Account Information

Financial Statement Statement of Financial Position
Normal Balance Debit

Definition

Receivables from local customers

Note: This account may be broken down into sub-ledgers as needed (e.g., customer/supplier/bank names or branches).

Common Journal Entries

Credit sale to local customer

Dr. Local Customers
Cr. Sales

Collected amount from local customer

Dr. Cash in Hand
Cr. Local Customers

Sales return from local customer

Dr. Sales Returns
Cr. Local Customers

Discount allowed to local customer

Dr. Discount Allowed
Cr. Local Customers

📐 IFRS vs US GAAP Accounting Treatment

IFRS IFRS 9 Financial Instruments
US GAAP ASC 310 Receivables
⚠️ Key Difference Between IFRS and US GAAP

IFRS uses forward-looking ECL; GAAP uses incurred loss model

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are Accounts Receivable?

A: Accounts Receivable are amounts owed to a company by its customers for goods or services sold on credit. These amounts represent a current asset on the balance sheet and are expected to be collected within one year.

Q: How is a credit sale recorded?

A: When a credit sale is made, the following entry is recorded: Dr. Accounts Receivable (for the full invoice amount including tax), Cr. Sales Revenue (for the sales amount excluding tax), Cr. Output VAT (for the tax amount).

Q: What is the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts?

A: The Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is an estimate of the portion of accounts receivable that may not be collected in the future. It is created with the entry: Dr. Bad Debt Expense, Cr. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. The allowance appears as a deduction from accounts receivable on the balance sheet.

Q: How is a bad debt written off?

A: When a specific debt is determined to be uncollectible, it is written off with the entry: Dr. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Cr. Accounts Receivable (specific customer). This entry does not affect the income statement because the expense was already estimated when the allowance was created.

Q: What is the difference between Accounts Receivable and Service Revenue?

A: Accounts Receivable is a balance sheet asset representing amounts owed by customers, while Service Revenue is an income statement account representing the value of services provided. When a service is provided on credit, Service Revenue is credited and Accounts Receivable is debited.