How do we account for customers who may never pay what they owe?
The write-off of irrecoverable (bad) debts, the creation and adjustment of a provision for doubtful debts, the recovery of debts previously written off, and the effect of each on the income statement and statement of financial position.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Accounting 3.1, covering the write-off of irrecoverable debts, the creation and adjustment of a provision for doubtful debts, the recovery of debts previously written off, and their treatment in the financial statements.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to write off irrecoverable debts, create and adjust a provision for doubtful debts, account for debts recovered after write-off, and show the effect of each on the financial statements. This is unit 3.1.8, and a provision adjustment is a recurring component of the larger preparation questions, where the order of operations is easy to get wrong.
Writing off a bad debt
Writing off applies prudence and faithful representation: once a debt is known to be uncollectable, continuing to show it as an asset would overstate both receivables and profit. The write-off is specific, it removes a named customer's balance, in contrast to the provision, which is a general estimate against the receivables that remain.
The provision for doubtful debts
The reason only the change is charged is that the provision is a running estimate carried forward each year. In the first year the whole provision is an expense because it is created from nothing. In later years the account already holds last year's provision, so only the movement to reach this year's required figure affects profit. Charging the full provision every year would double-count and understate profit.
A worked adjustment
Recovery of a debt
If a debt written off in a previous year is later paid, the recovery is recorded as income (debit bank, credit a bad debts recovered account, taken to the income statement). The original write-off already reduced profit, so the later receipt is treated as a separate gain rather than reversing the current year's bad debts expense.
Try this
Q1. State the double entry to write off a bad debt of . [2 marks] Debit irrecoverable debts expense ; credit trade receivables .
Q2. Receivables are and a provision is needed. Calculate the provision. [2 marks] .
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20187 marksTrade receivables at the year end are 2,000 is to be written off. A provision for doubtful debts of 4% of remaining receivables is to be maintained; the opening provision was $1,600. Calculate the irrecoverable debts expense, the change in the provision, and the net receivables figure shown in the statement of financial position.Show worked answer →
A full worked calculation; order of operations matters.
Write off the bad debt first: receivables fall from 60,000, and $2,000 is the irrecoverable debts expense (2 marks).
Required provision: 4% of 2,400. The opening provision was 2,400 - 800, charged as an expense (2 marks).
Total charge to the income statement: 800 increase in provision = $2,800 (1 mark).
Net receivables in the statement of financial position: 2,400 = $57,600 (2 marks). Markers reward writing off before calculating the provision, charging only the change, and deducting the full provision from receivables.
AQA 20214 marksExplain how the prudence concept is applied through the provision for doubtful debts, and describe the treatment of a debt recovered after it had been written off.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark answer needs the prudence link and the recovery treatment.
Prudence requires foreseeable losses to be provided for; the provision for doubtful debts recognises the likely loss on receivables that may not pay, so profit and assets are not overstated even though no specific debt has yet failed (2 marks).
A debt recovered after write-off is recorded as income (credit a bad debts recovered account, debit bank), because the original write-off already reduced profit, so the later receipt restores it rather than reducing the current bad debts expense (2 marks). Markers reward the prudence reasoning and the correct income treatment of the recovery.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA A-level Accounting (7127) specification — AQA (2017)