Financial Model Audit
Systematically checks spreadsheet formulas and model integrity.
The skill is scoped to auditing and explicitly says not to change anything without asking; the repository provides an Apache-2.0 license and verified official provenance. However, it does not disclose spreadsheet data flow, sensitive financial-data handling, required permissions, dependency security, rollback, or audit isolation, so points are deducted.
The workflow is internally coherent and covers formula errors, model integrity, and logic checks. However, there is no executable script, dependency specification, test suite, input-boundary handling, error handling, or diagnosable failure feedback; under static calibration the score remains below 10.
Trigger phrases, selection/sheet/model scopes, and model-type scenarios are reasonably clear. Non-fit boundaries, Chinese-language support, Excel-environment differences, and behavior when the workbook is inaccessible are unspecified, so semantic and environment-fit evidence is incomplete.
The document has a clear progressive structure covering scope, checks, reporting, and notes. The repository supplies a license, installation entry points, and maintenance validation scripts, but the skill lacks independent versioning, changelog, dependency notes, FAQs, explicit limitations, and named maintenance responsibility.
The checklist covers common formula issues, three-statement tie-outs, and DCF/LBO-specific risks, with a directly usable findings-table format. However, there are no representative outputs, execution mechanics, or correctness evidence; static review can validate the task design but not delivered-result quality, so the score is capped at 7.
The skill supplies auditable checking rules and reporting requirements, and the repository includes plugin-validation and secret-scan CI. However, that CI does not cover the skill's key audit paths, and no committed tests or third-party execution evidence are provided; the score is conservative under the static ceiling.
- This file is an audit specification, not an executable auditor; results depend on the runtime, workbook access, and model context.
- Handling, retention, and transmission boundaries for sensitive financial data are unspecified; the deployer should confirm permissions and data governance before use.
- The model scope relies on substantial professional judgment without defined evidence capture, tolerance boundaries, or audit-completeness checks; qualified professionals should review all outputs.
What it does & when to use it
audit-xls audits spreadsheets for formula accuracy, errors, and common modeling mistakes. It supports three scopes: a selected range, the active sheet, or the entire model. Model-scope reviews cover balance-sheet balancing, cash-flow tie-outs, roll-forwards, circular references, and reasonableness checks, with additional tests for DCF, LBO, merger, and three-statement models. It produces a findings table and reports issues without changing the workbook unless asked.
Checks for #REF!, #VALUE!, #N/A, #DIV/0!, and #NAME? errors; hardcodes inside formulas; inconsistent neighboring formulas; off-by-one ranges; pasted-over formulas; circular references; broken cross-sheet links; unit or scale mismatches; and hidden rows or tabs. At model scope, it identifies the model type and performs structural, balance-sheet, cash-flow-statement, income-statement, circular-reference, logic, reasonableness, and model-type-specific checks, then outputs a findings table.
- An investment banking or financial analysis professional reviews a complete DCF, LBO, or three-statement model before sending it to a client or investment committee.
- A model user sees that the balance sheet does not balance or cash does not tie and needs the gap quantified by period and traced to its break point.
- An Excel user wants to check a selected range or active sheet for formula errors, hardcodes, inconsistent patterns, or range mistakes.
- A reviewer tests a merger model for purchase-price allocation, synergies, share-count treatment, and sources-and-uses issues.
Pros & cons
- Offers graduated audit depth from a selected range to a complete model.
- Covers formula errors, hardcodes, cross-sheet links, units, hidden rows or tabs, and circular references.
- Model scope includes core integrity checks such as balance-sheet balancing and cash-flow tie-outs.
- Returns a structured findings table with sheet, cell or range, severity, category, issue, and suggested fix.
- The supplied materials show no scripts, test suite, or concrete Excel file read/write implementation.
- The skill reports issues but does not fix them unless the user requests a fix.
- Macro-driven calculations cannot be fully audited from formulas alone and must be noted.
- The materials document specific Cowork and Claude Code installation paths but do not establish broader client integrations.
How to install
In Cowork, open Settings → Plugins → Add plugin, paste https://github.com/anthropics/financial-services, and select financial-analysis. In Claude Code, run claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/financial-services, then claude plugin install financial-analysis@claude-for-financial-services. The skill is located at plugins/vertical-plugins/financial-analysis/skills/audit-xls/SKILL.md.
How to use
After installation, use a trigger such as “audit this sheet,” “check my formulas,” “find formula errors,” “QA this spreadsheet,” “debug model,” or “model won't balance.” If no scope is supplied, choose selection, sheet, or model; model scope is intended for DCF, LBO, three-statement, merger, comps, and other integrated financial models. The skill reports findings first and does not make changes without asking.