1. Accounting for Receivables
Intermediate Accounting I
Chapter 7

2. Measuring and Reporting Accounts Receivable
Recognition
Depends on the earnings process; for most credit sales, revenue and the related receivables are recognized at the point of delivery.
Initial valuation
Initially recorded at the exchange price agreed upon by the buyer and seller.
Subsequent valuation
Initial valuation reduced to net realizable value by:
1. Allowance for sales returns
2. Allowance for uncollectible accounts:
- The income statement approach
- The balance sheet approach
Classification
Almost always classified as a current asset.

3. CASH DISCOUNTS
Cash discounts reduce the amount to be paid if remittance is made within a specified short period of time.
Gross method – records the sale at the gross price (no discount) and the discount is taken only if the receivable is paid within the discount period.
Net method – records the sale at the net price (taking out the discount). If the receivable is paid within the discount period, no additional adjustments are required. If the customer does not pay the bill within the discount period, the difference in the amount received and the amount paid is considered interest revenue. 

4. CASH DISCOUNTS – Example 1
Gross Method
The Hawthorne Manufacturing Company offers credit customers a 2% cash discount if the sales price is paid within 10 days. Any amounts not paid within 10 days are due in 30 days. These repayment terms are stated as 2/10, n/30.
On October 5, 2013, Hawthorne sold merchandise at a price of $20,000. The customer paid $13,720 ($14,000 less the 2% cash discount) on October 14 and the remaining balance of $6,000 on November 4.
Draft the appropriate journal entries to record the sale and cash collection, using the gross method.
October 5, 2013
Accounts Receivable
20,000
Sales
October 14, 2013
Cash
13,720
Sales Discounts (14,000 X .02)
280
Accounts Receivable
14,000
November 4, 2013
Cash
6,000
Accounts Receivable

5. CASH DISCOUNTS – Example 2
Net Method
The Hawthorne Manufacturing Company offers credit customers a 2% cash discount if the sales price is paid within 10 days. Any amounts not paid within 10 days are due in 30 days. These repayment terms are stated as 2/10, n/30.
On October 5, 2013, Hawthorne sold merchandise at a price of $20,000. The customer paid $13,720 ($14,000 less the 2% cash discount) on October 14 and the remaining balance of $6,000 on November 4.
Draft the appropriate journal entries to record the sale and cash collection, using the net method.
October 5, 2013
Accounts Receivable (20,000 – 400*)
19,600
Sales
October 14, 2013
Cash
13,720
Accounts Receivable
November 4, 2013
Cash
6,000
Accounts Receivable
5,880
Interest Revenue
120

6. VALUING ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
Accounts Receivable should be reported on the balance sheet under Current Assets at their net realizable value.
Possible returns and customer nonpayment could cause subsequent accounts receivable to be less than initial valuation.

7. UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNTS
Uncollectible accounts (or bad debts) must be accounted for in companies who offer credit.
Two methods exist for accounting for uncollectible accounts:
Direct Write-off Method
Allowance Method
Income Statement Approach (estimate is a percentage of sales)
Balance Sheet Approach (estimate is a percentage of accounts receivable adjusted for previous estimates)
If the estimate for bad debts is material, the allowance method should be used. The allowance method adheres to the Matching Principle by attempting to estimate future bad debts and match them with the related sales revenue in the current accounting period.

8. UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNTS: Allowance Method – Income Statement Approach
The Hawthorne Manufacturing Company sells its products offering 30 days credit to its customers. During 2013, its first year of operations, the following events occurred:
Sales on credit $1,200,000
Cash collections from credit customers ,000
Accounts receivable, end of year $ ,000
Assume an aging of accounts receivable revealed a required allowance of $25,500, and the allowance account prior to the adjusting entry was a credit balance of $4,000:
Prepare the journal entry to record the adjustment for uncollectible accounts using the Income Statement Approach.
Bad debt expense
24,000
Allowance for uncollectible accounts
(2% x $1,200,000)

