A company had a 1/1/14 balance in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts of $20,000. During 2014, it wrote off $14,400 of accounts and collected $4,200 on accounts previously written off. The balance in Accounts Receivable was $400,000 at 1/1 and $480,000 at 12/31. At 12/31/14, management estimates that 5% of accounts receivable will prove to be uncollectible. In T-account format, prepare the adjusting entry to recognize bad debt expense for 2014. Solution Bad debt expense excess recognised in 2014: = $480,000×5%-($20,000+$14,400-$4,200) = $6,200DateParticularsDebit $Credit $Allowance for doubtful accounts$ 6,200Bad debt expense$ 6,200(To reverse excess expense recognised during the year).

1. A company had a 1/1/14 balance in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts of $20,000. During
2014, it wrote off $14,400 of accounts and collected $4,200 on accounts previously written off.
The balance in Accounts Receivable was $400,000 at 1/1 and $480,000 at 12/31. At 12/31/14,
management estimates that 5% of accounts receivable will prove to be uncollectible.
In T-account format, prepare the adjusting entry to recognize bad debt expense for 2014.
Solution
Bad debt expense excess recognised in 2014:
= $480,000×5%-($20,000+$14,400-$4,200)
= $6,200DateParticularsDebit $Credit $Allowance for doubtful accounts$ 6,200Bad debt
expense$ 6,200(To reverse excess expense recognised during the year)