Intermediate Accounting
3rd Edition
ISBN: 9780136912644
Author: Elizabeth A. Gordon; Jana S. Raedy; Alexander J. Sannella
Publisher: Pearson Education (US)
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Concept explainers
Videos
Textbook Question
Chapter 3, Problem 3.2E
Cognitive Bias. A team of accounting students is working on a case where they are required to assess a set of information to determine a company’s allowance for
The company’s allowance for bad debts has been 5% of its receivables for the last several years
This year, the company has strengthened its credit extension policy.
The average time that an
The economy has weakened over the year, with a pending recession.
Following is part of the discussion at their first team meeting. Analyze the discussion and determine the type of cognitive bias most consistent with the statements made by each student, providing an explanation for your answer.
Discussion
Tom initiated the discussion saying, “I have seen this kind of situation before when a company has to report a higher allowance than last year. Allowances are always increasing.”
Jennifer offered. “The first piece of information in the case is always the most important.
The bad debts have historically been 5%. Therefore, the allowance has to be 5%.”
Jake added, “As I look at the case, I keep coming back to the fact that the average time that an account receivable has been outstanding has increased by 10 days. In my view, this is the most important piece of information—the other facts don’t matter.”
Manna’s view was, “Even though the economy has deteriorated, the historical data is always more important. The general trends in the economy are not relevant.”
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Students have asked these similar questions
Company E is a retailer of commercial and residential plumbing products. Steven Owens, the company’s staff accountant, is in the process of making year-end adjusting entries for uncollectible accounts receivable. Recently, the company has experienced an increase in accounts that have become uncollectible. As a result, Owens believes that the company should increase the percentage used for estimating doubtful accounts from 2% to 5% of credit sales. This change will significantly increase bad debt expense, resulting in a drop in earnings for the first time ever for the company. The company president, Thomas Williams, is under considerable pressure to meet the earnings goals for the fiscal year. He suggests to Steven that this is “not the proper time” to change the estimate. He instructs Steven to keep the estimate at 2%. Steven is confident that 2% is way too low, but he follows Thomas' instructions.
Evaluate the decision to use the lower percentage to improve earnings.
Are Thomas and…
As the accountant for Clean Air Controls, you attend a meeting with the sales managers to discuss credit policies. At the meeting, you report that bad debts expense for the year is estimated to be $85,000 and account receivables at year end is $1,500,000 less a $57,000 allowance for doubtful accounts. Arthur Levitt, a sales manager, asks why bad debts expense and the allowance are not the same amount.
Required
1. Write a professional email explaining this concept to Arthur. The company estimates bad debts expense as 3% of sales.
(Receivables Management) As the manager of the accounts receivable department for Beavis Leather Goods, Ltd., you recently noticed that Kelly Collins, your accounts receivable clerk who is paid $1,200 per month, has been wearing unusually tasteful and expensive clothing. (This is Beavis’s first year in business.) This morning, Collins drove up to work in abrand new Lexus.Naturally suspicious by nature, you decide to test the accuracy of the accounts receivable balance of $192,000 as shown in the ledger. The following information is available for your first year (precisely 9 months ended September 30, 2017) in business.(1) Collections from customers $188,000(2) Merchandise purchased 360,000(3) Ending merchandise inventory 90,000(4) Goods are marked to sell at 40% above cost.InstructionsAssuming all sales were made on account, compute the ending accounts receivable balance that should appear in the ledger, noting any apparent shortage. Then, draft a memo dated October 3, 2017, to Mark…
Chapter 3 Solutions
Intermediate Accounting
Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.1QCh. 3 - Prob. 3.2QCh. 3 - Does U.S. GAAP require that companies disclose...Ch. 3 - Does IFRS require that companies disclose...Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.5QCh. 3 - Does IFRS require that companies disclose their...Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.7QCh. 3 - Prob. 3.8QCh. 3 - Prob. 3.9QCh. 3 - Prob. 3.10Q
Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.11QCh. 3 - What is the Basis for Conclusions and where can...Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.13QCh. 3 - Prob. 3.14QCh. 3 - Prob. 3.1BECh. 3 - Judgment in Accounting for Plant and Equipment....Ch. 3 - Match Each Cognitive Bias Below with its...Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.4BECh. 3 - Prob. 3.5BECh. 3 - Prob. 3.6BECh. 3 - Prob. 3.7BECh. 3 - Codification Research. Referencing Appendix A,...Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.9BECh. 3 - Prob. 3.10BECh. 3 - Exercises E3-1. Accounting Policy Disclosures. To...Ch. 3 - Cognitive Bias. A team of accounting students is...Ch. 3 - Cognitive Bias. A team of accounting students is...Ch. 3 - Authoritative Literature. Provide the reference to...Ch. 3 - Authoritative Literature. Provide the reference to...Ch. 3 - Authoritative Literature. To what entity types...Ch. 3 - Authoritative Literature. How does FASB define...Ch. 3 - Prob. 3.8ECh. 3 - Prob. 1JCCh. 3 - Prob. 2JCCh. 3 - Prob. 1SSCCh. 3 - Surfing the Standards Case 2: Inventory...Ch. 3 - Prob. 3SSCCh. 3 - Basis for Conclusions Case 1: Judgment and...Ch. 3 - Basis for Conclusions Case 2: Income Statement or...
