There are two methods for estimating the amount of accounts receivables not expected to be collected. Bad debt expense can be estimated using mathematical models such as the likelihood of default to assess the potential losses to delinquent and bad debt. The statistical analyses can use historical data from both the company and the industry as a whole. Usually, the actual percentage will increase as the age of the receivable increases, indicating an increasing default risk and decreased collectability.
Instead, taking a percentage of net revenue, depending on the company's past experience with bad debt, will measure a bad debt cost. Organizations make periodic adjustments to the credit risk allowance entry so that they suit the existing mathematical modeling allowances.