9. UNCOLLECTIBLE ACCOUNTS: Allowance Method – Balance Sheet Approach
The Hawthorne Manufacturing Company sells its products offering 30 days credit to its customers. During 2013, its first year of operations, the following events occurred: 
Sales on credit $1,200,000
Cash collections from credit customers ,000
Accounts receivable, end of year $ ,000
Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts $4,000 (credit)
Assume that 8% of ending accounts receivable are estimated to be uncollectible.
Prepare the journal entry to record the adjustment for uncollectible accounts.
Bad debt expense
20,400
Allowance for uncollectible accounts
Calculation:
Desired Balance: $305,000 X .08 = $24,400
Desired Balance $24,400
Less: Credit balance in Allowance account (4,000)
Amount of Adjustment $20,400

10. Balance Sheet Presentation
Allowance for uncollectible accounts is a contra account (valuation account) to accounts receivable. In the 2013 balance sheet in the current asset section, accounts receivable would be reported net of the allowance, as follows:
Accounts receivable $305,000
Less: Allowance for uncollectible accounts (24,000)
Net accounts receivable $281,000

11. SALES RETURNS
Return of merchandise by a customer is recorded by debiting Sales Returns & Allowances (a contra-revenue account) and crediting Accounts receivable (to reduce the amount owed by the customer.) The returned merchandise must also be accounted for by debiting Inventory and crediting Cost of Goods Sold.
If material, sales returns should be anticipated by subtracting an allowance for estimated returns from accounts receivable. The adjustment for sales returns is reduced by the actual returns made during the fiscal year.

12. SALES RETURNS Example – Part 1
During 2013, its first year of operations, the Hawthorne Manufacturing Company sold merchandise on account for $2,000,000. This merchandise cost $1,200,000 (60% of the selling price). Customers returned $130,000 in sales during 2013, prior to making payment.
Draft the entries to record sales and merchandise returned during the year, assuming that a perpetual inventory system is used.
Sales
Accounts Receivable
2,000,000
Cost of Goods Sold ($2,000,000 X 60%)
1,200,000
Inventory
Returns
Sales returns (actual returns)
130,000
Inventory ($130,000 X 60%)
78,000
Cost of Goods Sold

13. SALES RETURNS Example – Part 2
Hawthorne Manufacturing Company estimates that 10% of all sales will be returned.
Assuming this is a material amount, draft the entries to record the adjustment at the end of the fiscal period.
Sales Returns ([$2,000,000 X 10%]-$130,000
70,000
Allowance for Sales Returns
Inventory-Estimated Returns
42,000
Cost of Goods Sold ($70,000 X 60%)

14. WHEN ACCOUNTS ARE DEEMED UNCOLLECTIBLE
The actual write-off of a receivable using the allowance method is recorded as a debit to the allowance account and a credit to accounts receivable.
Assume that actual bad debts in 2014 were $25,000. Draft the journal entry to record the write-off.

15. Allowance for uncollectible accounts 25,000 Accounts receivable 25,000
Allowance for uncollectible accounts 25,000
Accounts receivable ,000
Net realizable value is not directly affected by the write-offs.
Accounts receivable $280,000
Less: Allowance for uncollectible accounts (500)
Net accounts receivable $279,500

16. When Previously Written-off Accounts Are Collected
Assume a $1,200 account that was previously written off is collected. The following journal entries record the event:
Accounts receivable 1,200
Allowance for uncollectible accounts 1,200
Cash 1,200
Accounts receivable 1,200

17. INTEREST-BEARING NOTES RECEIVABLE
Notes Receivable are formal credit arrangements between a creditor and a debtor. Notes can be issued for cash, merchandise, or other assets.
Payment of the face amount of the note, or principal, is due at a specified maturity date.
INTEREST-BEARING NOTES RECEIVABLE
The typical Note Receivable is an interest-bearing note. Interest is calculated on the face amount of the note based on a stated interest rate.

