ICAEW AF · Chapter 10 · Question 2 of 9
A customer whose debt of £540 was written off as irrecoverable in a previous year unexpectedly pays the £540 in full. What double entry records the receipt, assuming the debt is not reinstated?
Test yourself: pick an answer
Reveal answer & explanation
Correct answer: A) Debit Cash £540, Credit Irrecoverable debts expense £540
Explanation
The debt was removed from receivables when it was written off, so there is no receivable to credit. The cash received is debited to the bank account, and the credit is made to the irrecoverable debts expense account, reducing the charge (or creating income) in the current year.
More Irrecoverable debts and allowances for receivables MCQs
- Q4At the year end, a business has trade receivables of £54,700 and an allowance for receivables of £1,650. How are these presented in the…
- Q5A business's required allowance for receivables at the year end is lower than the allowance brought forward from the previous year. How is…
- Q6At its year end, a business has trade receivables of £128,500. The following adjustments are needed: 1. A debt of £3,500 is to be written…
- Q7Why does a business make an allowance for receivables, rather than waiting until specific debts are known to be irrecoverable?
- Q8During the year, a business wrote off irrecoverable debts of £1,320 and received £410 from a customer whose debt had been written off two…
