Intermediate Accounting: Reporting And Analysis
Intermediate Accounting: Reporting And Analysis
3rd Edition
ISBN: 9781337788281
Author: James M. Wahlen, Jefferson P. Jones, Donald Pagach
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Textbook Question
Chapter 6, Problem 3C

Bad Debt Expense

When a company has a policy of making sales for which credit is extended, it is reasonable to expect a portion of those sales to be uncollectible. As a result, a company must recognize bad debt expense. The two methods of recognizing bad debt expense are the (1) direct write-off method and (2) allowance method.

Required:

  1. 1. Describe fully both the direct write-off method and the allowance method of recognizing bad debt expense.
  2. 2. Explain the reasons why one of these methods is preferable to the other and the reasons why the other method is not usually in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
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If a company uses the allowance method of accounting for bad debts, which one of the following statements is true?a. It violates the matching principle. b. It will record bad debts only when an account is determined to be uncollectible. c. It will reduce the accounts receivable at the end of the accounting period for estimated uncollectible accounts. d. It will report accounts receivable in the balance sheet at their net realizable value.
When a large account receivable balance is due from one client it is logical to use the direct write-off method to adjust the bad debt expense and accounts receivable balance. Under different circumstances, another method is used called the allowance method.    Discuss the best reason(s) for using the allowance method and give some examples of companies that are likely to use that method. Also explain why it would ever be appropriate to use the direct write-off method, especially since it is not GAAP.
When a large account receivable balance is due from one client it is logical to use the direct write-off method to adjust the bad debt expense and accounts receivable balance. Under different circumstances, another method is used called the allowance method. Discuss the best reason(s) for using the allowance method and give some examples of companies that are likely to use that method. Also explain why it would ever be appropriate to use the direct write-off method, especially since it is not GAA