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, accounting and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- Consider again the example introduced in Section 7.5 of a credit card company that has a database of information provided by its customers when they apply for credit cards. An analyst has created a multiple regression model for which the dependent variable in the model is credit card charges accrued by a customer in the data set over the past year (y), and the independent variables are the customers annual household income (x1), number of members of the household (x2), and number of years of post-high school education (x3). Figure 7.23 provides Excel output for a multiple regression model estimated using a data set the company created. a. Estimate the corresponding simple linear regression with the customers annual household income as the independent variable and credit card charges accrued by a customer over the past year as the dependent variable. Interpret the estimated relationship between the customers annual household income and credit card charges accrued over the past year. How much variation in credit card charges accrued by a customer over the past year is explained by this simple linear regression model? b. Estimate the corresponding simple linear regression with the number of members in the customers household as the independent variable and credit card charges accrued by a customer over the past year as the dependent variable. Interpret the estimated relationship between the number of members in the customers household and credit card charges accrued over the past year. How much variation in credit card charges accrued by a customer over the past year is explained by this simple linear regression model? c. Estimate the corresponding simple linear regression with the customers number of years of posthigh school education as the independent variable and credit card charges accrued by a customer over the past year as the dependent variable. Interpret the estimated relationship between the customers number of years of posthigh school education and credit card charges accrued over the past year. How much variation in credit card charges accrued by a customer over the past year is explained by this simple linear regression model? d. Recall the multiple regression in Figure 7.23 with credit card charges accrued by a customer over the past year as the dependent variable and customers annual household income (x1), number of members of the household (x2), and number of years of post-high school education (x3) as the independent variables. Do the estimated slopes differ substantially from the corresponding slopes that were estimated using simple linear regression in parts (a), (b), and (c)? What does this tell you about multicollinearity in the multiple regression model in Figure 7.23? e. Add the coefficients of determination for the simple linear regression in parts (a), (b), and (c), and compare the result to the coefficient of determination for the multiple regression model in Figure 7.23. What does this tell you about multicollinearity in the multiple regression model in Figure 7.23? f. Add age, a dummy variable for sex, and a dummy variable for whether a customer has exceeded his or her credit limit in the past 12 months as independent variables to the multiple regression model in Figure 7.23. Code the dummy variable for sex as 1 if the customer is female and 0 if male, and code the dummy variable for whether a customer has exceeded his or her credit limit in the past 12 months as 1 if the customer has exceeded his or her credit limit in the past 12 months and 0 otherwise. Do these variables substantially improve the fit of your model?arrow_forwardHistorically, your company has calculated bad debts using an aging of accounts receivable. Near the end of the fiscal year, the company is in a cash crunch and needs to borrow money from the bank, using accounts receivable as collateral. The owner of the company knows that many of the accounts receivable are more than 90 days past due, resulting in net receivables equal to only 80% of total receivables. You are asked by the owner asks you to change the method of estimating bad debts to a flat 3% of receivables. What should you do?arrow_forward4. Assume that you will be up for a promotion next month and you'd like to impress your boss with your data analytic skills. The company you work for normally books the current month's bad debit for the same amount as the prior month's actual accounts receivable write-offs. Using general accounting knowledge, explain why this process is not the best method. 5. Briefly describe Benford's Law. Draw a graph that exemplifies data which conforms to Benford's Law (i.e., what it should look like). And, briefly describe how auditors could utilize Benford's Law while conducting testwork.arrow_forward
- Web Wizard, Inc., has provided information technology services for several years. For the first two months of the current year, the company has used the percentage of credit sales method to estimate bad debts. At the end of the first quarter, the company switched to the aging of accounts receivable method. The company entered into the following partial list of transactions during the first quarter. During January, the company provided services for $40,000 on credit. On January 31, the company estimated bad debts using 1 percent of credit sales. On February 4, the company collected $20,000 of accounts receivable. On February 15, the company wrote off a $100 account receivable. During February, the company provided services for $30,000 on credit. On February 28, the company estimated bad debts using 1 percent of credit sales. On March 1, the company loaned $2,400 to an employee, who signed a 6% note, due in 6 months. On March 15, the company collected $100 on the account written off…arrow_forwardCalifornia Cannery began in 2008 with a debit balance in Accounts Receivable $150,000 and a credit balance in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts for 7,500 for the year. During the year California Cannery sold 1,300,000 of product and collected 1,350,000 from customers. In addition, $4,000 of Accounts Receivable balance was written off as uncollectable during the year. Management uses the allowance method to account for bad debts and believes that ultimately 5% of the year-end balance in Accounts Receivable will not be collected. How much bad debt expenses will be recorded in 2008?arrow_forwardFlorence Company had a debit balance of $1,500 in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts account and a debit balance of $500,000 in the Accounts Receivable account with Credit Sales of $1,500,000 for the year. Management estimates 1.5% of credit sales will become uncollectible. What is the amount of estimated bad debts expense?arrow_forward
