McLaughlin Corporation uses the allowance method to account for bad debts. At the end of the companys

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McLaughlin Corporation uses the allowance method to account for bad debts. At the end of the company’s fiscal year, accounts receivable are analyzed and the allowance for uncollectible accounts is adjusted. At the end of 2021, the company reported the following amounts:

Accounts receivable ..........................................$ 10,850,000
Less: Allowance for uncollectible accounts ..........(450,000)
Accounts receivable, net ..................................$ 10,400,000

In 2022, it was determined that $1,825,000 of year-end 2021 receivables had to be written off as uncollectible.
This was due in part to the fact that Hughes Corporation, a long standing customer that had always paid its bills, unexpectedly declared bankruptcy in 2022. Hughes owed McLaughlin $1,400,000. At the end of 2021, none of the Hughes receivable was considered uncollectible.


Required:
Should McLaughlin’s underestimation of bad debts be treated as an error correction (requiring retroactive restatement) or a change in estimate (and accounted for prospectively)? Describe the appropriate accounting treatment and required disclosures in the financial statements issued for the 2021 fiscal year.

Financial Statements
Financial statements are the standardized formats to present the financial information related to a business or an organization for its users. Financial statements contain the historical information as well as current period’s financial...
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivables are debts owed to your company, usually from sales on credit. Accounts receivable is business asset, the sum of the money owed to you by customers who haven’t paid.The standard procedure in business-to-business sales is that...
Corporation
A Corporation is a legal form of business that is separate from its owner. In other words, a corporation is a business or organization formed by a group of people, and its right and liabilities separate from those of the individuals involved. It may...
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Intermediate Accounting

ISBN: 978-1260481952

10th edition

Authors: J. David Spiceland, James Sepe, Mark Nelson, Wayne Thomas

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