ghost asset

A ghost asset is a fixed asset in a general ledger (GL) that cannot be accounted for because it is physically missing or otherwise rendered unusable.  

To identify and eliminate ghost assets effectively, a company must physically inventory fixed assets on a regular schedule. Asset management software can also be helpful because the software can automatically depreciate specific assets according to schedule and remove assets from the GL that have reached end-of-life. 

See also:  digital asset management, enterprise asset management