Tres Cost Basis

TRES Finance — Cost Basis Management

End-to-end skill for managing cost basis calculation, strategy configuration, reevaluations, financial issue review, and related operations in TRES Finance.

MCP Server

All calls use the user-tres-finance MCP server (the TRES Finance MCP connector).

All variable keys and nested input fields MUST use camelCase (e.g. assetClassId, not asset_class_id).

Step 1 — Authenticate and confirm org

Call get_viewer with no arguments. Confirm the org name with the user if there is any ambiguity.

Step 2 — Ensure a cost basis strategy is defined (gate before calculation)

Before any cost basis calculation can run, the organization must have a strategy defined. This step is a prerequisite gate — run it automatically whenever the user wants to calculate cost basis (Section D), or when they first ask for help with cost basis.

1. Fetch the current strategy using the query in Section B.

2. If defaultStrategy is returned (any valid value like FIFO, LIFO, etc.), the strategy is already set — skip ahead and inform the user:

   "Your cost basis strategy is set to [STRATEGY]. Proceeding."

3. If no strategy is configured (the query returns null or an error), present the user with all available methods and ask them to choose:

   "Before calculating cost basis, you need to choose a costing method. Here are the available strategies:

   1. FIFO — First-in, first-out. Earliest acquired lots are disposed first. The most common method.
   2. LIFO — Last-in, first-out. Most recently acquired lots are disposed first.
   3. AVG — Weighted average cost across all lots.
   4. MAX_GAINS — Disposes lowest-cost lots first, maximizing realized gains.
   5. MAX_LOSSES — Disposes highest-cost lots first, maximizing realized losses (useful for tax-loss harvesting).
   6. FIFO_IMPAIRMENT — FIFO with impairment accounting support (for orgs using impairment write-downs).

   Which method would you like to use?"

4. Once the user picks a strategy, set it using the mutation in Section C (with an empty strategyPeriods array if they just want a single default).

5. Then proceed to the requested operation (typically Section D — trigger calculation).

This gate ensures no calculation runs without an explicit strategy choice.

Step 3 — Run cost basis calculation

After confirming strategy, check the current calculation status (Section A) and offer to run or re-run the calculation:

1. Fetch status using the query in Section A.
2. If status is IN_PROGRESS, inform the user it's already running and offer to wait:

   "Cost basis calculation is currently in progress (started at [time]). Would you like me to wait for it to finish?"

3. If status is DONE, show when it last ran and ask:

   "Cost basis was last calculated on [lastFinishedAt]. Would you like to recalculate now, or view the existing results?"

4. If status is ITEM_NOT_FOUND, this org has never calculated — proceed directly to trigger.
5. When the user confirms (or on first-time run), trigger the calculation using the mutation in Section D.
6. Poll status every ~10 seconds until status = "DONE".
7. Once done, automatically proceed to show results per asset (Section E) and financial issues (Section F).

This step ensures the user always has fresh results and understands the calculation state before viewing data.

Available operations

Based on the user's request, follow the appropriate section below. Many users will come in with a general question like "help me with cost basis" — in that case, run Steps 1–3 (authenticate, check strategy, run calculation), then show results.

A. Check cost basis calculation status

Use this when the user asks whether cost basis is running, done, or when it last ran.

query CostBasisGetStatus {
  costBasisGetStatus {
    status
    firstStartedAt
    lastFinishedAt
    updatedAt
  }
}

status values: DONE, IN_PROGRESS, ITEM_NOT_FOUND (never calculated).

Report the status clearly. If IN_PROGRESS, let the user know it's still running and they should wait. If DONE, report when it last finished.

B. View current cost basis strategy

Fetches the default strategy and any date-specific strategy overrides.

query GetCostBasisStrategyByDate {
  getCostBasisStrategyByDate {
    response {
      strategyPeriods {
        startDate
        endDate
        strategy
      }
      defaultStrategy
    }
  }
}

Present the default strategy and any period overrides clearly. Strategies: FIFO, LIFO, AVG, MAX_GAINS, MAX_LOSSES, FIFO_IMPAIRMENT.

