Practicing accountants commonly apply judgment when computing financial statement numbers. However, intermediate accounting textbooks rarely discuss judgment, leaving accounting students with the erroneous impression that accounting computations each have “one right answer.” The purpose of this paper is to correct that impression with examples of how judgment is applied to the reporting of accounts receivable. The background reading describes factors affecting the collectibility of accounts receivable, and a group class exercise has students apply judgment to compute allowance account balances. Students discover that correctly applied judgment may lead to “multiple right answers.” This exercise focuses on the allowance account balance because the calculation appears to be mechanical but is, in reality, based on the application of significant judgment. Instructors can easily incorporate this material into their intermediate accounting courses because the classroom exercise takes minimal class time and flows easily from traditional coverage of the allowance for doubtful accounts.
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