How to create a date formula

Answer

A date formula in Excel is used to calculate, manipulate, or display dates automatically based on certain inputs. Excel stores dates as serial numbers, with January 1, 1900, as 1, which allows you to perform arithmetic operations with dates.

1. Using the DATE Function

The DATE function creates a valid date by specifying the year, month, and day.

Syntax:

DATE(year, month, day)

Example:

=DATE(2025, 12, 25)

This returns 12/25/2025.

• The year can be entered as a 2-digit or 4-digit.

• Months above 12 automatically increment the year. Example: DATE(2025, 15, 10) results in 3/10/2026.

• Days above the normal month limit increment the month. Example: DATE(2025, 12, 40) results in 1/9/2026.

2. Using TODAY and NOW Functions

The TODAY() function returns the current date without time.
The NOW() function returns the current date and time.

Example:

=TODAY()

This displays the current date dynamically.

Example with arithmetic:

=TODAY() + 30

This gives the date 30 days from today.

3. Adding or Subtracting Dates

Excel allows adding or subtracting numbers from dates because dates are stored as serial numbers.

Example:

=A1 + 7

Adds 7 days to the date in cell A1.

Example for months:

=EDATE(A1, 3)

Adds 3 months to the date in A1. Use negative numbers to subtract months.

4. Calculating Difference Between Dates

Subtracting one date from another gives the number of days between them.

Example:

=B1 - A1

If B1 contains 12/31/2025 and A1 contains 12/25/2025, the result is 6 days.

To calculate months or years between dates, use:

=DATEDIF(A1, B1, "m") // Months

=DATEDIF(A1, B1, "y") // Years

5. Combining DATE with Other Functions

You can combine DATE with YEAR, MONTH, and DAY for dynamic calculations.

Example:

=DATE(YEAR(A1)+1, MONTH(A1), DAY(A1))

This adds 1 year to the date in A1.

Example for end-of-month date:

=EOMONTH(A1, 0)

Returns the last day of the month of the date in A1. Use 1 to move to the next month.

6. Important Tips

1. Ensure the cell format is set to Date to display the result correctly.

2. Excel automatically corrects invalid dates, making it easy to manipulate months and days beyond normal ranges.

3. Use functions like TEXT(A1,"mm/dd/yyyy") to display dates in specific formats.

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