Account Receivable

Account Receivable

A debt owed by a business that arises in the normal course of dealings and is not supported by a negotiable instrument.

The charge accounts of a department store are accounts receivable, but income from investments usually is not. Accounts receivable generally arise from sales or service transactions. They are not necessarily due or past due. Insurance may be purchased to protect against the risk of being unable to collect on accounts receivable if records are damaged or lost.

West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.