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Analysis of Bad Debts
Difficulty: Advanced
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable (bad debts) is a contra account which reduce the balance of the company’s gross accounts receivable.The relationship between the allowance and the balance in receivables should be relatively constant unless there is a change in the economy overall or a change in customer base.
Receivables Accounting Policy
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Applied maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. This allowance is based on historical experience, credit evaluations, specific customer collection history and any customer-specific issues Applied has identified. Changes in circumstances, such as an unexpected material adverse change in a major customer’s ability to meet its financial obligation to Applied or its payment trends, may require Applied to further adjust its estimates of the recoverability of amounts due to Applied. Bad debt expense and any reversals are recorded in marketing and selling expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.
Source: 10-K (filing date: 2018-12-13).
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable
Based on: 10-K (filing date: 2018-12-13), 10-K (filing date: 2017-12-15), 10-K (filing date: 2016-12-15), 10-K (filing date: 2015-12-09), 10-K (filing date: 2014-12-17), 10-K (filing date: 2013-12-04).
2018 Calculations
1 Allowance as a percentage of accounts receivable, gross = 100 × Allowance for doubtful accounts ÷ Accounts receivable, gross
= 100 × ÷ =
| Ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Allowance as a percentage of accounts receivable, gross | Allowance for doubtful accounts divided by the gross accounts receivable. | Applied Materials Inc.’s allowance as a percentage of accounts receivable, gross declined from 2016 to 2017 and from 2017 to 2018. |