A proper understanding of phosphorous (P) sorption-desorption property in acidic soils is very important for P fertilizer management practices. Soil acidity can be ameliorated with application of lime while phosphate fertilizer often applied to raise concentrations of available soil P to an adequate level. High levels of exchangeable Al3+ and clay minerals such as kaolinite, gibbsite and goethite are responsible for P sorption in tropical acid soils. Especially acid soils with a pH < 5.0, Al minerals hydrolyze to form octahedron hexahydrate (Al3+) and mononuclear hydroxides (Al(OH)2+ and Al(OH)2+) which are responsible for P sorption. Phosphate desorption in a soil can be enhanced by increasing the negative charge on the surface of soil particles either by raising the solution pH or by introducing a competitive anion. Raising pH through liming is an effective and dominant practice. According to this review, liming acid soil increases pH level but its influence on increasing P bioavailability with decreasing sorption and increasing desorption of P is still controversial especially on high exchangeable Al3+ acidic soils. When the soil exchangeable Al3+ is initially high, the formation of amorphous hydroxyl Al with highly active sorbing surfaces may exceed any decrease in the sorption capacity of the original sorbing surfaces, resulting in increasing P sorption as pH increases. This indicated that liming with the aim of increasing available soil P without application of P fertilizer should, therefore, be treated with caution as it may not always produce the desired effect.