--- name: carta-consolidating-balance-sheet model: sonnet description: 'Generate a consolidating Balance Sheet for all entities under a firm for a given month and write it as a side-by-side Excel tab with Assets / Liabilities / Equity sections and a Total column. Sourced from Carta MCP (firm/entity resolution + DWH SQL). TRIGGER when the user asks for "balance sheet of all entities of [firm] for [month]", a consolidating BS by entity, or to replicate the "Balance Sheet - consolidating" tab format for a different firm/period. Trigger phrases include "consolidating balance sheet", "BS by entity", "balance sheet of all entities". DO NOT TRIGGER for single-entity BS, P&L / income statement (carta-consolidating-pnl), new budgets (carta-create-budget), pulling Carta-stored budgets (carta-fetch-budget), refreshing actuals (carta-fetch-actuals), pacing (carta-budget-analysis), or what-if (carta-budget-scenarios). Also DO NOT TRIGGER for a single-fund / fund-level balance sheet or fund account balances as-of a date — use carta-explore-data for those.' version: 1.0.1 allowed-tools: # Production - mcp__claude_ai_Carta__call_tool - mcp__claude_ai_Carta__welcome - mcp__claude_ai_Carta__set_context - mcp__claude_ai_Carta__list_contexts # Carta-installer naming (lowercase) - mcp__carta_production__call_tool - mcp__carta_production__welcome - mcp__carta_production__set_context - mcp__carta_production__list_contexts # Local / legacy fallback - mcp__carta__call_tool - mcp__carta__welcome - mcp__carta__set_context - mcp__carta__list_contexts - Read - AskUserQuestion --- `_instrumentation_v2` is anonymous Carta skill-usage telemetry. ALWAYS include it in your Carta MCP tool-call arguments — the plugins' hooks overwrite it when they run, so always sending it is safe. Shape: `_instrumentation_v2: {"skills": [":", ...], "model": ""}` `skills` is cumulative for the session: list every Carta skill loaded so far, not only the one driving this call. Namespace each entry `"plugin:skill"` and keep them oldest-first, with the most recently used skill last. List only Carta skills (`carta-cap-table:*`, `carta-crm:*`, `carta-investors:*`) — never skills from non-Carta plugins. [PATTERN carta-writing-style v0.0.2] [PATTERN etiquette v0.0.6] [PATTERN text v0.0.8] [PATTERN tables v0.0.12] [PATTERN carta-watermark v0.0.10] [PATTERN base v0.1.0] # Consolidating balance sheet Generates a side-by-side Balance Sheet across every entity under a firm for a single month, matching the "Balance Sheet - consolidating" tab format. The data is pulled live from Carta's DWH via the Carta MCP connector — nothing is embedded in the skill. This skill runs primarily inside the **Claude for Excel** add-in. The audience is an accountant working in their workbook, not an engineer running CLI commands. ## When to use Trigger this skill when the user asks for any of the following: - "Give me the balance sheet of all the entities of `` for ``" - "Consolidating balance sheet for ``" - "BS by entity for `` ``" - Any request to replicate the "Balance Sheet - consolidating" tab structure for another firm/period Do **NOT** use this skill for: - Single-entity balance sheets (use a plain trial-balance / GL query instead) - P&L / income statement requests (use the **carta-consolidating-pnl** skill) - Historical multi-period BS (this skill is point-in-time, single month) ## UX Rules This skill ships as a standalone Claude for Excel skill, so the Carta CLI session-start hook does **not** apply. The following rules — normally enforced globally by the hook — are the skill's own responsibility here: - **Speak plain English to the user.** The audience is an accountant. Never surface internal tokens in user-facing prose: MCP server identifiers (`claude_ai_Carta_Sandbox`), DWH column names (`ACCOUNT_TYPE`, `EFFECTIVE_DATE`), UUIDs, raw JSON, SQL, or gate labels. Those belong in Claude's own reasoning, not on screen. - **Currency formatting:** positive `$X,XXX`, negatives `($X,XXX)`, totals bolded `**$X,XXX**`, never raw decimals. - **Difference values are absolute** — `$0` for match, `$2,000` for a gap; never `-$2,000` in a difference column. - **Status vocabulary** when reporting reconciliation outcomes: ✅ Match | ⚠ Mismatch ($X diff) | ❌ Missing in Carta | ❌ Missing in Client Doc. - **Citation links** — when pointing to the resulting Excel range, format as `[A1:I65]()` so the user can jump into the workbook. The range should match the actual written area (column B labels + N entity columns + Total column, by total row count) — adjust per build. - **No environment URLs.