5 Excel Date Formulas

Introduction to Excel Date Formulas

Excel date formulas are used to perform various operations on dates in Microsoft Excel, such as calculating the difference between two dates, finding the current date, and more. In this article, we will explore five useful Excel date formulas that can help you work with dates more efficiently.

1. TODAY Formula

The TODAY formula in Excel returns the current date. The syntax for this formula is:

TODAY()

This formula does not require any arguments and can be used to display the current date in a cell.

2. NOW Formula

The NOW formula in Excel returns the current date and time. The syntax for this formula is:

NOW()

Similar to the TODAY formula, the NOW formula does not require any arguments and can be used to display the current date and time in a cell.

3. DATEDIF Formula

The DATEDIF formula in Excel calculates the difference between two dates in a specified interval, such as days, months, or years. The syntax for this formula is:

DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit)

The unit can be one of the following:

• “d” for days
• “m” for months
• “y” for years
• “md” for the difference in days, ignoring months and years
• “ym” for the difference in months, ignoring days and years
• “yd” for the difference in days, ignoring years

For example, to calculate the difference between two dates in days, you can use the formula:

=DATEDIF(A1, B1, “d”)

Assuming the start date is in cell A1 and the end date is in cell B1.

4. EOMONTH Formula

The EOMONTH formula in Excel returns the last day of the month that is a specified number of months before or after a date. The syntax for this formula is:

EOMONTH(start_date, months)

For example, to find the last day of the month that is 3 months after a date, you can use the formula:

=EOMONTH(A1, 3)

Assuming the date is in cell A1.

5. NETWORKDAYS Formula

The NETWORKDAYS formula in Excel calculates the number of workdays between two dates, excluding weekends and holidays. The syntax for this formula is:

NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])

The holidays argument is optional and can be a range of cells that contain the dates of holidays.

Formula	Description
TODAY()	Returns the current date
NOW()	Returns the current date and time
DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit)	Calculates the difference between two dates in a specified interval
EOMONTH(start_date, months)	Returns the last day of the month that is a specified number of months before or after a date
NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])	Calculates the number of workdays between two dates, excluding weekends and holidays

📝 Note: The formulas and functions used in this article are available in Excel 2013 and later versions.

In summary, these five Excel date formulas can help you perform various operations on dates, such as calculating the difference between two dates, finding the current date, and more. By using these formulas, you can work with dates more efficiently and effectively in Excel.