18. INTEREST-BEARING NOTES RECEIVABLE
The Stridewell Wholesale Shoe Company manufactures athletic shoes that it sells to retailers. On May 1, 2013, the company sold shoes to Harmon Sporting Goods. Stridewell agreed to accept a $700,000, 6-month, 12% note in payment for the shoes. Interest is payable at maturity. Stridewell would account for the note as follows:
To record the sale of goods in exchange for a note receivable.
May 1, 2013
Notes receivable 700,000
Sales revenue 700,000
To record the collection of the note at maturity.
November 1, 2013
Cash ($700, ,000) 742,000
Interest revenue ($700,000 x 12% x 6/12) 42,000
Notes receivable ,000

19. Interest revenue ($700,000 x 12% x 5/12) 35,000
If the sale in the above illustration occurs on August 1, 2013, and the company's fiscal year-end is December 31, a year-end adjusting entry accrues interest earned.
December 31, 2013
Interest receivable 35,000
Interest revenue ($700,000 x 12% x 5/12) 35,000
The February 1 collection is then recorded as follows:
February 1, 2014
Cash [$700,000 + ($700,000 x 12% x 6/12)] 742,000
Interest revenue ($700,000 x 12% x 1/12) 7,000
Interest receivable (accrued at December 31) 35,000
Note receivable 700,000

20. NONINTEREST-BEARING NOTES
Sometimes a receivable assumes the form of a so-called noninterest-bearing note.
Noninterest-bearing notes actually do bear interest, but the interest is deducted at the onset (or discounted) from the face amount to determine the cash proceeds made available to the borrower.
When interest is discounted from the face amount of a note, the effective interest rate is higher than the stated discount rate.
Similar to accounts receivable, if a company anticipates bad debts on short-term notes receivable, it uses an allowance account to reduce the receivable to net realizable value.
The Discount on Note Receivable account is contra to the Note Receivable account.

21. NONINTEREST-BEARING NOTES
The preceding note could be packaged as a $700,000 noninterest-bearing note, with a 12% discount rate.
May 1, 2013
Note receivable (face amount) 700,000 Discount on note receivable ($700,000 x 12% x 6/12) 42,000 Sales revenue (difference) ,000 November 1, 2013
Discount on note receivable 42,000 Interest revenue ,000 Cash 700,000 Note receivable (face amount) ,000

22. CALCULATING THE EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATE
When interest is discounted from the face amount of a note, the effective interest rate is higher than the stated discount rate.
Annual Interest at Stated Rate/Sales Price = Effective Annual Interest Rate
$84,000*/$658,000 =
Stated as a percent rounded to two decimal places = %
* $700,000 X .12 = $84,000

23. ACCRUAL OF INTEREST
If the sale occurs on August 1, the December 31, 2013, adjusting entry and the entry to record the cash collection on February 1, 2014, are recorded as follows:
December 31, 2013
Discount on note receivable 35,000 Interest revenue ($700,000 x 12% x 5/12) 35,000 February 1, 2014
Discount on note receivable 7,000 Interest revenue ($700,000 x 12% x 1/12) 7,000 Cash 700,000 Note receivable (face amount) 700,000

24. DISCOUNTING A NOTE RECEIVABLE
The transfer of a note receivable to a financial institution is called discounting. When a note is discounted to a financial institution, the seller receives cash in exchange for the note. The proceeds from the sale are calculated as the maturity value of the note less the financial institution’s discount rate.

25. DISCOUNTING A NOTE RECEIVABLE - Example
Discounted Note Treated as a Sale
On December 31, 2013, the Stridewell Wholesale Shoe Company sold land in exchange for a nine-month, 10% note. The note requires the payment of $200,000 plus interest on September 30, The company’s fiscal year-end is December 31. The 10% rate properly reflects the time value of money for this type of note. On March 31, 2014, Stridewell discounted the note at the Bank of the East. The Bank’s discount rate is 12%.
Because the note has been outstanding for three months before being discounted at the bank, Stridewell first records the interest that has accrued prior to being discounted:
March 31, 2014
Interest receivable 5,000
Interest revenue ($200,000 x 10% x 3/12) 5,000

26. DISCOUNTING A NOTE RECEIVABLE (continued)
Next, the value of the note if held to maturity is calculated. Then the discount for the time remaining to maturity is deducted to determine the cash proceeds from discounting the note:
$200,000 Face amount
15,000 Interest to maturity ($200,000 x 10% x 9/12)
215,000 Maturity value
(12,900) Discount ($215,000 x 12% x 6/12)
$202,100 Cash proceeds
Cash (proceeds determined above) 202,100 Loss on sale of note receivable (difference) 2,900 Note receivable (face amount) 200,000 Interest receivable (accrued interest determined above) 5,000