Question

Determining Financial Statement Effects of Write-Offs and Bad Debt Expense Using the Allowance Method

Using the following categories, indicate the effects of the following transactions. Indicate the accounts affected and the amounts. (Enter any decreases to Assets, Liabilities, or Stockholders Equity with a minus sign.)

During the period, customer balances are written off in the amount of $10,000.
At the end of the period, bad debt expense is estimated to be $8,000.

Answer 1

Answer: Please see the analysis below

Explanation: The following are the financial statement effects

                                  Assets Liabilities Stockholders Equity Income Expense

Write-off of $10,000     -           -                   Nil                           Nil         Nil

Bad debt of $8,000     -           +                   -                                -             +

• Write-off of customer balances of $10,000 would lead to reduction in assets and also reduction in liabilities (since the provision for doubtful accounts reports to liabilities but mapped to the accounts receivable to show the net amount). Here, we have assumed that there is an existing allowance for doubtful accounts that has $10,000 buffer or more. If the write-off was not initially provided for, it would hit expense by debiting bad debt expense and crediting the accounts receivable. Its effects are therefore decrease in asset, decrease in liabilities.

• Bad debt expense of $8,000 affects the expense and the liabilities/assets. Journal entries to record the bad debt expense is Debit Bad debt expense $8,000; Credit Allowance for doubtful accounts $8,000. So, it affects the expense, liabilities and ultimately the assets (allowance for doubtful accounts is a contra to the accounts receivable). Its effects are increase in expense, increase in liabilities, decrease in stockholders equity, decrease in income and decrease in assets

Answer 2

Answer:

Assets =Liabilities +  Stockholders Equity

-8000=                                           - 8000

Explanation:

Allowance for Doubtful  Debts $10,000

Bad debt expense $8,000

Assets =Liabilities +  Stockholders Equity

-8000=                                           - 8000

The write off does not affect the realizable value of accounts receivable. Neither total assets nor net income is affected by the write off a specific account.Instead both assets and net income are affected in the period when bad debts expense is predicted and recorded with an adjusting entry.