Explain what each means if the user asks:

• FIFO — First-in, first-out. Earliest acquired lots are sold first.
• LIFO — Last-in, first-out. Most recently acquired lots are sold first.
• AVG — Weighted average cost across all lots.
• MAX_GAINS — Sells lowest-cost lots first, maximizing realized gains.
• MAX_LOSSES — Sells highest-cost lots first, maximizing realized losses (tax-loss harvesting).
• FIFO_IMPAIRMENT — FIFO with impairment accounting support.

C. Update cost basis strategy

Use when the user wants to change the default strategy or set strategy periods.

Always confirm with the user before executing — changing strategy affects all future cost basis calculations and requires a recalculation.

mutation UpdateCostBasisStrategyByDate(
  $defaultStrategy: CostBasisStrategy!,
  $strategyPeriods: [CBStrategyPeriodInput]!
) {
  updateCostBasisStrategyByDate(
    defaultStrategy: $defaultStrategy,
    strategyPeriods: $strategyPeriods
  ) {
    success
    message
  }
}

Variables example:

{
  "defaultStrategy": "FIFO",
  "strategyPeriods": [
    {
      "startDate": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
      "endDate": "2024-12-31T23:59:59Z",
      "strategy": "LIFO"
    }
  ]
}

CostBasisStrategy enum values: FIFO, FIFO_IMPAIRMENT, LIFO, AVG, MAX_GAINS, MAX_LOSSES.

If updating to a period-based config, first fetch the existing periods (Section B) so you don't accidentally overwrite them — the mutation replaces ALL periods.

After a successful strategy change, ask the user if they want to trigger a cost basis recalculation (Section D).

D. Trigger cost basis calculation

Prerequisite: Before triggering, run Step 2 (strategy gate) to ensure a strategy is defined. If none is set, the user must choose one first.

Starts (or restarts) the cost basis calculation. Can target specific assets or recalculate everything.

mutation TriggerCostBasis($assetClassIds: [Int]) {
  triggerCostBasis(assetClassIds: $assetClassIds) {
    success
  }
}

• To recalculate everything: pass assetClassIds: null (or omit it).
• To recalculate specific assets: pass an array of asset class IDs, e.g. [42, 88].

To find asset class IDs, query assetBalance or assetClass first:

query AssetClasses($limit: Int) {
  assetClass(limit: $limit) {
    results { id symbol name }
  }
}

After triggering — poll until completion

After a successful trigger (success: true), poll the status using the query from Section A. The calculation typically takes 10–60 seconds for small orgs but can take minutes for large ones.

1. Trigger → success: true
2. Poll costBasisGetStatus every ~10 seconds
3. When status = "DONE" → proceed to show results (Section E)

Do NOT present results or offer report downloads until status is DONE. While IN_PROGRESS, show a brief wait message to the user.

E. View cost basis results per asset

Shows the cost basis breakdown per asset-wallet pair — total cost, realized gains, COGS, running inventory, and more.

Important: Use the assetBalance query (NOT organizationBalance). The assetBalance query returns per-wallet asset rows, each with a nested costBasis field from FifoCostBasisQuery.

query AssetBalanceWithCostBasis($limit: Int, $offset: Int) {
  assetBalance(limit: $limit, offset: $offset) {
    totalCount
    results {
      asset {
        symbol
        name
      }
      belongsTo {
        name
      }
      calculatedBalance
      assetFifoCostBasis
      totalProfitLoss
      costBasis {
        costBasis
        totalRealizedGains
        totalShortTermRealizedGains
        totalLongTermRealizedGains
        totalCost
        totalRunningInventoryQuantity
        cogs
        proceeds
        runningBalance
      }
    }
  }
}

Variables: {"limit": 50, "offset": 0}

Paginate if totalCount > 50 — increment offset by 50 and fetch again until all results are retrieved.

