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Chapter 8: 19RQ (page 465)

In accounting for bad debts, how do the income statement approach and the balance sheet approach differ?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Income statement approach

Balance sheet approach

The percent-of-sales method is the Income Statement approach.

Percent-of-receivable and Ageing of receivable are the methods for the Balance sheet approach.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Bad Debt Expenses

A business entity’s expenses for reporting the accounts receivables that are uncollectible are known as bad debt expenses. Such expenses are deducted from the receivables.

02

Difference between Income statement approach and balance sheet approach

Income statement approach: The business entity using the income statement approach will determine the bad debt expenses using the percentage of sales method. Under this method, a specified percentage of credit sales will be defined as bad debt expenses.

Balance sheet approach:The business entity using the balance sheet approach can determine the bad debt expenses using two methods:

  1. Percentage of receivables method: Under this method, the business entity determines the targeted balance by taking the product of the ending balance of receivables and the estimated percentage. In the second step, the targeted balance is adjusted against the credit and debit balance of the allowance for bad debts.
  2. Aging of receivables method: Under this method, the business entity uses each account’s age to determine the targeted balance. After determining the targeted balance, it is adjusted with the balance present in the allowance for bad debts accounts to calculate bad debt expenses.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Dialex Watches completed the following selected transactions during 2018 and 2019:

2018

Dec. 31 Estimated that bad debts expense for the year was 3% of credit sales of

\(410,000 and recorded that amount as expense. The company uses the

allowance method.

31 Made the closing entry for bad debts expense.

2019

Jan. 17 Sold merchandise inventory to Marty White, \)400, on account. Ignore Cost of

Goods Sold.

Jun. 29 Wrote off Marty White’s account as uncollectible after repeated efforts to

collect from him.

Aug. 6 Received \(400 from Marty White, along with a letter apologizing for being

so late. Reinstated White’s account in full and recorded the cash receipt.

Dec. 31 Made a compound entry to write off the following accounts as uncollectible:

Barry Krisp, \)1,600; Maria Bryant, \(1,100; and Richard Renik, \)400.

31 Estimated that bad debts expense for the year was 3% on credit sales of

\(490,000 and recorded the expense.

31 Made the closing entry for bad debts expense.

Requirements

1.Open T-accounts for Allowance for Bad Debts and Bad Debts Expense, assuming

the accounts begin with a zero balance. Record the transactions in the general

journal (omit explanations), and post to the two T-accounts.

2.Assume the December 31, 2019, balance of Accounts Receivable is \)136,000. Show

how net accounts receivable would be reported on the balance sheet at that date.

Accounting for uncollectible accounts using the allowance method

(aging-of-receivables) and reporting receivables on the balance sheet

At September 30, 2018, the accounts of Spring Mountain Medical Center (SMMC)

include the following:

During the last quarter of 2018, SMMC completed the following selected transactions:

• Sales on account, \(475,000. Ignore Cost of Goods Sold.

• Collections on account, \)451,800.

• Wrote off accounts receivable as uncollectible: Randall, Co., \(1,800; Oliver Welch,

\)900; and Rain, Inc., \(500

• Recorded bad debts expense based on the aging of accounts receivable, as follows:

Age of Accounts

1–30 Days 31–60

Days

61–90

Days

Over 90

Days

Accounts Receivable \) 97,000 \( 37,000 \) 17,000 $ 14,000

Estimated percent uncollectible 0.3% 3% 30% 35%

Requirements

1. Open T-accounts for Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Bad Debts.

Journalize the transactions (omit explanations) and post to the two accounts.

2. Show how Spring Mountain Medical Center should report net accounts receivable

on its December 31, 2018, balance sheet.

Accounting for uncollectible accounts using the allowance method

This problem continues the Canyon Canoe Company situation from Chapter 7.

Canyon Canoe Company has experienced rapid growth in its first few months of operations and has had a significant increase in customers renting canoes and purchasing T-shirts. Many of these customers are asking for credit terms. Amber and Zack Wilson, stockholders and company managers, have decided it is time to review their business transactions and update some of their business practices. Their first step is to make decisions about handling accounts receivable.

So far, year-to-date credit sales have been \(15,500. A review of outstanding

receivables resulted in the following aging schedule:


Age of Accounts as of June 30, 2019

Customer name

1-30 days

31-60 days

61-90 days

Over 90 days

Total balance

Canyon

\)250

\(250

Crazy trees

\)200

\(150

\)350

Early start Daycare

\(500

Lakefront Pavilion

\)575

\(500

\)575

Outdoor Center

\(300

\)300

Rivers Canoe Club

\(350

\)350

Sport Shirts

\(450

\)120

\(570

Zack’s Marina

\)75

\(75

\)225

Totals

\(1,900

\)345

\(375

\)500

$3,120

Requirements

1. The company wants to use the allowance method to estimate bad debts. Determine the estimated bad debts expense under the following methods at June 30, 2019. Assume a zero-beginning balance for Allowance for Bad Debts. Round to the nearest dollar.

a. Percent-of-sales method, assuming 4.5% of credit sales will not be collected.

b. Percent-of-receivables method, assuming 22.5% of receivables will not be

collected.

c. Aging-of-receivables method, assuming 5% of invoices 1–30 days will not be

collected, 20% of invoices 31–60 days, 40% of invoices 61–90 days, and 75% of

invoices over 90 days.

2. Journalize the entry at June 30, 2019, to adjust for bad debts expense using the percent-of-sales method.

3. Journalize the entry at June 30, 2019, to record the write-off of the Early Start Daycare invoice.

4. At June 30, 2019, open T-accounts for Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Bad Debts before Requirements 2 and 3. Post entries from Requirements 2 and 3 to those accounts. Assume a zero beginning balance for Allowance for Bad Debts.

5. Show how Canyon Canoe Company will report net accounts receivable on the balance sheet on June 30, 2019.

Question: Endurance Running Shoes reports the following:

2018

May 6

Recorded credit sales of \(102,000. Ignore Cost of Goods Sold.

Jul. 1

Loaned \)18,000 to Jerry Paul, an executive with the company, on a one-year, 7% note

Dec. 31

Accrued interest revenue on the Paul note

2019

Jul. 1

Collected the maturity value of the Paul note


Journalize all entries required for Endurance Running Shoes.

How does the percent-of-sales method compute bad debts expense?
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