- name
- month-end-close
- description
- Orchestrate and validate the full month-end close for a QBO client. Reads client SOP, runs automated close checks, scores each item, proposes journal entries, tracks CDC progress, and outputs a controller-ready Excel workbook. Use when running monthly close for any QBO-connected client. NOT for P&L variance analysis, bank reconciliation only, or budget vs. actual comparisons.
- license
- MIT
- metadata
- openclaw
- emoji
- 📅
Month-End Close Checklist — SKILL.md
Orchestrates and validates the full month-end close for a QBO client. Reads clients/{slug}/sop.md to determine which checks apply, runs automated close checks against QBO, scores each item, proposes journal entries for missing items, tracks progress with CDC, and outputs a controller-ready Excel workbook.
Trigger
Use this skill when:
- User says "run close", "month-end close", "close checklist", or "close [client] for [month]"
- Monthly close workflow is needed for any QBO-connected client
- Re-running close to check if open items have been resolved
Do NOT use for:
- P&L variance analysis → use
pl-quick-compareorpl-deep-analysis - Bank reconciliation only → use
bank-reconciliation - Budget vs. actual → use
budget-vs-actual
Script Location
scripts/pipelines/month-end-close.pyUsage
# Standard close run
python3 scripts/pipelines/month-end-close.py --slug sb-paulson --month 2026-03
# Skip GL drill (faster; prepaid/depr/payroll checks have limited data)
python3 scripts/pipelines/month-end-close.py --slug willo-salons --month 2026-02 --skip-gl
# Re-run as items get resolved (CDC tracks progress between runs)
python3 scripts/pipelines/month-end-close.py --slug glowlabs --month 2026-03
# Force fresh QBO pulls (ignore CDC cache)
python3 scripts/pipelines/month-end-close.py --slug sb-paulson --month 2026-03 --rerun
# Custom output directory
python3 scripts/pipelines/month-end-close.py --slug sb-paulson --month 2026-03 --out ~/Desktop/close
# QBO Sandbox
python3 scripts/pipelines/month-end-close.py --slug sb-paulson --month 2026-03 --sandboxArguments
| Argument | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
--slug | ✅ | Company slug (must match qbo-client connection) |
--month | ✅ | Close period in YYYY-MM format (e.g. 2026-03) |
--skip-gl | ❌ | Skip GL pull — faster but prepaid/depr/payroll checks limited |
--rerun | ❌ | Force all checks fresh — ignores CDC state for check selection |
--out | ❌ | Output directory (default: ~/Desktop) |
--sandbox | ❌ | Use QBO sandbox environment |
Close Checks
| Check | ID | Default | SOP Override |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Reconciliation | bank_recon | ✅ | Disable: bank reconciliation: ❌ |
| Trial Balance (D=C) | trial_balance | ✅ | Always enabled |
| AP Aging | ap_aging | ✅ | Disable: ap aging: ❌ |
| AR Aging | ar_aging | ✅ | Auto-disabled if SOP says no AR/POS |
| Prepaid Amortization | prepaid_amortization | ✅ | Disable: prepaid: ❌ |
| Depreciation | depreciation | ✅ | Disable: no fixed assets |
| Payroll Reconciliation | payroll_recon | ✅ | Disable: payroll: ❌ |
| Revenue Recognition | revenue_recognition | ✅ | Disable: deferred revenue: ❌ |
| Accrued Expenses | accrued_expenses | ✅ | Disable: accruals: ❌ |
| Intercompany Eliminations | intercompany | ❌ OFF | Enable: multi-entity or intercompany: ✅ |
SOP Integration
The pipeline reads clients/{slug}/sop.md and parses it for:
- AR Aging — auto-disabled if SOP contains:
no accounts receivable,POS collection,
AR aging: ❌, or AR: Not applicable
- Intercompany — disabled by default; enabled if SOP contains:
multi-entity,
intercompany: ✅, or consolidated
- Watch notes — special SOP signals become tab notes in Excel
(e.g. interest expense, cash burn, deferred revenue, SAFE)
Client SOP Quick Reference
| Client | AR? | Interco? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
willo-salons | ❌ No | ❌ No | POS/cash — no AR |