Key fields explained

• assetFifoCostBasis — The total cost basis for this asset-wallet pair (top-level shortcut).
• totalProfitLoss — Total realized P&L (top-level shortcut).
• costBasis — Nested object with full detail (null if not calculated):
  • costBasis / totalCost — Total cost of current inventory.
  • totalRealizedGains — Net realized gains/losses.
  • totalShortTermRealizedGains / totalLongTermRealizedGains — Split by holding period.
  • cogs — Cost of goods sold for disposals.
  • proceeds — Total proceeds from disposals.
  • totalRunningInventoryQuantity — Current inventory quantity.
  • runningBalance — Running token balance.

Presenting results — the full picture

After fetching all pages, split the results into two groups:

Group 1 — Assets with cost basis data (costBasis is not null): Present as a table sorted by absolute realized P&L descending, with columns: Asset, Wallet, Holdings, Cost Basis ($), Realized P&L ($). Use color coding: green/+ for gains, red/- for losses.

Group 2 — Assets without cost basis (costBasis is null AND calculatedBalance != 0): These are assets where cost basis was NOT calculated — usually because of missing fiat values, no transactions, or unverified/spam assets. Present them separately under a clear heading like:

Assets without cost basis data: The following assets have balances but no cost basis calculated. This typically means they have missing fiat prices that need to be resolved before cost basis can be computed.

Show: Asset, Wallet, Holdings, and a note about likely cause (spam token, NFT, missing fiat, etc.).

Always show both groups so the user sees the complete picture. If Group 2 contains any non-trivial assets (not spam/virtual), also run the financial issues query (Section F) filtered to HIGH severity to check for missing_fiat issues, and report them alongside.

When missing fiat issues are found, automatically look up historical prices using the pricing query (Section G.1) for each affected asset at the transaction timestamp. Present the looked-up prices to the user and offer to apply them using bulk fiat edit (Section G.2).

Recommended: Generate an HTML dashboard file with styled tables for both groups plus a financial issues summary. Save it to the outputs folder and share the link with the user.

Use standard number formatting:

• Fiat values >= $1M: "$X.XXXM", >= $1K: "$X.XXK", else "$X.XX"
• Positive gains: "+" prefix, negative: "-" prefix

F. View financial issues

Financial issues are problems detected during cost basis calculation — negative balances, missing fiat values, circular transfers, etc.

query FinancialIssues($limit: Int, $offset: Int, $severity: String) {
  financialIssue(limit: $limit, offset: $offset, severity: $severity) {
    totalCount
    results {
      id
      type
      severity
      message
      balanceImpact
      assetClass {
        id
        symbol
        name
      }
      assetClassId
      internalAccount {
        name
      }
      internalAccountId
      tx {
        identifier
        timestamp
      }
      subTx {
        id
        amount
      }
    }
  }
}

Filter options

Important: Filter values must be lowercase — the API uses DB-stored values.

• severity: "high", "medium", "low"
• Do NOT filter by type directly in the query — instead, fetch all issues and filter/group in the presentation. The type filter uses internal DB values that may not match the display names.

Actual issue types returned

The type field returns lowercase strings like:

• missing_fiat — Sub-transaction has no fiat price. Affects cost basis accuracy. Can be resolved with bulk fiat edit (Section G).
• negative_balance — Inventory went below zero (more sold than acquired). Usually means missing inflow transactions.
• result_was_rounded — Minor rounding occurred during calculation. Low severity.
• ignored — Sub-transaction was skipped (e.g. internal transfer to same account).
• no_opposite_tx — Internal transfer has no matching counterpart.
• circular_internal_sbxs — Circular dependency in internal transfer matching.

Group results by severity and present HIGH issues first. The most common pattern is a handful of HIGH severity missing_fiat issues plus many LOW severity result_was_rounded issues — summarize the LOW ones as a count rather than listing each individually.

G. Fix missing fiat values

This is a two-part flow: first look up historical prices, then apply them.

G.1 — Look up historical token prices

Use the TRES MCP pricing queries to fetch historical prices for tokens with missing fiat values. This uses the platform's pricing engine which aggregates from CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, exchanges, and other sources.

