BS Quick Compare

# BS Quick Compare — Skill ## What This Skill Does Runs a period-over-period variance analysis on the **Balance Sheet (BS)** pulled directly from QuickBooks Online. Outputs a 4-tab Excel workbook: Summary | Detail | Flags | CDC Log. Mirrors the `pl-quick-compare` and `scf-quick-compare` patterns but for the Balance Sheet — Assets / Liabilities / Equity sections, accounting equation validation, and BS-specific analysis notes on flagged items tying changes to SCF, AR/AP aging, capex, debt schedule, and equity activity. ## When to Use **Use when:** - A client needs month-end or YTD balance sheet comparison - Reviewing BS as part of monthly close deliverables - Investigating material shifts in assets, liabilities, or equity - Client asks: "why did our AR/AP/cash/debt change?" or "what happened to our equity?" - Pre-loan/investor analysis requiring clear BS trend visibility **NOT for:** - P&L variance analysis → use `pl-quick-compare.py` - Cash flow analysis → use `scf-quick-compare.py` - AR aging deep-dive → use `ar-collections` - Financial projections or forecasting → use `cash-flow-forecast.py` - Full three-statement analysis (run all three compare pipelines and cross-reference) ## Script Location ``` scripts/pipelines/bs-quick-compare.py ``` ## Requirements - `pip install openpyxl` (already installed in workspace) - Node.js QBO client with valid auth token - QBO credentials configured ## Usage ```bash # Current month-end vs. prior month-end (auto-detects prior) python3 scripts/pipelines/bs-quick-compare.py \ --slug sb-paulson \ --current-end 2026-03-31 # Explicit prior period python3 scripts/pipelines/bs-quick-compare.py \ --slug sb-paulson \ --current-end 2026-02-28 --prior-end 2026-01-31 # YTD (as of end of last completed month vs. same date prior year) python3 scripts/pipelines/bs-quick-compare.py \ --slug sb-paulson --ytd --year 2026 # Full date control (for QBO BS reports needing explicit start dates) python3 scripts/pipelines/bs-quick-compare.py \ --slug sb-paulson \ --current-start 2026-01-01 --current-end 2026-03-31 \ --prior-start 2025-01-01 --prior-end 2025-03-31 # Custom output directory python3 scripts/pipelines/bs-quick-compare.py \ --slug glowlabs \ --current-end 2026-03-31 \ --out ~/Desktop/reports # Sandbox mode (QBO sandbox environment) python3 scripts/pipelines/bs-quick-compare.py \ --slug glowlabs \ --current-end 2026-03-31 \ --sandbox ``` ## Arguments | Flag | Required | Description | |------|----------|-------------| | `--slug` | ✅ | Company slug (must be connected in qbo-client) | | `--current-end` | ✅* | Current period "as of" date (YYYY-MM-DD) | | `--current-start` | ❌ | Current period start (default: Jan 1 same year) | | `--prior-end` | ❌ | Prior period "as of" date (default: 1 month back) | | `--prior-start` | ❌ | Prior period start (default: Jan 1 same year as prior-end) | | `--ytd` | ✅* | YTD mode (alternative to explicit dates) | | `--year` | ❌ | Year for --ytd (default: current year) | | `--out` | ❌ | Output directory (default: ~/Desktop) | | `--sandbox` | ❌ | Use QBO sandbox environment | *Either `--current-end` OR `--ytd` is required. **Balance Sheet date note:** BS is a point-in-time statement. `--current-end` and `--prior-end` are the "as of" dates. The QBO CLI requires start/end dates even for BS — the script defaults `--current-start` to Jan 1 of the same year if omitted. ## Output Excel file: `BS_QuickCompare_{slug}_{as-of-date}.xlsx` saved to Desktop (or `--out` directory). ### Tab 1: Summary - Total Assets / Total Liabilities / Total Equity (current vs prior, $ change, % change, F/U) - Total Liabilities + Equity (cross-check row) - Accounting equation validation: `Total Assets = Total Liabilities + Total Equity` (both periods, ≤$1 tolerance) ### Tab 2: Detail - Every BS line item with hierarchy preserved - Prior period | Current period | $ Change | % Change | F/U label - Color-coded by section (Assets = blue, Liabilities = gold, Equity = purple) ### Tab 3: ⚠ Flags - Material changes: **≥10% change OR ≥$2,500 absolute** - Analysis note for each flagged item — plain-English explanation tying the change to relevant follow-up actions - BS-specific cross-references (see Analysis Notes section below) ### Tab 4: CDC Log - Change Data Capture: compares current BS flat map against last cached run - First run: full snapshot saved (no