Final answer:
The balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts after the year-end adjustment for Wellington Corp. will be $252,000. This calculation accounts for an 8% estimate of uncollectible accounts receivable and an existing $12,000 debit balance in the allowance account.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the adjustment of the allowance for doubtful accounts in accordance with accounting principles. Wellington Corp. has outstanding accounts receivable totaling $3 million and estimates that 8% of these receivables will be uncollectible. The existing debit balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts is $12,000. To compute the adjusted balance in the allowance account, multiply the total accounts receivable by the uncollectible percentage rate, which is:
$3,000,000 * 8% = $240,000
Now, since there is a debit balance of $12,000 already in the allowance account, we need to add this amount to the estimated uncollectibles to find the year-end balance for the allowance for doubtful accounts:
$240,000 + $12,000 = $252,000
Therefore, after recording the bad debt expense, the balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts would be $252,000.