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Which of the following internal control procedures most likely would deter lapping of collections from customers?
Choice 'c' is correct. Lapping is a defalcation in which a cash shortage is concealed by applying later customer remittances to a receivable account from which money was stolen. Lapping can be deterred by appropriate segregation of duties between receiving cash and posting to the accounts receivable ledger.
This makes it more difficult for the employee who is stealing the cash to cover it up through inappropriate remittance credits.
Choice 'a' is incorrect. Even with a lapping scheme, the dates of cash receipts journal entries and the dates of daily cash summaries would still agree, since the stolen funds would be excluded from both places and subsequent receipts would be included in both places.
Choice 'b' is incorrect. The authorization of write-offs of uncollectible accounts by a supervisor independent of credit approval would not deter lapping, since lapping schemes do not involve write-offs.
Choice 'd' is incorrect. Even with a lapping scheme, the daily cash summary would still agree with the sum of the cash receipts journal entries. Stolen funds would be excluded from both places and subsequent receipts would be included in both places.