closing-cycle-patterns

# Closing Cycle Patterns Apply period-close and year-end close controls, adjusting entry patterns, and close-calendar orchestration. ## When to Use | Prompt or Code Shape | Use | |---|---| | Period-close checklist, close calendar, or deadline workflow is in scope | Use this skill | | Accruals, deferrals, depreciation, amortization, or closing entries are in scope | Use this skill | | Year-end close and financial statement preparation are in scope | Use this skill | | .NET workflow orchestration is needed for recurring close tasks and approvals | Use this skill | ## When Not to Use | Prompt or Code Shape | Route | |---|---| | Work item covers journal entry lifecycle only | Use `journal-entry-patterns` | | Work item covers reconciliation case handling only | Use `reconciliation-patterns` | | Work item covers control evidence and access policy only | Use `audit-trail-compliance` | | Work item covers account-type rules and ledger design only | Use `double-entry-accounting` | ## Required Inputs | Input | Required | Notes | |---|---|---| | Close calendar | Yes | Record period open date, soft-close date, hard-close date, and report deadline. | | Adjusting entry catalog | Yes | Record accrual, deferral, depreciation, amortization, reclass, and close-entry patterns. | | Ownership matrix | Yes | Record preparer, reviewer, approver, and dependency owner for each close task. | | Financial statement scope | Yes | Record balance sheet, income statement, cash flow, and supporting schedules in scope. | | Year-end policy | No | Record retained-earnings transfer and audit support rules when year-end work is in scope. | ## Workflow | Step | Action | Pass | |---|---|---| | 1 | Open the close run with task owners, dependencies, and deadlines. | Every task has ownership and dependency state. | | 2 | Post standard accrual, deferral, depreciation, amortization, and reclass entries. | Generated entries map to approved close patterns. | | 3 | Finish reconciliations and variance review before hard close. | Blocking reconciliations close before period lock. | | 4 | Lock routine posting, prepare statements, and run year-end closing entries when in scope. | Final statements tie to ledger balances and temporary accounts zero at year end. | | 5 | Record evidence, completion state, and controlled reopen paths. | The close run keeps timestamps, artifacts, and final status. | ## Close Procedure Table | Area | Pattern | Pass | |---|---|---| | Soft close | Gather preliminary balances, open items, and early variance review. | Preliminary statements and unresolved-items lists exist. | | Hard close | Restrict routine posting, complete final adjustments, and freeze period output. | No routine posting enters the closed period. | | Checklist | Track dependencies, owners, blockers, and evidence. | Task status stays current. | | Statement preparation | Derive statements and support schedules from final balances. | Statements tie to ledger and schedules. | | Reopen governance | Record reason, approver, scope, and new close state. | Reopened periods carry explicit approval trace. | ## Adjusting and Closing Entry Table | Entry pattern | Timing | Pass | |---|---|---| | Accrued expense or revenue | Cost or revenue is incurred before cash movement. | Recognition lands in the correct period. | | Prepaid expense or deferred revenue | Cash timing differs from recognition timing. | Unexpired or unearned amounts remain on the balance sheet. | | Depreciation or amortization | Period-end asset and intangible close step. | Expense and carrying-value schedules tie out. | | Closing entry | Year-end close. | Temporary accounts zero and retained earnings updates. | ## .NET Implementation Guidance | Concern | Pattern | |---|---| | Workflow model | `CloseRun`, `CloseTask`, `CloseDependency`, `CloseEvidence`, and `CloseException` records | | Automation | Deterministic close services and adjusting-entry generators | | Period control | `AccountingPeriod` states for open, soft-close, hard-close, and reopened | | Reporting | Read-side DTOs sourced from final ledger balances | | Scheduling | Triggers, reminders, and escalations tied to the close calendar | | Recovery | Idempotent rerun keys and restart boundaries | ## Integration Hooks | Hook | Pattern | |---|---| | EF Core | Close runs, period state, evidence, and generated entries with concurrency tokens | | Domain events | `CloseRunStarted`, `CloseTaskCompleted`, `PeriodHardClosed`, and `YearEndClosed` | | CQRS | Commands for close actions and queries for calendars, dashboards, and statements | | Scheduler integration | Close milestones, reminders, and escalations | ## Verification Checklist | Check | Test | Pass | |---|---|---| | Front matter and STE wording | Run front-matter validation and the STE scan. | Validation passes and banned wording stays absent. | | Adjustments and hard-close control | Compare generated entries to source schedules and attempt routine posting into a hard-closed period. | Entries tie to approved sources and hard-close blocks routine posting. | | Year-end close | Recalculate temporary accounts and retained earnings. | Temporary accounts zero and retained earnings reflects net activity. | ## Common Pitfalls | Pitfall | Agent Fix | |---|---| | Hard close occurs before reconciliation completion | Agent marks reconciliation completion as a blocking dependency. | | Adjusting entries lack source schedule linkage | Store evidence reference and schedule id on generated entries. | | Deferred revenue and prepaid expense schedules share one rule path | Separate liability and asset recognition logic. | | Year-end close edits prior statements in place | Agent preserves prior close artifacts and writes a controlled reopen or correction path. | | Close calendar omits ownership and due markers | Store owner, due point, and escalation rule for each task. | ## Outputs - Close procedure matrix - Adjusting-entry and year-end-close guidance - Close-calendar orchestration hooks - Financial-statement preparation checks