For a single asset at a specific timestamp:

query GetStatelessPricing(
  $platform: Platform!,
  $assetIdentifier: String!,
  $currencies: [Currency]!,
  $timestamp: DateTime
) {
  getStatelessPricing(
    platform: $platform,
    assetIdentifier: $assetIdentifier,
    currencies: $currencies,
    timestamp: $timestamp
  ) {
    prices
    assetClassId
    symbol
  }
}

Variables example:

{
  "platform": "ETHEREUM",
  "assetIdentifier": "0x...contractAddress",
  "currencies": ["USD"],
  "timestamp": "2020-11-24T09:01:26Z"
}

For multiple assets at once (by asset class ID):

query GetBatchPricing($requests: [GetBatchPricesByAssetClassRequest]!) {
  getBatchStatelessPricingByAssetClass(requests: $requests) {
    prices
    assetClassId
    symbol
  }
}

Variables example:

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "assetClass": "4272",
      "currencies": ["USD"],
      "timestamp": "2018-06-18T19:13:45Z"
    },
    {
      "assetClass": "4272",
      "currencies": ["USD"],
      "timestamp": "2020-11-24T09:01:26Z"
    },
    {
      "assetClass": "9082",
      "currencies": ["USD"],
      "timestamp": "2020-11-27T20:06:54Z"
    }
  ]
}

The prices field returns a JSON object like {"usd": 0.015}.

How to use this in the missing fiat flow:

1. From the financial issues (Section F), collect each missing_fiat issue's assetClass.id and tx.timestamp.
2. Call getBatchStatelessPricingByAssetClass with one request per issue.
3. Present the results to the user:

   "I found historical prices for the missing fiat transactions:

   • CHSB on 2018-06-18: $0.015 per token
   • CHSB on 2020-11-24: $0.085 per token
   • vBUSD on 2020-11-27: $0.021 per token

   Would you like me to apply these prices?"

4. If the user confirms, apply them using Section G.2 (bulk fiat edit).

Pricing sources to try: If the default source returns empty, try these apiSource values in order: COINMARKETCAP, CRYPTO_COMPARE, REGULAR_FLOW, COINBASE, BINANCE, KRAKEN. Pass the apiSource field in the request:

{
  "requests": [
    { "assetClass": "4272", "currencies": ["USD"], "timestamp": "2020-11-24T09:01:26Z", "apiSource": "COINMARKETCAP" }
  ]
}

Important: The pricing query returns prices: {} (empty object) when no price data is available — this is common for obscure, delisted, or DeFi-wrapped tokens. Try multiple sources before giving up.

If ALL pricing sources return empty for a token, inform the user and ask them to provide a manual price. Suggest approximate values if you know the token (e.g. BUSD-pegged tokens ≈ $1.00).

G.2 — Bulk fiat value edit

Override fiat unit prices for an asset across a date range. Useful for fixing MISSING_FIAT issues or correcting OTC prices.

Always confirm parameters with the user before executing — this writes fiat values to potentially many sub-transactions.

mutation BulkFiatEdit(
  $assetClassId: Int!,
  $currency: Currency!,
  $startDate: Date!,
  $endDate: Date!,
  $unitPrice: Float!,
  $updateExistingFiat: Boolean
) {
  bulkFiatEdit(
    assetClassId: $assetClassId,
    currency: $currency,
    startDate: $startDate,
    endDate: $endDate,
    unitPrice: $unitPrice,
    updateExistingFiat: $updateExistingFiat
  ) {
    success
    message
  }
}

Variables example:

{
  "assetClassId": 42,
  "currency": "USD",
  "startDate": "2024-01-01",
  "endDate": "2024-01-31",
  "unitPrice": 1.0,
  "updateExistingFiat": false
}

• updateExistingFiat: false (default) — only fills in missing fiat values.
• updateExistingFiat: true — overwrites all fiat values in the range.

To find the assetClassId, query assetClass by symbol first.

When applying prices from G.1, use the looked-up unit price and set the date range tightly around the transaction date (same day for startDate and endDate) to avoid overwriting prices on other transactions.

After bulk fiat edits, suggest the user trigger a cost basis recalculation (Section D).

H. Reevaluations and impairments

Reevaluations adjust the fair market value (FMV) of inventory lots at a specific point in time. Impairments are a special case where the FMV drops below cost.