** This skill builds Excel output, not Carta web links. There is no `BASE_URL` to construct. ## Environment detection (Claude for Excel) This skill does **not** call `carta auth-status` — that command isn't available inside the Excel add-in. Instead, the active Carta environment is detected at Gate 0 from the connected MCP server's prefix (`mcp__claude_ai_Carta___call_tool`). Treat the prefix discovery in Gate 0 as the equivalent of "Gate 0: Environment" in Carta CLI skills. ## Inputs to collect Before running, confirm with the user: 1. **Firm name** — must match a firm reachable from the active Carta MCP context (resolved fuzzily). Example: `Acme Ventures`. 2. **Month** — format as `YYYY-MM` (e.g. `2026-03` for March 2026). The period is **cumulative as-of month-end** by default, not month-only activity (see `references/schema.md` for why). If the user gave both in the request (e.g. *"balance sheet of all entities of Acme Ventures for March 2026"*), proceed without re-asking. --- ## Execution discipline Execute all gates silently. Do not narrate tool calls, intermediate results, or status updates. Only speak at explicit decision points: Gate 2 (entity scope picker), Gate 5 (pre-build review and approval), Gate 6 (output destination), and Gate 8 (post-action menu). --- ## Entry mode — fresh session vs. chained skill **Mandatory telemetry beacon — run this before any skip-gate check:** If `` and `` are already in context, call `mcp____set_context(firm_id=, _instrumentation={"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]})` as your very first action. Do not skip this even when all data is already available — it records this skill invocation. If either is unknown, it fires in Gate 0 below. Before Gate 0, check whether these context variables are already set from an earlier skill call in the same session (e.g. chained from `carta-consolidating-pnl`): - `` — connected Carta MCP server prefix - `` and `` — the resolved firm **If both are in context:** skip Gate 0 entirely. In Gate 1, skip the `contexts:list` lookup — but still call `mcp____set_context(firm_id=, _instrumentation={"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]})` to re-anchor the MCP session scope and record this skill invocation, then proceed to `fa:list:entities` to enumerate entities for Gate 2. **If either is missing** (fresh session or cold invocation): run Gate 0 and the full Gate 1 in order. Do not ask "which firm?" when it is already established from the skill the user just ran. --- ## Gate 0: Identify the Carta MCP environment Scan the tools available in the conversation for any matching `mcp__*__welcome`. Extract the **server identifier** — the middle segment between the first and last `__`. Examples: `mcp__carta__welcome` → `carta`, `mcp__claude_ai_Carta__welcome` → `claude_ai_Carta`. **If none found:** tell the user no Carta MCP is connected and stop. **If exactly one found:** call `mcp____welcome(_instrumentation={"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]})` to verify. This is ``. **If multiple found:** ask the user which to use via `AskUserQuestion`. Default to `carta` (production) if present. **Don't call any other `mcp____*` tool before `welcome`** — every other command is gated and will return a reminder. --- ## Gate 1: Resolve the firm and its entities 1. `mcp____list_contexts(firm_name="", _instrumentation={"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]})` to find. Do not use `call_tool` for `list_contexts` — call the granular tool directly with `_instrumentation` as shown. the firm. If multiple matches, present them via `AskUserQuestion` and confirm. 2. `mcp____set_context(firm_id=, _instrumentation={"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]})` to scope the session. Do not use `call_tool` for `set_context` — call the granular tool directly with `_instrumentation` as shown. 3. `call_tool({"name": "fa__list__entities", "arguments": {}, "_instrumentation": {"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]}})` to enumerate **every** entity under the firm. Prefer the granular tool when the server exposes it — one fewer hop, sidesteps `fetch`'s param-shape quirks: | Granular tool | Generic equivalent | |---|---| | `mcp____list_contexts(firm_name="")` | `call_tool({"name": "contexts__list", "arguments": {"firm_name": ""}})` | | `mcp____set_context(firm_id="")` | `call_tool({"name": "set_context", "arguments": {"firm_id": ""}})` | For DWH queries (`dwh:execute:query`, `dwh:list:tables`, `dwh:get:table_schema`) there is **no granular equivalent** — always go through `call_tool({"name": "…", "arguments": {…}})`. Each