Chapter 6 Solutions

Intermediate Accounting: Reporting And Analysis

Ch. 6 - Discuss the differences between the allowance...Ch. 6 - Prob. 12GICh. 6 - Prob. 13GICh. 6 - What method of bad debt estimation categorizes...Ch. 6 - Why does the write-off of uncollectible accounts...Ch. 6 - Discuss the difference between a secured borrowing...Ch. 6 - When does a company record the transfer of...Ch. 6 - Prob. 18GICh. 6 - What is a non-interest-bearing note? How does...Ch. 6 - Prob. 20GICh. 6 - How are the cash proceeds determined when a note...Ch. 6 - Under IFRS, what criteria must be satisfied in...Ch. 6 - Prob. 23GICh. 6 - (Appendix 6. 1) What is the purpose of a petty...Ch. 6 - (Appendix 6. 7) Why are actual expenses, rather...Ch. 6 - Prob. 26GICh. 6 - Prob. 27GICh. 6 - Prob. 1MCCh. 6 - Greenfield Company had the following cash balances...Ch. 6 - A company is in its first year of operations and...Ch. 6 - Marmol Corporation uses the allowance method for...Ch. 6 - On January 1, 2019, King Companys Allowance for...Ch. 6 - Prior to adjustments, Barrett Companys account...Ch. 6 - A method of estimating bad debts that focuses on...Ch. 6 - When the accounts receivable of a company are sold...Ch. 6 - Prob. 9MCCh. 6 - Prob. 10MCCh. 6 - Prob. 11MCCh. 6 - On December 31, Harrison Company reports the...Ch. 6 - Lindley Enterprises sells hand woven rugs. Paige...Ch. 6 - Long Corporation is a fabric manufacturing...Ch. 6 - Refer to RE6-3. Assume Long records accounts...Ch. 6 - Longmire Sons nude sales un credit to Alderman...Ch. 6 - Refer to RE6-5. Assume Longmire uses a perpetual...Ch. 6 - McKinney Co. estimates its uncollectible accounts...Ch. 6 - Refer to RE6-7. At the end of the first quarter of...Ch. 6 - Refer to RE6-8. On April 23, 2020, McKinncy Co....Ch. 6 - On December 1 of the current year, Jordan Inc....Ch. 6 - On December 1 of the current year, Jordan Inc....Ch. 6 - On December 1, Newton Enterprises sells 100,000 of...Ch. 6 - Kaseys Cake Shop made 20,000 in sales of wedding...Ch. 6 - On June 1, Phillips Corporation sold, with...Ch. 6 - Prob. 15RECh. 6 - Prob. 16RECh. 6 - Computing; the Cash Balance Listed below are ten...Ch. 6 - Prob. 2ECh. 6 - Journal Entry to Separate Receivables An...Ch. 6 - Prob. 4ECh. 6 - Prob. 5ECh. 6 - Prob. 6ECh. 6 - Accounts Receivable Calculations The following...Ch. 6 - Estimation versus Direct Write-Off of Bad Debts...Ch. 6 - Estimating Bad Debts from Receivables Balances The...Ch. 6 - Aging Analysis of Accounts Receivable Cowens, a...Ch. 6 - Comparison of Bad Debt Estimation Methods Bradford...Ch. 6 - Inferring Accounts Receivable Amounts At the end...Ch. 6 - ReceivablesBad Debts At January 1, 2019, the...Ch. 6 - Transferring Accounts Receivable White Corporation...Ch. 6 - Transfer of Accounts Receivable Inder Corporation...Ch. 6 - Generating Cash from Receivables Guide Company...Ch. 6 - Interest-Bearing and Non-Interest-Bearing Notes On...Ch. 6 - Computing the Proceeds from the Sale of Notes...Ch. 6 - Recording the Sale of Notes Receivable Singer...Ch. 6 - Prob. 20ECh. 6 - Prob. 21ECh. 6 - Prob. 22ECh. 6 - Prob. 23ECh. 6 - Prob. 24ECh. 6 - Prob. 1PCh. 6 - Prob. 2PCh. 6 - Estimating Bad Debts Keegan Corporations...Ch. 6 - Allowance for Bad Accounts Installment Jewelry...Ch. 6 - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts From inception of...Ch. 6 - Prob. 6PCh. 6 - Aging Accounts Receivable On September 30. 2019...Ch. 6 - Prob. 8PCh. 6 - Prob. 9PCh. 6 - Prob. 10PCh. 6 - Factoring and Assignment of Accounts Receivable...Ch. 6 - Recording Note Transactions The following...Ch. 6 - Notes Receivable Transactions The following notes...Ch. 6 - Analyzing Accounts Receivable Upham Companys June...Ch. 6 - Comprehensive Receivables Problem Blackmon...Ch. 6 - Prob. 16PCh. 6 - Unknown Book Balance (Appendix 6.1) The following...Ch. 6 - Prob. 18PCh. 6 - Prob. 19PCh. 6 - Prob. 1CCh. 6 - Prob. 2CCh. 6 - Bad Debt Expense When a company has a policy of...Ch. 6 - Prob. 4CCh. 6 - Receivables Issues Magrath Company has an...Ch. 6 - Components of Cash Cash is an important asset of a...Ch. 6 - Prob. 7CCh. 6 - Transfer of Accounts and Notes Receivable Tidal...Ch. 6 - Ethics and Sales Returns At the end of 2019, the...Ch. 6 - Analyzing Starbuckss Cash and Receivables...Ch. 6 - Researching GAAP Situation Hamilton Company...
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  • Which method delays recognition of bad debt until the specific customer accounts receivable is identified? A. income statement method B. balance sheet method C. direct write-off method D. allowance method
    Shimmer Products is considering which bad debt estimation method works best for its company. It is deciding between the income statement method, balance sheet method of receivables, and balance sheet aging of receivables method. If it uses the income statement method, bad debt would be estimated at 5.6% of credit sales. If it were to use the balance sheet method, it would estimate bad debt at 13.7% percent of accounts receivable. If it were to use the balance sheet aging of receivables method, it would split its receivables into three categories: 0–30 days past due at 5%, 31–90 days past due at 21%, and over 90 days past due at 30%. There is currently a zero balance, transferred from the prior years Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. The following information is available from the year-end income statement and balance sheet. There is also additional information regarding the distribution of accounts receivable by age. Prepare the year-end adjusting entry for bad debt, using A. Income statement method B. Balance sheet method of receivables C. Balance sheet aging of receivables method D. Which method should the company choose, and why?
    Organics Plus is considering which bad debt estimation method works best for its company. It is deciding between the income statement method, balance sheet method of receivables, and balance sheet aging of receivables method. If it uses the income statement method, bad debt would be estimated at 4% of credit sales. If it were to use the balance sheet method, it would estimate bad debt at 12% of accounts receivable. If it were to use the balance sheet aging of receivables method, it would split its receivables into three categories: 0–30 days past due at 6%, 31–90 days past due at 19%, and over 90 days past due at 26%. There is currently a zero balance, transferred from the prior years Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. The following information is available from the year-end income statement and balance sheet. There is also additional information regarding the distribution of accounts receivable by age. Prepare the year-end adjusting entry for bad debt, using A. Income statement method B. Balance sheet method of receivables C. Balance sheet aging of receivables method. D. Which method should the company choose, and why?
  • A disadvantage of basing bad debt expense on the historical relationship between actual bad debts and the outstanding accounts receivable balance at the end of the year is that A it is not a generally accepted accounting procedure. B it is an income statement approach. C it may not recognize the cause and effect relationship between expenses and revenues. D it may not result in a reasonable estimate of the net realizable value of receivables.
    (Bad-Debt Accounting) Simms Company has significant amounts of trade accounts receivable. Simms uses the allowance method to estimate bad debts instead of the direct write-off method. During the year, some specific accounts were written off as uncollectible, and some that were previously written off as uncollectible were collected.Instructions(a) What are the deficiencies of the direct write-off method?(b) Briefly describe the allowance method to estimate bad debts and the theoretical justification for its use?(c) How should Simms account for the collection of the specific accounts previously written off as uncollectible?
    eceivables arise due to a deferred sale, and companies are often unable to collect all their debts, which means that part of those debts may become non-existent or there is doubt about the possibility of collection. 1- What is the difference between bad debts and doubtful debts?   2- Draft an example (supported by numbers) to explain the method of doubtful debts in dealing with bad debts, provided that the explanation includes accounting restrictions and the impact on the financial statements?   3- Explain why the use of the direct method (bad debt method) conflicts with generally accepted accounting principles?   4- One of the methods for estimating doubtful debts is the deferred sales method, the receivables balance method, and the receivables aging method. Required: Formulate an example (enhanced by numbers) to explain the method of aging receivables in estimating doubtful debts, taking into account the following: (1) the number of clients should be 10 clients, (2) the percentages…
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