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Bad debt in accounting is considered an expense. There are two methods to account for bad debt: Direct write off method (Non-GAAP): a receivable that is not considered collectible is charged directly to the income statement. [5] Allowance method (GAAP): an estimate is made at the end of each fiscal year of the amount of bad debt.
The distinction is that while a write-off is generally completely removed from the balance sheet, a write-down leaves the asset with a lower value. [4] As an example, one of the consequences of the 2007 subprime crisis for financial institutions was a revaluation under mark-to-market rules: "Washington Mutual will write down by $150 million the ...
An increase in the number of bankruptcy cases does not necessarily entail an increase in bad debt write-off rates for the economy as a whole. Bankruptcy statistics are also a trailing indicator. There is a time delay between financial difficulties and bankruptcy.
Good debt is preferable because it builds value, but there are cases where bad debt is the best choice. For instance, using a loan to buy a reliable car to get you to and from work is a good use ...
The second method is the direct write-off method. It is simpler than the allowance method in that it allows for one simple entry to reduce accounts receivable to its net realizable value. The entry would consist of debiting a bad debt expense account and crediting the respective accounts receivable in the sales ledger.
Corporations will often wait until a bad year to employ this 'big bath' technique to 'clean up' the balance sheet. Although the process is discouraged by auditors, it is still used. In recent times, General Motors and other US corporations have taken huge write downs on balance sheet assets resulting in massive losses. The same result can be ...
A chart of accounts (COA) is a list of financial accounts and reference numbers, grouped into categories, such as assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses, and used for recording transactions in the organization's general ledger.
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