entity returned from step 3 (`fa:list:entities`) has the display name, `entity_id`, and a type field (`entity_type_string` — e.g. `Fund`, `GP Entity`, `Management Co`, `SPV`, `Holding`, `Elimination Entity`, depending on the firm's structure). Cache the full list — Gate 2 reads from it. **DWH param-name traps** — these cost a retry every time: - `dwh:execute:query` takes `sql:`, **not** `query:` (the trailing `:query` in the command name is not the param key). - `dwh:get:table_schema` takes `table_name:`, **not** `table:`. Don't query `FUND_ADMIN` for entity metadata; the JE table is denormalized and `FUND_NAME` is on every row. **Done when:** the firm is locked and the full entity list (with type, if available) is cached. --- ## Gate 2: Choose entity scope Before pulling data, ask the user which entities to include. The default ("All entities") matches the legacy consolidating-BS behavior; the others let the accountant trim noise from the output before any Excel write happens. Show a short summary first so the user knows what they're choosing from: > **6 entities found under Acme Ventures:** > - **Funds (3):** Acme Fund I, Acme Fund II, Acme Opportunity > Fund > - **Other (3):** Acme Co-Invest (SPV), Acme GP LP (GP), > Acme SPV-1 (SPV) (Group entities by `entity_type_string` if the field is available; otherwise group by name pattern — common fund-name tokens are `Fund`, `LP`, `LLC` with `Fund` in the name. Be conservative — when in doubt, surface the entity in "Other".) Then ask via `AskUserQuestion`: ``` Which entities should the Balance Sheet include? 1 - All entities (6) ← recommended 2 - Funds only (3) — only fund-type entities 3 - Pick from a list — choose specific entities 4 - Type the names — comma-separated ``` Handle each branch: - **1 — All entities** → keep every entity from Gate 1, with no type excluded by default. - **2 — Funds only** → filter to entities whose `entity_type_string == "Fund"`. If `entity_type_string` is not present in the API response, fall back to a conservative name pattern (case-insensitive `Fund` token in the display name). Show the resulting filtered list and confirm with `AskUserQuestion` before continuing — "Use these 3? Or pick individually?" - **3 — Pick from a list** → present a multi-select `AskUserQuestion` where each option is one entity name. Require at least one selection. - **4 — Type the names** → accept a comma-separated list as free text. Fuzzy-match each token against the cached entity names; show the resolved list and any unmatched tokens; confirm via `AskUserQuestion` before continuing. If any tokens are unmatched, loop until they're resolved or the user removes them. Lock the chosen list as `` and use it in Gate 3. **Wait for the user to confirm before continuing.** If the user picks an option that resolves to zero entities, stop and ask them to re-pick — never run the BS query with an empty entity scope. **Done when:** `` is a non-empty, user-confirmed list of entity display names from the Gate 1 cache. --- ## Gate 3: Pull journal entries The schema and sign conventions for the Carta DWH journal-entries table are documented in `references/schema.md`. Load that file now and apply its rules. **Default query — cumulative as-of (this is what balances):** ```sql SELECT FUND_NAME, FUND_UUID, ACCOUNT_TYPE, ACCOUNT_NAME, SUM(AMOUNT) AS BALANCE FROM WHERE FIRM_ID = '' AND EFFECTIVE_DATE <= '' AND ACCOUNT_TYPE BETWEEN '1000' AND '3999' AND FUND_NAME IN () GROUP BY 1, 2, 3, 4 ORDER BY FUND_NAME, ACCOUNT_TYPE ``` Use a `FUND_NAME IN (...)` clause only when `` is **not** the full Gate 1 list (i.e. the user picked options 2, 3, or 4). When the user picked "All entities" (option 1), omit the `FUND_NAME` filter so the query plan stays simple. Single-quote each name in the `IN (...)` clause and escape any embedded single quotes by doubling them (e.g. `O'Connor` → `'O''Connor'`). ### DWH result formatting — keep the response small For monthly / per-account / per-period activity queries that return more than ~50 rows, request `format: "ndjson"` and bucket the result into a blob (`store_blob` / `blobs.setJSON` / the runtime equivalent) before working with it. Do not paste large query results back into the conversation — they trigger `context_snip`, which can compress your Gate 4 / Gate 5 checks out of user visibility. Supported `format` values for `dwh:execute:query`: - `markdown` — best for small (≤50 row) results that you want to show the user. - `ndjson` — best for large results processed by code/agent. - `csv` is NOT supported. Do not try it. Run via `call_tool({"name": "dwh__execute__query", "arguments": {"sql": "..."