Question

Johnson Company uses the allowance method to account for uncollectible accounts receivable. Bad debt expense is established as a percentage of credit sales. For 2013, net credit sales totaled $4,500,000, and the estimated bad debt percentage is 1.5%. The allowance for uncollectible accounts had a credit balance of $42,000 at the beginning of 2013 and $40,000, after adjusting entries, at the end of 2013.
Required:
1. What is bad debt expense for 2013?
2. Determine the amount of accounts receivable written off during 2013.
3. If the company uses the direct write-off method, what would bad debt expense be for 2013?

Answer 1

Answer:

1. The Bad debt expense for 2013 is $67,500

2. The amount of accounts receivable written off during 2013 is $69,500

3. If the company uses the direct write-off method, the bad debt expense for 2013 would be $69,500

Explanation:

1.  In order toCalculate the bad debt expense for 2013 we would have to make the following calculation:

Bad debt expense=1.5% of Net Credit Sales

=1.5%×$4,500,000

=$67,500

The Bad debt expense for 2013 is $67,500

2. In order to Determine the amount of accounts receivable written off during 2013 we would have to make the following calculation:

amount of accounts receivable written off=$42,000+$67,500-$40,000

amount of accounts receivable written off=$69,500

The amount of accounts receivable written off during 2013 is $69,500

3. Using direct write off method, the bad debt expense is recognized only when the actual bad debt is incurred. The actual bad expense would be the amount of accounts receivable written off during the year. Accounts receivable written off during the year would be same in both the methods.

Thus, the bad debt expense for the year 2013 would be $69,500.