Which method is commonly used for writing off bad debts?

• A. Direct write-off method
• B. Accounts receivable aging method
• C. Percentage of sales method
• D. Allowance method

Answer: (A)

When a specific receivable is determined to be uncollectible, the direct write-off method handles it by removing that amount from Accounts Receivable and recognizing the loss right away. This is done with a debit to Bad Debt Expense and a credit to Accounts Receivable, which directly reflects the actual write-off event. The other options are estimation approaches used within the allowance method to anticipate bad debts—such as calculating an allowance based on aging or a percentage of sales—and they don’t record the actual write-off of a particular receivable at the moment it’s deemed uncollectible. Instead, they create or adjust a contra-asset allowance to absorb expected losses. So the direct write-off method is the one that most directly corresponds to writing off a bad debt.