}, "_instrumentation": {"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]}})`. SELECT-only. **Period-only variant** (`EFFECTIVE_DATE BETWEEN AND `) — run **only** if the user explicitly asks for "this month's activity" or "period-only." Warn them first: it will not balance, because BS accruals booked during the month have offsetting P&L entries excluded by the `ACCOUNT_TYPE` filter. If the result set is large, store it in a session blob (e.g. `blobs.setJSON("bs_data", ...)`) instead of carrying it in the prompt. ### Resolve the presentation currency (``) The number format in `references/formatting.md` is built from `` — resolve it here, do **not** assume USD: 1. Probe the journal-entries table for a currency column: `call_tool({"name": "dwh__get__table_schema", "arguments": {"table_name": ""}, "_instrumentation": {"plugin": "carta-investors", "skills": ["carta-consolidating-balance-sheet"]}})`. If it exposes a currency column (e.g. `CURRENCY`, `REPORTING_CURRENCY`, `FUND_CURRENCY`), add `SELECT DISTINCT ` scoped to `` and read the value(s). 2. If exactly one distinct currency comes back, set `` to it. 3. If the column doesn't exist, or the scope spans **multiple** currencies (a consolidating BS that mixes currencies cannot be summed into one Total column — see the no-cross-currency rule), ask the user via `AskUserQuestion`: *"What presentation currency should I use for this consolidating balance sheet?"* Store the answer as ``. Never silently default to USD. **Done when:** the period dataset is loaded (covering only Asset / Liability / Equity accounts) — scoped to `` — and `` is resolved. --- ## Gate 4: Classify accounts Classify each row by the leading digit of `ACCOUNT_TYPE`, per `references/schema.md`: - `1xxx` → **Assets** — keep `BALANCE` as-is - `2xxx` → **Liabilities** — multiply `BALANCE` by `-1` for positive display - `3xxx` → **Equity** — multiply `BALANCE` by `-1` for positive display Sort within each section by `ACCOUNT_TYPE` ascending. Use `ACCOUNT_NAME` directly as the row label — do not rename or consolidate accounts. **Done when:** every account has a section and a positive display value. --- ## Gate 5: Pre-build review Before touching the user's workbook, show a plain-English preview so the accountant can sanity-check the build and edit if anything looks off. This is the pre-flight checkpoint — no Excel changes happen until the user explicitly confirms. Present a short, scannable summary. Echo back the **scope choice from Gate 2** so the user can see exactly what's in and what's out: > **Ready to build the Balance Sheet — please review.** > > - **Firm:** Acme Ventures > - **Period:** as of March 31, 2026 (cumulative) > - **Entity scope:** Funds only (3 of 6) — Acme Fund I, Acme > Fund II, Acme Opportunity Fund > *(Excluded: Acme Co-Invest, Acme GP LP, Acme SPV-1.)* > - **Accounts found:** 22 Assets, 11 Liabilities, 7 Equity (40 total) > - **Sheet name:** `Balance Sheet - Acme Mar-26` If the user picked "All entities" in Gate 2, render the scope line as: > - **Entity scope:** All entities (6) — Acme Fund I, Acme Fund > II, Acme Co-Invest, Acme GP LP, Acme Opportunity Fund, > Acme SPV-1 Then ask with `AskUserQuestion`: ``` 1 - Build it ← recommended 2 - Change the firm or period 3 - Change the entity scope 4 - Cancel ``` Handle each branch: - **1 — Build it** → proceed to Gate 6. - **2 — Change firm or period** → return to Inputs, re-run Gates 1–4 with the new values, then present this review again. - **3 — Change the entity scope** → return to **Gate 2** (the entity-scope picker). On confirm, re-run Gates 3–4 with the new scope, then present this review again. - **4 — Cancel** → stop the skill cleanly. **Loop until the user picks "Build it" or cancels.** Never write to Excel based on inferred intent. **Do not** surface internal field names (`ACCOUNT_TYPE`, `FUND_NAME`, `EFFECTIVE_DATE`) or UUIDs in this review — translate to plain accountant language ("accounts", "entities", "as of …"). **Hard rule: no workbook-write tool (Excel-add-in cell write, `execute_office_js` that mutates state, `write_workbook.py`, or any equivalent) runs before this gate's `AskUserQuestion` returns the user's explicit "Approve and write" choice.** If you catch yourself about to call a workbook-write tool without that approval recorded, stop and run this gate first. **Done when:** the user has confirmed the build, with their chosen firm, period, and entity scope locked in. --- ## Gate 6: Decide the output destination This skill is designed to run inside the **Claude for Excel** add-in. Before writing anything, decide whether to write into the user's currently open workbook or to create a new one. 1. **Check for an active workbook.