profit on the cash basis: $18,000
Profit on the accrual basis: $9,500
The difference the Both view shows: $8,500

A worked example: a $24,000 prepaid subscription, a $10,000 unpaid invoice and unpaid costs. See the table below.

The short version

Cash records money when it moves; accrual records revenue when it is earned and costs when they are owed.
Both views come from the same entries, so nothing is converted by hand and the difference is explainable line by line.
In Accountable, Reports has a Cash, Accrual and Both switch; Both shows the two bases side by side with the difference.
Investors usually want accrual, and burn and runway are cash numbers, so a startup needs both.
Puzzle also says it keeps cash and accrual books simultaneously, per its own blog post dated June 24, 2026.

One set of entries produces both bases

Cash and accrual differ in timing, not in facts. A prepaid year of subscription is $24,000 of cash on the day it arrives and $2,000 of revenue in each month you serve the customer. If the books record the payment, the service period and the invoice once, both views follow from them.

A tool that keeps one basis and rebuilds the other later makes you reconcile two sets of numbers. Accountable keeps the facts both bases need and builds the accrual view from them; a status line on Reports says how complete it is.

The same quarter shows $18,000 on cash and $9,500 on accrual

One startup's fourth quarter on the cash basis, the accrual basis and the difference between them
Event	Cash	Accrual	Difference (accrual minus cash)
Customer prepays a 12-month subscription on Oct 1: $24,000	Revenue $24,000	Revenue $6,000 (3 of 12 months)	-$18,000
Consulting invoice sent Dec 20, paid Jan 15: $10,000	Revenue $0	Revenue $10,000	+$10,000
12-month insurance paid Nov 1: $6,000	Expense $6,000	Expense $1,000 (2 of 12 months)	+$5,000
Contractor work done in December, paid Jan 5: $3,000	Expense $0	Expense $3,000	-$3,000
December cloud usage, paid Jan 10: $2,500	Expense $0	Expense $2,500	-$2,500
Profit for the quarter	$18,000	$9,500	-$8,500

Accountable's profit and loss with Cash, Accrual and Difference columns side by side for Northwind Labs — Reports with the Both switch on, from Accountable's demo books: cash, accrual and the difference in three columns.

The worked example is the one in the accrual vs cash guide, which explains each line.

Investors ask for accrual and your burn is a cash number

Accrual: US GAAP statements are prepared on the accrual basis, which is why investors, lenders and auditors ask for it (see the investor-ready checklist).
Cash: burn and runway depend on when money moves, so Home shows cash, burn and runway on a cash basis.
Tax: the IRS lets many small businesses use the cash method, and your tax method can differ from your books; your CPA decides (IRS Publication 538).

How to see both bases in Accountable

Step 1: Open Reports and choose the Profit and loss or Balance sheet.
Step 2: In the Basis switch, choose Both. The columns show cash, accrual and the difference.
Step 3: Pick Cash or Accrual to give one basis to whoever asks for it, and export the report as PDF, Excel or CSV.

Each company picks a default basis, so a founder with several companies can run them differently. See Accountable and Puzzle for how the two compare.

Questions founders ask

Can I see cash and accrual at the same time?

Yes in Accountable: choose Both in the Basis switch on Reports to see cash, accrual and the difference in one report. Puzzle says it keeps both simultaneously too.

Do I need both cash and accrual books?

Most startups benefit: accrual for investors and your CPA, cash for burn and runway. Your tax method is a separate decision for your CPA.

Which basis do investors want?

Accrual. US GAAP statements are prepared on the accrual basis, so investors, lenders and auditors ask for it.

Is cash and accrual side by side a toggle or two ledgers?

In Accountable it is one set of entries viewed on each basis, so there is nothing to convert or reconcile between two ledgers.

Does this change my tax filing?

No. Your tax accounting method is chosen with your CPA and can differ from your books.

Cash and accrual on one screen

Accountable (accountable.im) shows cash, accrual or both side by side on every statement, from the same entries. Start free for one company.

Start free

Sources, checked October 3, 2026: