accounting-reconciliation

--- name: accounting-reconciliation description: Reconcile one ledger account to its bank, customer or vendor statement or sub-ledger, explaining every difference and listing the correcting entries. Use when an account's book balance does not agree with an outside statement or sub-ledger and the user needs the gap explained. Not for matching a whole period of bookkeeping entries to statements; see /bookkeeping-reconcile. metadata: argument-hint: "[project] [--skip-checks]" --- # Reconciliation Perform account reconciliation for "$ARGUMENTS". Compare internal records against external statements or related accounts to identify and resolve differences. **Arguments.** `$ARGUMENTS` may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as `<project>` and treat `--skip-checks` as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use `<project>`. If `--skip-checks` is present, skip the prerequisite check and, **before writing any artifact**, append one line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl`: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"accounting-reconciliation","workflow":"accounting","phase":null,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"<artifact file>","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}`. **Compute with code.** Perform every calculation (totals, balances, ratios, variances, projections) with a script — Bash, Python or a spreadsheet formula written to a file — and include the computation alongside the result. Never do arithmetic mentally. ## Prerequisites None — utility skill, run anytime. Most commonly used after Phase 3 (ledger) when account balances are available. ## Process 1. **Identify accounts to reconcile:** - What internal account is being reconciled? (e.g., cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, intercompany) - What is the external source or related account? (bank statement, customer statement, sub-ledger, vendor statement) - What period is being reconciled? 2. **Gather balances:** - Record the internal book balance (per general ledger) - Record the external or comparison balance (per bank/vendor/customer statement) - Note the difference to be explained 3. **Identify reconciling items:** - **Timing differences** — items recorded in one set of books but not yet in the other - Outstanding checks (issued but not yet cleared) - Deposits in transit (recorded but not yet credited) - Unrecorded transactions (bank fees, interest, direct deposits) - **Errors** — mistakes in either set of records - **Adjustments needed** — entries required to correct the book balance 4. **Prepare reconciliation:** - Start with one balance, add/subtract reconciling items to arrive at the other - Every dollar of difference must be explained - Flag any aged or unresolved reconciling items 5. **Write the artifact** to `.singularskills/accounting/<project>/reconciliation.md` with sections: - **Reconciliation Summary** — account name, period, book balance, external balance, difference - **Reconciliation Detail** — step-by-step reconciliation with each reconciling item - **Adjusting Entries Needed** — journal entries required to correct the books - **Aged Items** — reconciling items outstanding for more than one period ## Output The reconciliation written to `.singularskills/accounting/<project>/reconciliation.md`. Present a summary highlighting: - Book balance vs. external balance and the difference - Number and total of reconciling items - Any required adjusting entries End the artifact with this paragraph, verbatim: > **Not financial or tax advice.** This artifact is generated analysis for review by a qualified accountant or financial professional before any filing, reporting or decision relies on it.