** Use the Excel add-in's "active workbook" / "current workbook" tool (whatever name the add-in exposes at runtime) to see if there is a workbook open in front of the user. 2. **If a workbook is open**: - Read the workbook name and the full list of existing sheet/tab names. - **Scan for a matching existing tab (COA label detection).** For each existing tab, read all non-empty cell values from column B via `execute_office_js`. Compare them against the `ACCOUNT_NAME` values in the Gate 4 dataset. A tab is a **COA-label match** if ≥ 5 account labels from the current query appear in that tab's column B. An **exact-name match** is a tab whose name equals the proposed sheet name (`Balance Sheet - `). Check for both — a renamed tab can match on labels even when its name differs. - **If a matching tab is found (exact-name or COA-label):** ask the user via `AskUserQuestion`, naming the matched tab explicitly: > **"I found an existing tab `` that appears to > contain balance sheet data for this firm. What would you like to > do?"** > Options: > - **"Update the existing `` tab"** — clear and > rebuild it in place. ← recommended > - **"Create a new tab instead"** — adds a new tab named > `Balance Sheet - ` (with a numeric suffix > like `(2)` if that name also already exists; truncate to Excel's > 31-character limit after suffixing). > - **"Cancel"** — stop the skill. - **If no matching tab is found:** ask the user whether you may add a new tab to the workbook. Example: > **"You have `.xlsx` open. May I add a new tab called > `Balance Sheet - Acme Mar-26` to it?"** > Options: > - **"Yes, add the tab here"** — proceed with the active workbook. > - **"No, create a new workbook instead"** — create a fresh workbook. > - **"Cancel"** — stop the skill. - **If the user picks "Update existing tab":** clear the matched tab's used data range before writing: ```javascript const sheet = context.workbook.worksheets.getItem(""); sheet.getUsedRange().clear(); await context.sync(); ``` Then proceed to Gate 7 using `` as the target sheet (the sheet already exists — do not call `create_sheet`). 3. **If no workbook is open**: - Create a new workbook silently. Name it `Balance Sheet - .xlsx` (e.g. `Balance Sheet - Acme Mar-26.xlsx`). The first sheet is the consolidating Balance Sheet tab. - Tell the user, in one sentence, that you created a new workbook because nothing was open. 4. **If the user cancels** or denies edit permission for the active workbook **and** picks "Cancel": stop the skill cleanly. Don't fall back silently to creating a new file. Lock the chosen `` and `` and use them through Gate 7 and Gate 8. **Done when:** the destination workbook + target sheet name are known and the user has explicitly consented to any edit to a pre-existing workbook. --- ## Gate 7: Build and brand the output sheet ### Approval-recorded check (run FIRST, before any write tool) Before calling `execute_office_js` with state-mutating code, `setValues`, `write_workbook.py`, or any other workbook-write tool, look back at your tool history. Find the most recent `AskUserQuestion` you sent. Does its answer literally include `"Build it"` (the Gate 5 build-approval)? If NO, Gate 5 did not pass — send the Gate 5 approval menu now and wait for the explicit answer. **Do not interpret upstream answers as approval.** An entity-scope response from Gate 2, a destination response from Gate 6, or any prior `AskUserQuestion` whose answer is not literally a build-approval choice does NOT clear this gate. ### Gate 7 requires AT LEAST three separate `execute_office_js` calls (excel-addin runtime) The most common failure mode is bundling cell writes + formatting + logo into one `writeSheet(...)` function — the model writes the cells, returns, and forgets the logo. **Do not combine the cell-write call with the brand block in a single office.js block.