The concept of "net realizable value" crops up in two major categories of business bookkeeping: inventories and accounts receivable. Both are classified as current assets, meaning they are assets that a company expects to convert into cash within the next year -- by selling items out of its inventory and by collecting money owed by its customers. Net realizable value, commonly abbreviated NRV, comes into the picture because, under generally accepted accounting principles, businesses must report their inventories at the "lower of cost or market" and their accounts receivable "net of allowance for doubtful accounts." These rules acknowledge the reality that an asset sometimes isn't worth as much as it appears on paper.