The direct write-off method is a simple process, where you would record a journal entry to debit your bad debt account for the bad debt and credit your accounts receivable account for the same amount. The allowance method offers an alternative to the direct write off method of accounting for bad debts. With the allowance method, the business can estimate its bad debt at the end of the financial year. Rather than writing off bad debt as unpaid invoices come in, the amount is tallied up only at the end of the accounting year. The IRS allows bad debts to be written off as a deduction from total taxable income, so it’s important to keep track of these unpaid invoices in one way or another.

• Sometimes people encounter hardships and are unable to meet their payment obligations, in which case they default.
• With this method, accounts receivable is organized into categories by length of time outstanding, and an uncollectible percentage is assigned to each category.
• We used Accounts Receivable in the calculation, which means that the answer would appear on the same statement as Accounts Receivable.
• GAAP requires these larger companies to follow the Matching Principle–matching expenses (or potential expenses) to the same accounting period where the revenue is earned.
• Receivables are classified under current assets if a company expects to collect them within a year or the operating cycle, whichever is longer.

A significant amount of bad debt expenses can change the way potential investors and company executives view the health of a company. The amount of bad debt expense can be estimated using the accounts receivable aging method or the percentage sales method. The allowance method estimates bad debt expense at the end of the fiscal year, setting up a reserve account called allowance for doubtful accounts. Similar to its name, the allowance for doubtful accounts reports a prediction of receivables that are “doubtful” to be paid. However, the direct write-off method must be used for U.S. income tax reporting. Apparently the Internal Revenue Service does not want a company reducing its taxable income by anticipating an estimated amount of bad debts expense (which is what happens when using the allowance method).

Drawbacks of the direct write-off method

When using this accounting method, a business will wait until a debt is deemed unable to be collected before identifying the transaction in the books as bad debt. At this point, the $500 would be considered uncollectible, so Wayne needs to remove it from his accounts receivable account. If he does not write the bad debt off, it will stay as an open receivable item, artificially inflating his accounts receivable balance. This estimate is the amount of expected uncollectible invoices and is reported as a bad debt expense for the year.

• Accounts receivable decreases because there is an assumption that no debt will be collected on the identified customer’s account.
• In the direct method of accounting, bad debt expense is booked when all attempts of recovery have been exhausted and there is no chance of receiving the money.
• For example, if large companies recognize revenue in 2020, and then recognize the bad debts in 2021 or even 2020 when they are identified, those companies are definitely violating the matching principle.
• If the customer paid the bill on September 17, we would reverse the entry from April 7 and then record the payment of the receivable.
• What effect does this have on the balances in each account and the net amount of accounts receivable?

Let’s say in November we discover Our Town Properties went out of business and we decide there is no hope we will collect any of the $2,000 it owes us. In reality, we wouldn’t give up that fast—we’d be attempting to collect for months, Our Town Properties would file for bankruptcy, and there would be a waiting period, etc. But for illustration purposes, let’s how to become an independent contractor just say our customer just packed up and disappeared. In either case, when a specific invoice is actually written off, this is done by creating a credit memo in the accounting software that specifically offsets the targeted invoice. Bad Debt Expense increases (debit), and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts increases (credit) for $22,911.50 ($458,230 × 5%).

When does it make sense to use the direct write-off method?

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is where we store the nameless, faceless uncollectible amount. We know some accounts will go bad, but we do not have a name or face to attach to them. Once an uncollectible account has a name, we can reduce the nameless amount and decrease Accounts Receivable for the specific customer who is not going to pay. The direct write-off method can be a useful option for small businesses infrequently dealing with bad debt or if the uncollectibles are for a small amount. For example, Wayne spends months trying to collect payment on a $500 invoice from one of his customers.

Calculating Bad Debt Under the Allowance Method

The allowance method is the second method of treating the bad debts expense and involves creating a provision or contra account. We also have an expense account now called Bad Debt Expense with a debit balance of $2,000 that will act as an offset of November revenues when we calculate net income. The following table reflects how the relationship would be reflected in the current (short-term) section of the company’s Balance Sheet. The understanding is that the couple will make payments each month toward the principal borrowed, plus interest. Bad debt expense is something that must be recorded and accounted for every time a company prepares its financial statements.

Beginning bookkeepers in particular will appreciate the ease of the direct write-off method, since it only requires a single journal entry. If an old debt is paid, the journal entry can simply be reversed and the payment posted to the customer’s account. As a direct write off method example, imagine that a business submits an invoice for $500 to a client, but months have gone by and the client still hasn’t paid.

It can overstate receivables

The allowance method is the more generally accepted method due to the direct write-off method’s limitations. The matching principle states that any transaction that affects one account needs to affect another account during that same period. Although only publicly held companies must abide by GAAP rules, it is still worth considering the implications of knowingly violating GAAP. Because write-offs frequently occur in a different year than the original transaction, it violates the matching principle; one of 10 GAAP rules.

Balance Sheet Method for Calculating Bad Debt Expenses

So, when assessing the allowance for bad debt, it can be helpful to compare prior estimates for doubtful accounts with actual bad debt write-offs. Each accounting period, the ratio of bad debts expense to actual write-offs should be close to one. If you have several periods in which the ratio is lower than one, it’s a sign that management is low balling the allowance and overvaluing A/R. Conversely, several periods in which the ratio is higher than one may indicate that management has been accumulating an excessive allowance.

By receiving the payment, the company is acknowledging that the debt is actually not a bad debt after all. If you consistently have uncollectible accounts, use the allowance method for writing off bad debt, as it follows GAAP rules while keeping financial statements accurate. Using the allowance method can also help you prepare more accurate financial projections for your business. Write-offs affect both balance sheet and income statement accounts on your financial statement, so it’s important to be accurate when handling bad debt write-offs. While the direct write-off method is the easiest way to eliminate bad debt, it should be used infrequently and with caution.

When a company decides to leave it out, they overstate their assets and they could even overstate their net income. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts had a credit balance of $9,000 on December 31. We used Accounts Receivable in the calculation, which means that the answer would appear on the same statement as Accounts Receivable.

Therefore, we will be using Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Bad Debt Expense. When an account is deemed to be uncollectible, the business must remove the receivable from the books and record an expense. This is considered an expense because bad debt is a cost of doing business. Part of the cost of allowing customers to borrow money, which is essentially what a customer is doing when the business allows the customer time to pay, is the expense related to uncollectible receivables.

As a result, the direct write-off method violates the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Bad debts in business commonly come from credit sales to customers or products sold and services performed that have yet to be paid for. The direct write-off method allows you to write off the exact bad debt, not an estimate, meaning that you don’t have to worry about underestimating or overestimating uncollectible accounts. If Wayne allows this entry to remain on his books, his accounts receivable balance will be overstated by $500, since Wayne knows that it’s not collectible. No matter how carefully and thoroughly you screen your customers or manage your accounts receivable, you will end up with bad debt. Bad debt is the money that a customer or customers owe that you don’t believe you will be able to collect.