H.1 — List reevaluations

query GetReevaluations($limit: Int, $offset: Int, $assetClassId_In: [ID]) {
  reevaluation(
    limit: $limit,
    offset: $offset,
    assetClassId_In: $assetClassId_In,
    ordering: "-timestamp"
  ) {
    totalCount
    results {
      id
      timestamp
      unitPrice
      currency
      isImpairment
      assetClass {
        id
        symbol
      }
      appliedCostBasis {
        id
        totalCost
        revaluedCostAdjustment
        internalAccount {
          id
          name
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

H.2 — Create reevaluation

Always confirm with the user before executing.

mutation CreateReevaluation($reevaluations: [ReevaluationObjectType]!) {
  createReevaluation(reevaluations: $reevaluations) {
    reevaluationIds
  }
}

Variables example:

{
  "reevaluations": [
    {
      "unitPrice": "45000.00",
      "timestamp": "2024-12-31T23:59:59Z",
      "assetClassId": 1,
      "currency": "USD",
      "isImpairment": false
    }
  ]
}

• isImpairment: false — standard reevaluation (mark-to-market).
• isImpairment: true — impairment write-down.

Creating a reevaluation also creates a manual transaction to represent the adjustment in the ledger. Inform the user of this side effect.

After creating, suggest triggering cost basis recalculation (Section D).

H.3 — Update reevaluation

mutation UpdateReevaluation(
  $reevaluationId: Int!,
  $unitPrice: Decimal!,
  $timestamp: DateTime!,
  $assetClassId: Int!,
  $currency: Currency!
) {
  updateReevaluation(
    reevaluationId: $reevaluationId,
    unitPrice: $unitPrice,
    timestamp: $timestamp,
    assetClassId: $assetClassId,
    currency: $currency
  ) {
    status
  }
}

H.4 — Delete reevaluation

mutation DeleteReevaluation($reevaluationId: Int!) {
  deleteReevaluation(reevaluationId: $reevaluationId) {
    status
  }
}

Deleting also removes the associated manual transaction from the ledger.

I. Spec-ID rules (specific lot disposal)

Spec-ID rules let the user specify exactly which acquisition lot to use when disposing of an asset — overriding the default strategy (e.g. FIFO) for specific transactions.

I.1 — View spec-ID rules

query CostBasisSpecIdRules(
  $limit: Int,
  $offset: Int,
  $outflowSubTransaction_In: [String]
) {
  costBasisSpecIdRule(
    limit: $limit,
    offset: $offset,
    outflowSubTransaction_In: $outflowSubTransaction_In
  ) {
    totalCount
    results {
      id
      outflowSubTransaction {
        id
        amount
        timestamp
        asset { symbol }
        belongsTo { name }
      }
      disposedLotSubTransaction {
        id
        amount
        timestamp
      }
      amountToDispose
      priority
    }
  }
}

I.2 — Set spec-ID rules

Always confirm with the user before executing. This replaces all existing rules for the given outflow sub-transaction.

mutation SetSpecIdRules(
  $subTransactionId: ID!,
  $specIdRules: [SpecIdRuleInput]!
) {
  setSpecIdRules(
    subTransactionId: $subTransactionId,
    specIdRules: $specIdRules
  ) {
    success
  }
}

Variables example:

{
  "subTransactionId": "12345",
  "specIdRules": [
    {
      "disposedLotSubTransactionId": "67890",
      "amount": 1.5,
      "priority": 1
    },
    {
      "disposedLotSubTransactionId": "67891",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "priority": 2
    }
  ]
}

• subTransactionId — the outflow (disposal) sub-transaction
• disposedLotSubTransactionId — the inflow (acquisition) sub-transaction to use as the cost lot
• amount — how much of that lot to dispose
• priority — processing order (1 = first)

After setting rules, suggest triggering cost basis recalculation (Section D).