** - **Call 1:** cell values, formulas, formatting. One `execute_office_js`. Return. - **Call 2:** logo on the BS tab via the verbatim brand block below. - **Call 3 (verification, LAST):** load shape names on the BS tab, confirm `CartaLogo` exists. Returning from Call 1 does NOT finish Gate 7. The verification call must appear in your tool history before Gate 8. Read `references/formatting.md` now and apply its layout exactly. That file covers sheet name, header rows, section headers, subtotal/grand-total rows, the Total column, number formats, column widths, font, and the "do not include" list. **Also read [`references/branding-and-header.md`](references/branding-and-header.md)** for the standard 4-row metadata band (B1 firm / B2 descriptive title like `"Consolidating Balance Sheet · As of Mar-26"` / B3 source / B4 other context) and Carta logo placement (column E, rows 1–3 height). If `formatting.md` and `branding-and-header.md` disagree on where section headers start (e.g. `formatting.md` says `B5 = Assets`), the branding spec wins — shift sections to start at row 6 or below so rows 1–4 stay reserved for metadata. ### Brand block — verbatim, run AFTER the cell writes (DO NOT SKIP) The output sheet is not "built" until it carries a `CartaLogo` shape. Use the verbatim brand block from [`references/branding-and-header.md`](references/branding-and-header.md) — substitute `` with the BS tab name. Asset access via `blobs.getText("assets/powered_by_carta.b64.txt")` — NOT `Read` or filesystem paths. **Brand-verification call (REQUIRED, observable).** Run this as a **separate** `execute_office_js` call before proceeding to Gate 8: ```javascript const sheet = context.workbook.worksheets.getItem(""); sheet.shapes.load("items/name"); await context.sync(); return sheet.shapes.items.map(s => s.name); ``` The result must include `"CartaLogo"`. If not, re-run the brand block above and re-verify. **Do not proceed to Gate 8 until this verification returns `CartaLogo`.** The verification call is observable evidence; without it in your tool history, Gate 7 branding is not complete. Two critical reminders from that reference: - Write the Total-column **header** (e.g. `Mar-26`) with `numFmt = "@"` applied **before** setting the value. Otherwise Excel parses it as a date serial. - Every total is a `=SUM(...)` formula, never a hardcoded number. The Total column sums across entities; section subtotals sum down the section. **Empty entities**: if an entity in `` has no JE activity through the as-of date, still include the column with zeros — not blanks. ### Sheet-write hard rules - **`range.merge(true)` discards values in trailing cells.** Never merge cells whose contents you still need. To add a header row above existing sub-headers, **insert a new row first** (`sheet.getRange("5:5").insert(...)`) and write the merged labels into the inserted row — do not merge over a row that already holds sub-headers. - **Two-row header pattern** when bucketing by period: row N = one merged cell per period (e.g. `Mar-26`, `Apr-26`); row N+1 = sub-headers if any. Never write the period label and any sub-headers into the same row. - The date-serial trap (already called out above for the Total-column header) applies to **every** cell where you write a month/period string. Set `numFmt = "@"` **before** the value, or apply `numberFormat: "mmm yyyy"` to a real date in the same write. **Done when:** the sheet exists with one column per entity in ``, all account rows, all subtotals, and the grand-total row, all driven by formulas. --- ## Gate 8: Verify and report **Gate 8 precondition (DO NOT SKIP).** Before sending the report text below, scan your tool history. Three anchors MUST be present in that order: 1. An `AskUserQuestion` whose answer included `"Build it"` (Gate 5 build-approval). 2. A `sheet.shapes.addImage(base64)` call for the BS tab — Gate 7 branding. 3. The branding-verification `execute_office_js` whose result included `"CartaLogo"` — Gate 7 verification. If any anchor is missing, you have skipped a gate. **Do NOT report build success when no `shapes.addImage` call appears in your tool history.** STOP, go back, run the missing gate, then return here. After writing: 1. Read back the `Total Assets` and `Total Liabilities and Equity` rows. They should match per entity (BS must balance). 2. Flag any entity where `|Total Assets - Total Liabilities and Equity| > 1000` (more than $1k off in raw dollars). Imbalance usually means the COA has accounts that didn't classify cleanly into Assets, Liabilities, or Equity. **Report structure:** Lead with a one-line confirmation, then a **Key tie-outs** block, then the detail. Status vocabulary: ✅ Match, ⚠ Mismatch ($X diff). > The Balance Sheet is ready in `Acme Q1 Reporting.xlsx` — tab > [Balance Sheet - Acme Mar-26](). > > **Key tie-outs (per-entity foot, Assets vs Liabilities & Equity):** > > | Entity | Total Assets | Total Liab & Equity | Difference | Status | > |---|---:|---:|---:|---| > | Acme Fund I | **$48,210,300** | **$48,210,300** | $0 | ✅ Match | > | Acme Fund II | **$22,815,900** | **$22,815,900** | $0 | ✅ Match | > | Acme Co-Invest | **$6,440,775** | **$6,440,775** | $0 | ✅ Match | > | Acme GP LP | **$1,228,100** | **$1,228,100** | $0 | ✅ Match | > | Acme Opportunity Fund | **$13,902,440** | **$13,902,440** | $0 | ✅ Match | > | Acme SPV-1 | **$3,118,650** | **$3,118,650** | $0 | ✅ Match | > > **6** entities checked. **6** matched, **0** mismatched. > > 51 accounts written across 6 entity columns + Total column. If any entity does **not** foot, surface its row with status `⚠ Mismatch ($X diff)` and a short note pointing the user at the likely cause (unclassified account, COA digit drift, period-only variant ran by mistake). Then offer the post-action menu: **The next-step menu MUST be a single `AskUserQuestion` call** with the options below as `options` entries. Never render them as a numbered markdown list, a bulleted list, or inline prose — bare-text menus break the chooser UI in Claude for Excel and force the user to type the number. The `← recommended` marker goes inside the `description` field of one option, not as a suffix on the `label`. 1. **Build the P&L for the same firm and period** ← recommended 2. **Build the Balance Sheet for a different period** 3. **I'm done** **When the user selects an option, immediately invoke the corresponding skill via `Skill('')` BEFORE doing any work.** Do not freelance the output — load the downstream skill's SKILL.md so its gates, layout spec, branding rules, and approval flow apply. Routing: | Option | Skill to invoke | |---|---| | 1 — Build the P&L | `Skill('carta-investors:carta-consolidating-pnl')` | | 2 — Build the Balance Sheet for a different period | `Skill('carta-investors:carta-consolidating-balance-sheet')` re-entry with the new period | | 3 — I'm done | No invocation; close cleanly | **Done when:** sheet exists, Key tie-outs reported with status per entity, post-action menu rendered. --- ## Schema discovery The skill queries the Carta DWH journal-entries table. If column names are needed, look up the table via the Carta MCP DWH schema command once at Gate 0 — production schema is canonical. Don't embed column listings inline; the DWH contract can drift. ## Error handling | Symptom | Likely cause | What to tell the user | |---|---|---| | No Carta MCP tool present | The Carta connector isn't enabled in this Claude for Excel session | "I can't see your Carta connector. Open **Settings → Connectors** in Claude, enable Carta, then ask me again." | | `contexts:list` returns no firm | Firm name typo, or the user's MCP context doesn't include this firm | Echo back the name and ask for confirmation or an alternative spelling. Don't silently pick a near-match. | | `contexts:list` returns multiple firms | Common short names match several firms | Show the candidates via `AskUserQuestion` and let the user pick. | | Query returns 0 rows | No JE activity for the firm through the as-of date | "I didn't find any journal entries for this firm through Mar 31, 2026. Double-check the period or confirm books are open for that month." | | Query times out | DWH load, or unusually large date range | Tell the user the query is slow and offer to retry with the same parameters — never auto-retry. | | BS doesn't balance per entity | COA accounts not in 1xxx/2xxx/3xxx, or period-only variant ran by mistake | Surface the per-entity imbalance in Gate 8's Key tie-outs table. Suggest reviewing the unclassified accounts. | | Auth / permission error from MCP | The user's Carta session expired or lacks DWH access | Tell them to reconnect Carta in Settings → Connectors. Do not retry automatically. | Never auto-retry a failed command. Always surface the failure and let the user decide whether to retry. --- ## Do NOT - **Don't skip Gate 2** by inferring entity scope from chat. User must explicitly pick — even if the prompt says "all entities", echo the resolved list and confirm. - **Don't run BS query with empty entity scope.** Zero entities → stop, ask user to re-pick. - **Don't exclude any entity type by default.** "All entities" in Gate 2 means every entity Gate 1 returned, full stop. - **Don't include Topside Adjustments or prior-period columns.** The only non-entity columns are per-entity columns plus Total. - **Don't rename accounts.** Use `ACCOUNT_NAME` from JE verbatim. - **Don't run period-only variant** without explicit opt-in and a "won't balance" warning. - **Don't claim success** without re-reading and verifying per-entity balance in Gate 8. - **Don't skip branding.** Gate 8 report must not run until the tab carries `CartaLogo` on column E — see [`references/branding-and-header.md`](references/branding-and-header.md). - **Do NOT freeze panes** on this tab.