Doug:

The clearing account is used to ensure that both sides of the Day End process make it to the GL. The OE Day End creates a debit to the clearing account. Posting the Receivables batch (OE invoices and credit notes) creates a credit to the clearing account. The clearing account should be monitored regularly to ensure that it balances to $0.00. If it doesn't, then part of the process wasn't completed or someone edited a transaction.

If you use the AR control account rather than a separate clearing account, not only do you not have this check-and-balance, you have way too many transactions flowing through the AR control account, making subsequent reconciliations more difficult.