there is a difference between doubtful and bad debts,doubtful is future happening that means a provision type it gives an intimation for the finance department of the company to create some provision for such debtors that they r going to be treated as bad debts,where as bad debts means they r being conformed as non recovery after the situations like closure of business r dissolution of the firm takes place r insolvency petition might have been taken place after proper steps regarding recovery have been taken place they will be treated as "bed debts"
Bad debts DR Allowance for doubtful debt CR Some accounting practioners may use provison for doubtful debts instead of allowance for doubtful debts. Example of bad debts, suppose a customer was unable to pay their debts totalling $150. This will be the journal entry for the transaction: Bad debts 150 Allowance for doubtful debts 150
The prudence concept assumes that the worst can happen and tries to account for it in the accounts. The provision for doubtful debts is an estimated percentage of debtors that are not expected to pay during the year. All the debtors may pay up during the year, meaning that the provision for doubtful debts was unnecessary, but it still lets the companies account for any possible bad debts during the year.
If it is a doubtful bad debt the provision to be made. It is helpful to the firm to face the debitor if turns into a bad debt in future, in addition to that, the liquidity position will increase.
The Allowance for bad debts will go the on the debit side of the Balance Sheet. If total debtors are 20000 and 5% is allowed as allowance for bad debts then 19000 will be shown as debtors and 1000 will be shown as allowance for bad debts in the debit side of the Balance Sheet. When the bad debts actually occur for e.g. if next year bad debts of 500 actually turn out, then the allowance will be reduced by Rs. 500 and the bad debts will be shown in the Dr. Side of Profit and Loss Account.
Accounts that are unlikely to be paid and are treated as loss is considered as bad debt.Provision for Bad Debts can also be the income statement accountalso known as Bad Debt Expense or Noncollectable Account Expense. In this situation, the Provision for Bad Debts reports the credit losses that refer to the period shown on the income statement.
Bad debts is a sure loss, irrecoverable on a given date and is written off from the trade debtors. an over aged debtors usually turn out to be bad debtors. provision for doubtful debts is created based on estimation that the certain percentage of debtors may turn out to be doubtful debts. a percentage is worked out based on the debtor's collection period and general economic environment.
Bad debts DR Allowance for doubtful debt CR Some accounting practioners may use provison for doubtful debts instead of allowance for doubtful debts. Example of bad debts, suppose a customer was unable to pay their debts totalling $150. This will be the journal entry for the transaction: Bad debts 150 Allowance for doubtful debts 150
Provison for doubtful debts, under liabiliity, will be created by debiting bad debts account.
Bad and doubtful debts decrease the amounts of profits that a commercial bank in Nigeria can make. Because the banks cannot collect these debts, they make significant losses.
Provision for bad and doubtful debt is not go to profit and loss account, and it is go to balance sheet.
The prudence concept assumes that the worst can happen and tries to account for it in the accounts. The provision for doubtful debts is an estimated percentage of debtors that are not expected to pay during the year. All the debtors may pay up during the year, meaning that the provision for doubtful debts was unnecessary, but it still lets the companies account for any possible bad debts during the year.
when there is decrease in provision of doubtful debts the double entry to record it would be ; debit : provision credit: expense /bad debts
The provision for doubtful debts is also known as the provision for bad debts and the allowance for doubtful accounts.The provision for doubtful debts is identical to the allowance for doubtful accounts. The provision is the estimated amount of bad debt that will arise from accounts receivable that have not yet been collected. The provision is used under accrual basis accounting, so that an expense is recognized for probable bad debts as soon as invoices are issued to customers, rather than waiting several months to find out exactly which invoices turned out to be bad debts. Thus, the net impact of the provision is to accelerate the recognition of bad debts.You typically estimate the amount of bad debt based on historical experience, and charge this amount to expense with a debit to the bad debt expense account (which appears in the income statement) and a credit in the provision for doubtful debts account (which appears in the balance sheet). You should make this entry in the same period when you bill the customer, so thatrevenues are matched with all applicable expenses (as per the matching principle).The provision for doubtful debts is an accounts receivable contra account, so it should always have a credit balance, and is listed in the balance sheet directly below the accounts receivable line item.Later, when you identify a specific customer invoice that is not going to be paid, you eliminate it against the provision for doubtful debts. This can be done with a journal entry that debits the provision for doubtful debts and credits the accounts receivable account; this merely nets out two accounts within the balance sheet, and has no impact on the income statement. If you are using accounting software, you would create a credit memo in the amount of the unpaid invoice, which creates the same journal entry for you.
A bad debt is the actual amount of your accounts receivable that are not able to be received due to that person going bankrupt or similiar. Doubtful debts is not the actual amount but rather the estimated amount of accounts receivable that is likely to bad debt for the period.Doubtful debts are required because it is obvious that you will not be able to receive all the receivables. A certain percentage of sales is used to determine this such as 5% of sales may not be attained. The actual amount not received will vary from this percentage. Usually it is lower. The actual amount such as 3% will be then be stated as bad debts for the period.
Bad debt expense account is the actual expense account for bad debts while allowance for doubtful account is the provision for account in case of any bad debts occurs in future.
If it is a doubtful bad debt the provision to be made. It is helpful to the firm to face the debitor if turns into a bad debt in future, in addition to that, the liquidity position will increase.
The double entry for recording provision for doubtful debt is: Dr. Doubtful Debts (P&L expense a/c) xxx Cr. Provision for Doubtful debt xxx Once it is certain that the debt has gone bad debt; following entry is made: Dr. Provision for Doubtful debt xxx Cr. Loan / Portfolio xxx