glowlabs | ❌ No | ❌ No | Gaming/Web3; high burn |
sb-paulson | ✅ Verify | ❌ No | Advisory; watch interest expense |
opdo | Check SOP | ❌ No | Review SOP |
Outputs
Excel Workbook
Saved to ~/Desktop/MonthEndClose_{slug}_{YYYY-MM}_Run{N}.xlsx
| Tab | Contents |
|---|---|
| Close Checklist | Dashboard — PASS/FAIL/ACTION per item + completion % + proposed JE count |
| Trial Balance | Full TB with debit/credit validation, per-account rows, totals |
| Proposed Entries | All JEs needed for missing/flagged items, sorted HIGH→MEDIUM→LOW |
| CDC Log | Status changes between runs — tracks close progress over time |
Completion Score
Completion % = (PASS + N/A) / Total × 100
Close is "READY" when FAIL = 0 and ACTION = 0Proposed JE Format
Each proposed entry has:
- Debit Account
- Credit Account
- Amount (Decimal; "TBD" if unknown)
- Memo / basis
- Urgency: HIGH | MEDIUM | LOW
CDC (Change Data Capture)
Cache file: .cache/month-end-close/{slug}-{YYYY-MM}.json
- First run: full snapshot saved, no delta
- Subsequent runs: shows status changes (FAIL→PASS = "Resolved ✅", PASS→FAIL = "Regressed ⚠️")
- Re-run the pipeline as items are resolved — CDC tracks progress automatically
- Use
--rerunto force fresh QBO pulls without clearing CDC history
Check Logic Summary
Bank Recon
Checks .cache/bank-reconciliation/{slug}.json for a completed reconciliation matching the close period end date. If found and is_reconciled: true → PASS. If different period or missing → ACTION NEEDED with command to run.
Trial Balance
Pulls QBO TB report via qbo report tb, sums all debit and credit columns, validates |debits - credits| < $0.02. OUT OF BALANCE → FAIL with proposed suspense entry.
AP / AR Aging
Scans QBO Balance Sheet for AP/AR account balances. Flags material balances ≥ $500 as ACTION NEEDED. Proposes accrual entry for largest outstanding item > $2,500.
Prepaid Amortization
Compares prior-month BS prepaid balances to current. If prior balance > $0 and no GL activity or balance reduction → ACTION NEEDED with estimated monthly amort entry (straight-line over 12 months as placeholder).
Depreciation
Checks fixed asset accounts on BS + scans GL for depreciation/journal entries to accumulated depreciation accounts. No activity on period with known fixed assets → ACTION NEEDED.
Payroll Reconciliation
Sums payroll GL accounts for current period, compares to prior P&L payroll total. Flags if variance > $500 or > 15% month-over-month.
Revenue Recognition
Checks deferred revenue BS balance for movement. No change with known balance → ACTION NEEDED with estimated recognition entry (straight-line over 12 months as placeholder).
Accrued Expenses
Compares accrual account balances prior-vs-current. Flags individual account changes ≥ $1,000 or near-zero reversal from significant balance.
Intercompany
Only runs if enabled by SOP. Checks for non-zero intercompany/due-to/due-from balances. Net balance ≠ $0.02 → ACTION NEEDED with elimination entry.
Dependencies
- Python 3.10+ with
openpyxl(pip install openpyxl) - Node.js QBO client with valid auth tokens
- Client SOP at
clients/{slug}/sop.md(optional but recommended) - Completed bank-recon run for
bank_reconcheck to PASS
Related Pipelines
| Pipeline | Script | Use |
|---|---|---|
| P&L Quick Compare | pl-quick-compare.py | Revenue/expense variance |
| P&L Deep Analysis | pl-deep-analysis.py | GL drill-down + accrual proposals |
| Bank Reconciliation | bank-reconciliation.py | Must complete before close PASS |
Bank Recon must be run first — month-end-close reads its CDC cache to verify completion.
Notes
- All financial math uses Python
Decimalfor precision - Proposed JE amounts marked "TBD" when determination requires human review (e.g. depreciation schedule)
- SOP parsing is additive: missing SOP = all checks enabled with defaults
- Run multiple times freely — CDC log accumulates close progress history