BASIS

  1. The difference between the relative price of the futures contract and the spot price of a transferable merchandise for the similar actual that has the shortest period until maturity.

  2. A security's basis is the buy amount after commissions or other expenditures. Also known as "tax basis" or "cost basis".

  3. According to the framework of IRAs, basis is the after-tax balance in the IRA, which started from nondeductible IRA augmentation and rollover of after-tax amounts. Income on these amounts are tax-deferred, same to earnings on provable contributions and movement of pretax amounts.