I.3 — Delete spec-ID rules

mutation DeleteSpecIdRules($subTransactionId: ID!) {
  deleteSpecIdRules(subTransactionId: $subTransactionId) {
    success
  }
}

J. Full inventory configuration

By default, TRES trims old inventory lots to reduce storage. For specific transactions where the user needs the complete inventory queue visible, toggle full inventory saving.

mutation SetFullCostBasisInventoryConfiguration(
  $subTransactionId: ID,
  $enableFullInventory: Boolean
) {
  setFullCostBasisInventoryConfiguration(
    subTransactionId: $subTransactionId,
    enableFullInventory: $enableFullInventory
  ) {
    success
  }
}

This deletes existing cost basis records for the affected asset and triggers a recalculation automatically.

K. Export cost basis reports

TRES offers several cost basis report types. Use the availableReportTypes query to find available exports, then trigger via organizationBalance:

query AvailableReports {
  availableReportTypes {
    name
    exportType
    entitiesType
    llmDescription
  }
}

Cost-basis-related report types include:

• COST_BASIS_STACK_PER_ACCOUNT — Inventory lots grouped by wallet
• COST_BASIS_STACK_PER_ASSET — Inventory lots grouped by asset
• COST_BASIS_INVENTORY — Full inventory detail
• COST_BASIS_ROLL_FORWARD — Period-over-period roll forward
• REEVALUATION — Reevaluation records

To export, use organizationBalance with export parameters:

query ExportCostBasisReport(
  $exportName: String,
  $exportFormat: String,
  $currency: String,
  $outputFormat: ReportOutputFormat
) {
  organizationBalance(
    exportName: $exportName,
    exportFormat: $exportFormat,
    currency: $currency,
    outputFormat: $outputFormat
  ) {
    totalCount
  }
}

Variables example:

{
  "exportName": "Cost Basis Stack Per Asset - April 2024",
  "exportFormat": "COST_BASIS_STACK_PER_ASSET",
  "currency": "usd",
  "outputFormat": "XLSX"
}

Then poll the report query until status = "DONE" and provide the download link:

query Reports($limit: Int, $offset: Int) {
  report(limit: $limit, offset: $offset, ordering: "-created_at") {
    totalCount
    results {
      id
      name
      status
      downloadUrl
      createdAt
    }
  }
}

Critical: Do NOT present the download link while status is IN_PROGRESS — the file has not been written to S3 yet and the link will return a NoSuchKey error. Poll every ~10 seconds until status = "DONE", then present the downloadUrl to the user.

Guardrails

• Confirm before writes: Always confirm with the user before executing any mutation (strategy change, reevaluation, spec-ID rules, bulk fiat edit, trigger calc).
• Recalculation reminder: After any configuration change (strategy, reevaluation, spec-ID, fiat edit), remind the user that cost basis needs to be recalculated for changes to take effect.
• Locked periods: If a mutation fails with a "locked period" error, inform the user that the timestamp falls within a locked accounting period and they may need to unlock it first.
• Status check before trigger: Before triggering a recalculation, check the current status — if already IN_PROGRESS, let the user know it's still running.

Limitations — not available via MCP

The following cost basis features exist in the backend but are NOT exposed through the MCP GraphQL API, so this skill cannot perform them:

1. Per-wallet reallocation flow — The two-phase reallocation process (unified inventory -> per-wallet split) is an internal backend operation triggered by org settings, not directly callable via API.

2. Viewing raw inventory queue details — The assetRunningQueueFifo field is available on FifoCostBasisQuery but returns large JSON blobs. The queue data is best viewed through the TRES dashboard or via exported reports (COST_BASIS_STACK_PER_ACCOUNT / COST_BASIS_STACK_PER_ASSET).

3. Short position / loan queue management — Short position tracking (loan queue) is configured at the org-settings level and computed automatically. There is no direct API to view or manipulate the loan queue.

4. Cost basis calculation internals — The actual calculation engine (CostBasisCalculator, CostBasisManager) runs server-side. We can trigger it and read results, but cannot control the internal calculation flow, caching, or S3 queue persistence.

5. Internal transfer cost basis mapping — How cost basis is carried over between wallets in internal transfers is automatic and not configurable per-transaction via the API.

For any of these, direct the user to the TRES Finance dashboard or suggest exporting the relevant cost basis report for offline analysis.