Swathmore Clothing Corporation grants its customers $30$ days$$ credit. The company uses the allowance method for its uncollectible accounts receivable. During the year, a monthly bad debt accrual is made by multiplying $2\%$ times the amount of credit sales for the month. At the fiscal year$-$end of December $31,$ an aging of accounts receivable schedule is prepared and the allowance for uncollectible accounts is adjusted accordingly.

At the end of $2023,$ accounts receivable were $$588,000$ and the allowance account had a credit balance of $$52,000.$ Accounts receivable activity for $2024$ was as follows:

Beginning balance $ $588,000$

Credit sales $2,690,000$

Collections $(2,553,000)$

Write$-$offs $(46,000)$

Ending balance $ $679,000$

The company$$s controller prepared the following aging summary of year$-$end accounts receivable:

Age Group Summary

Amount Percent Uncollectible

$060$ days $ $405,0003\%$

$6190$ days $96,00010$

$91120$ days $56,00026$

Over $120$ days $122,00037$

Total $ $679,000$

Required:

$1.$ Prepare a summary journal entry to record the monthly bad debt accrual and the write$-$offs during the year.

$2.$ Prepare the necessary year$-$end adjusting entry for bad debt expense.

$3-$a$.$ What is total bad debt expense for $2024?$

$3-$b$.$ How would accounts receivable appear in the $2024$ balance sheet?