Direct Write-Off Method

The term write-off may also be used loosely to explain something that reduces taxable income. As such, deductions, credits, and expenses overall may be referred to as write-offs. Financial institutions use write-off accounts when they have exhausted all methods of collection action. Write-offs may be tracked closely with an institution’s loan loss reserves, which is another type of non-cash account that manages expectations for losses on unpaid debts. Loan loss reserves work as a projection for unpaid debts, while write-offs are a final action. Let’s look at what is reported on Coca-Cola’s Form 10-K regarding its accounts receivable.

• The implementation of the bad debt accounting methods may seem a bit fussy implement.
• On the balance sheet, writing off inventory generally involves an expense debit for the value of unusable inventory and a credit to inventory.
• Under the direct write off method, when a small business determines an invoice is uncollectible they can debit the Bad Debts Expense account and credit Accounts Receivable immediately.
• It’s certainly easier for small business owners with no accounting background.
• Accounts Receivable would be debited, and the Bad Debt Expense account would be reduced.
• An accounts receivable account is written off from the financial statements only when considered uncollectible.
• Individuals can also itemize deductions if they exceed the standard deduction level.

Therefore the entire balance in Accounts Receivable will be reported as a current asset on the company’s balance sheet. As a result, the balance sheet is likely to report an amount that is greater than the amount that will actually be collected. It can also result in the Bad Debts Expense being reported on the income statement in the year after the year of the sale. For these reasons, the accounting profession does not allow the direct write-off method for financial reporting.

direct write-off method definition

Under the direct write-off method, bad debts expense is first reported on a company’s income statement when a customer’s account is actually written off. Often this occurs many months after the credit sale was made and is done with an entry that debits Bad Debts Expense and credits Accounts Receivable. This is a distortion that reflects on the revenue financial reports for the accounting period of the original invoice as well as the period of the write off. To keep the revenue of both the time periods accurate, the financial reports should use the allowance method of accounting for bad debts.

This effectively removes the receivable and records the loss Beth incurred from the non-creditworthy customer. Because customers do not always keep their promises to pay, companies must provide for these uncollectible accounts in their records. The direct write-off method recognizes bad accounts as an expense at the point when judged to be uncollectible and is the required method for federal income tax purposes. The allowance method provides in advance for uncollectible accounts think of as setting aside money in a reserve account. The allowance method represents the accrual basis of accounting and is the accepted method to record uncollectible accounts for financial accounting purposes.

Pros & Cons of Direct Write-Off Method

The allowance method adheres to the GAAP and reports estimates of bad debt expenses within the same period as sales. The alternative to the allowance method is the direct write-off method, under which bad debts are only written off when specific receivables cannot be collected. This may not occur until several direct write off method definition months after a sale transaction was completed, so the entire profitability of a sale may not be apparent for some time. The direct write-off method is a less theoretically correct approach to dealing with bad debts, since it does not match revenues with all applicable expenses in a single reporting period.

• The direct write-off method is a less theoretically correct approach to dealing with bad debts, since it does not match revenues with all applicable expenses in a single reporting period.
• Now total revenue isn’t correct in either the period the invoice was recorded or when the bad debt was expensed.
• Thus, the company cannot enter credits in either the Accounts Receivable control account or the customers’ accounts receivable subsidiary ledger accounts.
• When you use the allowance method, you may have correctly estimated the bad debt in the first quarter.
• This implies that the loss is being stacked up on the income statement against the revenue that is unrelated to the project when it is represented as an expense.
• However, it is based on a guess as to which outstanding bills will become bad debts in the long term.

Instead, the corporation should look into other options for booking bad debts, such as appropriation and allowance. Costs and revenue must match throughout the entire accounting period, according to GAAP. The loss, however, may be recognised in a different accounting period than when the original invoice was submitted if you use the direct write-off technique.

Examples of the Direct Write-Off Method

This is why GAAP prohibits financial reporting using the direct write-off approach. When preparing financial statements, the allowance technique must be employed. The historical bad debt experience of a company has been 3% of sales, and the current month’s sales are $1,000,000. Based on this information, the bad debt reserve to be set aside is $30,000 (calculated as $1,000,000 x 3%).

• Thus, GAAP only allows the allowance method while making financial statements.
• Total revenue is now incorrect in both the period in which the invoice was recorded and the period in which the bad debt was expensed.
• This effectively removes the receivable and records the loss Beth incurred from the non-creditworthy customer.
• But, the write off method allows revenue to be expensed whenever a business decides an invoice won’t be paid.
• In the following month, $20,000 of the accounts receivable are written off, leaving $10,000 of the reserve still available for additional write-offs.
• Below are some ways the direct write-off method and allowance method differ from one another.

However, it distorts revenue and outstanding amounts for the invoice’s accounting period, as well as bad debts. 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. With the direct write-off method, there is no contra asset account such as Allowance for Doubtful Accounts.

What Is Wrong with the Direct Write off Method?

The bad debts expense account is debited and the accounts receivable is credited under the direct write-off technique. An unpaid invoice is a credit in the accounts receivable account, as opposed to the customary approach. This is because accounts receivable is an asset that grows in value when debited.

After trying to contact the customer several times, Beth decides that she will never receive her $100 and decides to write off the balance on the account. The Coca-Cola Company (KO), like other U.S. publicly-held companies, files its financial statements in an annual filing called a Form 10-K with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Let’s try and make accounts receivable more relevant or understandable using an actual company.

To keep the business’s books accurate, the direct write-off method debits a bad debt account for the uncollectible amount and credits that same amount to accounts receivable. Unfortunately, not all customers that make purchases on credit will pay companies the money owed. There are two methods companies use to account for uncollectible accounts receivable, the direct write-off method and the allowance method. If you use the direct write off method for this invoice, the revenue for the first quarter would be artificially higher. This skews the actual revenue of the company in these two time periods and causes the related financial reports to be inaccurate. This distortion goes against GAAP principles as the balance sheet will report more revenue than was generated.