Question

On February 1, a customer's account balance of $2,700 was deemed to be uncollectible. What entry should be recorded on February 1 to record the write-off assuming the company uses the allowance method? Multiple Choice Debit Bad Debts Expense $2,700; credit Accounts Receivable $2,700. Debit Bad Debts Expense $2,700; credit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts $2,700. Debit Accounts Receivable $2,700; credit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts $2,700. Debit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts $2,700; credit Accounts Receivable $2,700. Debit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts $2,700; credit Bad Debts Expense $2,700.

Answer 1

Answer:

On February 1, a customer's account balance of $2,700 was deemed to be uncollectible.

The entry to be recorded on February 1 to record the write-off assuming the company uses the allowance method is:

Debit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts $2,700; credit Accounts Receivable $2,700.

Explanation:

Using the allowance method, every bad debt entry is first reflected in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts before it is taken to the bad debt expense account.

The entries above reduce the Accounts Receivable account by the amount of the write-off and reduces the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts by the same amount.  Any recovery of written off debt is also treated in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and the Accounts Receivable account in revised order.  This method is unlike the direct write-off method.  With the direct write-off method, the Accounts Receivable is credited with the amount of the write-off and the write-off is expensed in the Bad Debts Expense account directly.