deltas) - Subsequent runs: shows exactly what line items changed since last run - Cache location: `.cache/bs-quick-compare/{slug}.json` ## BS Logic ### Section Classification Each QBO BS row is classified into sections by keyword matching: - **Assets**: cash, bank, accounts receivable, inventory, prepaid, property, equipment, fixed asset, accumulated depreciation, investment, due from, notes receivable - **Liabilities**: liabilit, accounts payable, accrued, loan, note payable, line of credit, mortgage, deferred revenue, sales tax, payroll, credit card, due to - **Equity**: equity, owner, capital, retained earnings, net income, distribution, contribution, member, shareholder, partner, opening balance equity, paid-in, common stock Children inherit their parent section classification. ### Variance F/U Logic | Section | Increase = | Decrease = | |---------|-----------|-----------| | Assets | ✓ Favorable | ✗ Unfavorable | | Liabilities | ✗ Unfavorable | ✓ Favorable | | Equity | ✓ Favorable | ✗ Unfavorable | Strategic exceptions (new LOC for growth, timely AP buildup) are noted in the analysis notes column. ### Accounting Equation Validation ``` Total Assets = Total Liabilities + Total Equity (≤$1 tolerance) ``` Runs on both periods and displayed in Summary tab with pass/fail icons. ### YTD Mode `--ytd`: Current = as of end of last completed month. Prior = same date in prior year. Example: run on March 17, 2026 → Current = as of Feb 28, 2026 | Prior = as of Feb 28, 2025. ## Analysis Notes (Flags Tab) The Flags tab includes an **Analysis Note** column with BS-specific interpretation for each material change: | Line Item | Analysis Note Focus | |-----------|-------------------| | Cash / Bank | Tie to SCF — identify source: operating CF, capex, debt, distribution | | Accounts Receivable | Run AR aging — check DSO, past-due balances, collection trends | | Inventory | Monitor turnover — buildup vs. drawdown relative to sales pace | | Prepaid Expenses | Amortization vs. new prepaid spend | | Fixed Assets / PP&E | Capex vs. disposal — verify depreciation schedule updated | | Accumulated Depreciation | Confirm D&A add-back in SCF operating section | | Related-party Receivables | Repayment terms and tax treatment of officer/shareholder loans | | Accounts Payable | Run AP aging — confirm no overdue payables; payment terms intact | | Credit Cards | Full payment schedule; confirm all charges categorized | | Loans / Notes Payable | New borrowing vs. paydown — tie to SCF financing; verify debt schedule | | Line of Credit | Draw vs. paydown — monitor utilization rate and available capacity | | Mortgage | Normal amortization vs. lump-sum payment — confirm against schedule | | Deferred Revenue | Cash received vs. revenue not yet earned — monitor recognition schedule | | Payroll / Accrued | Settlement timing — verify no aged accruals outstanding | | Sales Tax Payable | Confirm remittance current; no penalties | | Retained Earnings | Tie to net income in P&L | | Current Year Net Income | Deep-dive in P&L quick compare | | Distributions / Draws | Verify cash availability; tie to SCF financing section | | Equity Contributions | Tie to SCF financing; confirm cap table updated | | Opening Balance Equity | Should zero out once books are fully set up | ## CDC Cache ``` .cache/bs-quick-compare/{slug}.json ``` Stores the flat map of all BS line names → balances for the most recent run. On re-run, diffs against the prior cache and shows exactly what changed. Useful for catching mid-month QBO adjustments, journal entries, or bank feed imports. ## Decimal Math All calculations use Python `Decimal` with `ROUND_HALF_UP` — no floating-point rounding errors in financial outputs. ## Related Pipelines Run all three compare pipelines for a complete monthly close package: | Pipeline | Script | What it covers | |----------|--------|---------------| | P&L Quick Compare | `pl-quick-compare.py` | Revenue, COGS, expenses, net income | | SCF Quick Compare | `scf-quick-compare.py` | Cash flows: operating, investing, financing | | **BS Quick Compare** | `bs-quick-compare.py` | **Assets, liabilities, equity positions** | Cross-reference flags across all three: - Cash change on BS → tie to SCF net change - AR/AP change on BS → tie to aging pipelines - Net income on BS → tie to P&L net income - Loan changes on BS → tie to SCF financing section