- [The following information applies to the questions displayed below.] Web Wizard, Inc., has provided information technology services for several years. For the first two months of the current year, the company has used the percentage of credit sales method to estimate bad debts. At the end of the first quarter, the company switched to the aging of accounts receivable method. The company entered into the following partial list of transactions during the first quarter. During January, the company provided services for $30,000 on credit. On January 31, the company estimated bad debts using 1 percent of credit sales. On February 4, the company collected $15,000 of accounts receivable. On February 15, the company wrote off a $200 account receivable. During February, the company provided services for $20,000 on credit. On February 28, the company estimated bad debts using 1 percent of credit sales. On March 1, the company loaned $2,800 to an employee, who signed a 6% note, due in 6…arrow_forward[The following information applies to the questions displayed below.] Web Wizard, Inc., has provided information technology services for several years. For the first two months of the current year, the company has used the percentage of credit sales method to estimate bad debts. At the end of the first quarter, the company switched to the aging of accounts receivable method. The company entered into the following partial list of transactions during the first quarter. During January, the company provided services for $30,000 on credit. On January 31, the company estimated bad debts using 1 percent of credit sales. On February 4, the company collected $15,000 of accounts receivable. On February 15, the company wrote off a $200 account receivable. During February, the company provided services for $20,000 on credit. On February 28, the company estimated bad debts using 1 percent of credit sales. On March 1, the company loaned $2,800 to an employee, who signed a 6% note, due in 6…arrow_forwardYou are the accountant for Black Cat Ltd. (BCL) and you have just finished the aging analysis of accounts receivable. You have estimated that $5,000 of the current $98,000 of A/R will be uncollectible. The allowance for doubtful accounts had a $400 credit balance at year-end before adjustment. What amount of bad debts would you expect to see on BCL's income statement for the year? a. $0 b. $4,600 c. $5,000 d. $5,400arrow_forward
- I'm studying for a test and I want to know how to do each question for it, can you walk me through step by step how to solve this one? The following data concern XYZ Corporation for 2018:Bad debts expense for the year 11,000Accounts receivable—December 31, 2018 235,000Credit sales during the yearAllowance for doubtful accounts—December 31, 20181,600,00018,000 Calculate the net realizable value of the accounts receivable.arrow_forwardNote:- Do not provide handwritten solution. Maintain accuracy and quality in your answer. Take care of plagiarism. Answer completely. You will get up vote for sure.arrow_forwardYou have recently been hired as the assistant controller for Stanton Industries. Your immediate superior is the controller who, in turn, reports to the vice president of finance. The controller has assigned you the task of preparing the year-end adjustments. For receivables, you have prepared an aging of accounts receivable and have applied historical percentages to the balances of each of the age categories. The analysis indicates that an appropriate balance for Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts is $180,000. The existing balance in the allowance account prior to any adjustment is a $20,000 credit balance.After showing your analysis to the controller, he tells you to change the aging category of a large account from over 120 days to current status and to prepare a new invoice to the customer with a revised date that agrees with the new aging category. This will change the required allowance for uncollectible accounts from $180,000 to $135,000. Tactfully, you ask the controller for…arrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
College Accounting, Chapters 1-27AccountingISBN:9781337794756Author:HEINTZ, James A.Publisher:Cengage Learning,
Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Ser...AccountingISBN:9781305970663Author:Don R. Hansen, Maryanne M. MowenPublisher:Cengage Learning
Essentials of Business Analytics (MindTap Course ...StatisticsISBN:9781305627734Author:Jeffrey D. Camm, James J. Cochran, Michael J. Fry, Jeffrey W. Ohlmann, David R. AndersonPublisher:Cengage Learning
College Accounting, Chapters 1-27
Accounting
ISBN:9781337794756
Author:HEINTZ, James A.
Publisher:Cengage Learning,
Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Ser...
Accounting
ISBN:9781305970663
Author:Don R. Hansen, Maryanne M. Mowen
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Essentials of Business Analytics (MindTap Course ...
Statistics
ISBN:9781305627734
Author:Jeffrey D. Camm, James J. Cochran, Michael J. Fry, Jeffrey W. Ohlmann, David R. Anderson
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable; Author: The Finance Storyteller;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_aUWbQa878;License: Standard Youtube License