Following are the practice problems with the related answers

Accounts receivable practice problems

1. The following is information about Solveit Co.

Accounts receivable at 1/1/00 - $500,000 debit
Sales during 2000 (80% are credit sales) 6,000,000
Collections on account during 2000 (including collections on accounts previously written off) -
4,650,000
Allowance for doubtful accounts at 1/1/00 - 60,000 credit
Accounts written off during 2000 - 55,000
Accounts recovered during 2000 - 3,000

a.  Determine the entry to record bad debt expense at 12/31/00 based on the following
independent scenarios
      1. Uncollectible accounts are estimated to be 1.5% of credit sales.
 
  Total sales            6,000,000
  Credit portion            .80
     Credit sales        4,800,000

Bad debt expense = credit sales * rate = $4,800,000 * .015 = $72,000

Entry:

Bad debt expense                72,000
     Allowance for uncollectible accounts            72,000
 
 
      2. Based on an aging of accounts receivable at 12/31/00, an allowance of $85,000 is
considered appropriate.
 
Bad debt expense will equal the amount needed to adjust the allowance to the appropriate balance

Allowance 1/1                         (60,000) credit
write offs                                   55,000  debit
recoveries                                  (3,000) credit
Balance prior to adjustment       (8,000) credit
Balance needed                        (85,000) credit
 Adjustment needed                  (77,000) credit
 

Entry:
 
  Bad debt expense                77,000
     Allowance for uncollectible accounts            77,000

b. Calculate the balance in accounts receivable at 12/31.
 
  Accounts receivable at 1/1                                                                 $500,000
  Credit sales 6,000,000 * .80                                                              4,800,000
  Collections on account                                                                      (4,650,000)
  Accounts written off                                                                               (55,000)
  Accounts reinstated due to subsequent recovery                                        3,000
  Accounts receivable 12/31                                                                  $598,000
 
  2. Determine the bad debt expense for 2000 for Whatisit Co.  based on the following
information:

Allowance for doubtful accounts 1/1 -  $35,000 credit balance
Accounts written off during the year - 50,000
Recoveries during the year - 4,000
Allowance for doubtful accounts 12/31 - $40,000 credit balance
 
 
Allowance 1/1                 ($35,000)
Accounts written off            50,000
Recoveries                          (4,000)
Expense                                        ?
Allowance 12/31             ($40,000)

Expense must be $51,000