Final answer:
To record the bad debt expense, Cheyenne Company needs to calculate 4% of accounts receivable which is $6,216. If there is a debit balance of $1,470 in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, the adjusted bad debt expense will be $7,686.
Step-by-step explanation:
To record bad debt expense for Cheyenne Company, we must consider two scenarios based on their financial information. In the first scenario (a), the company estimates bad debts at 4% of accounts receivable, and in the second scenario (b), it also estimates bad debts at 4% but has an existing debit balance in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts.
Scenario (a)
Bad Debt Expense (4% of $155,400) = $155,400 * 4% = $6,216
The journal entry to record the bad debt expense would be:
Debit Bad Debt Expense for $6,216
Credit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts for $6,216
Scenario (b)
If the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts has a debit balance of $1,470, this amount needs to be considered. The adjusted bad debt expenses would be:
Adjusted Bad Debt Expense = $6,216 + $1,470 = $7,686
The journal entry would be:
Debit Bad Debt Expense for $7,686
Credit Allowance for Doubtful Accounts for $7,686