Definition Bad debts are a debt owed to an enterprise that is considered to be irrecoverable or we can say that it is owed to the business that is written off because it is irrecoverable. Sometimes debtors are unable to pay the amount due either partially or fully. the amount that is not receivableRead more
Definition
Bad debts are a debt owed to an enterprise that is considered to be irrecoverable or we can say that it is owed to the business that is written off because it is irrecoverable.
Sometimes debtors are unable to pay the amount due either partially or fully. the amount that is not receivable is a loss and is called bad debt.
Bad debts are neither assets nor liabilities they are expenses that are debited to the profit and loss account and reduced from debtors in the balance sheet.
For example loans from banks are declared as bad debt, sales made on credit and amounts not received from customers, etc.
Related terms
So there are a few related terms whose meanings you should know
- Further bad debts :
- It means the amount of sundry debtors in the trial balance is before the deduction of bad debts. in this situation, entry for further bad debts is also passed into the books of account.
- That is bad debts are debited and the debtor’s account is credited. And the accounting treatment for them is the same as bad debts which I have shown you above.
- Bad debts recovered :
- It may happen that the amount written off as bad debts are recovered fully or partially.
- In that case, the amount is not credited to the debtor’s (personal) account but is credited to the bad debts recovered account because the amount recovered had been earlier written off as a loss.
- Thus amount recovered is a ‘gain’ and is credited to the profit and loss account.
Accounting methods
There are two methods for accounting for bad debts which are mentioned below:-
- First, is the direct written-off method which states that bad debts will be directly treated as expenses and expensed to the income statement, which is called the profit and loss account.
- Second, is the allowance method which means we create provisions for doubtful debts accounts and the debtor’s account remains as it is since the debtor’s account and provision for doubtful debts account are two separate accounts.
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- Debts that are doubtful of recovery are provided estimating the debts that may not be recovered .amount debited to the profit and loss account reduces the current year’s profit and the amount of provision is carried forward to the next year.
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- Next year, when debts actually become bad debts and are written off, the amount of bad debts is transferred ( debited ) to the provision for doubtful debts account.
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- The amount of bad debts is not debited to the profit and loss account since it was already debited in earlier years.
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- Provision for doubtful debts is shown in the debit side of the profit and loss account as well as shown as a deduction from sundry debtors in the assets side of the balance sheet.
Accounting treatment
Now let me try to explain to you the accounting treatment for bad debts which is as follows :
- Balance sheet
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- In the balance sheet either it can be shown on the asset side under the head, current assets by reducing from that specific assets.
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- For example, if credit sales are made to a customer who says it’s not recoverable or is partially recoverable then the amount is bad debt. It’s a loss for the business and credited to the personal account of debtors or we can say reduced from debtor those are current assets of the balance sheet.
- Profit and loss account
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- Bad debts are treated as expenses and debited to the profit and loss account.
- For example, as I have explained above, before transferring to the balance sheet, bad debt will be debited to the profit and loss account as an expense.
Now let me show you the extract of the profit and loss account and balance sheet showing bad debts and bad debts recovered which are as follows:-





Before answering your question directly, let’s first understand the two terms, ‘Rent Outstanding’ and ‘Accounting Equation’. Accounting Equation Accounting Equation depicts the relationship between the following items of a business: Assets, Liabilities and Owner’s Equity ( Capital ) It is a simple fRead more
Before answering your question directly, let’s first understand the two terms, ‘Rent Outstanding’ and ‘Accounting Equation’.
Accounting Equation
Accounting Equation depicts the relationship between the following items of a business:
It is a simple formula that implies that the total assets of a business are always equal to the sum of its liabilities and Owner’s Equity (Capital).
ASSETS = LIABILITIES + CAPITAL OR A = L + E
It is also known as the balance sheet equation.
This equation always holds good due to the double-entry system of accounting i.e. every event has a dual effect on items of the balance sheet.
Outstanding Rent
We know rent is an expense for a business and rent outstanding means that rent is due, not paid which implies it is a liability which the business has to settle.
Hence Rent Outstanding is subtracted from the capital balance and added to liabilities.
Let’s take an example to see how rent outstanding affects the accounting equation. Suppose a business has the following figures:
Assets – Rs: 3,00,000
Capital – Rs: 2,00,000
Liabilities – Rs: 1,00,000
Assets = Liabilities + Capital
3,00,000 = 1,00,000 + 2,00,000
Now if Rent outstanding of Rs: 20,000 arises, this will happen:-
Assets – Rs: 3,00,000
Capital – Rs: 2,00,000 – Rs: 20,000 = Rs: 2,80,000
Liabilities – Rs: 1,00,000 + Rs: 20,000 = Rs: 1,20,000
Assets = Liabilities + Capital
3,00,000 = 1,20,000 + 2,80,000.
Hence, when rent outstanding arises, it increases the liability and decreases the Capital by the same amount. Therefore both the sides tally and the accounting equations holds good.
Rent Outstanding is shown on the liabilities side of the balance sheet. Also, the rent outstanding of the current year is shown in the debit side profit and loss account and we know the balance of the P/L account if profit, is added to Capital and in case of loss it is subtracted from Capital. Hence, the rent outstanding is subtracted from the capital.
I hope my answer was useful to you.
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