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Date and Time - EDATE Function
Description
The EDATE function returns the serial number that represents the date that is the indicated number of months before or after a specified date (the start_date).
Use EDATE to calculate maturity dates or due dates that fall on the same day of the month as the date of issue.
Syntax
EDATE (start_date, months)
Arguments
| Argument | Description | Required/ Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Start_date | A date that represents the start date. Dates should be entered by using the DATE function, or as results of other formulas or functions. Problems can occur if dates are entered as text. |
Required |
| Months | The number of months before or after start_date. A positive value for months yields a future date; a negative value yields a past date. |
Required |
Notes
Microsoft Excel stores dates as sequential serial numbers so they can be used in calculations. By default, January 1, 1900 is serial number 1, and January 1, 2008 is serial number 39448 because it is 39,448 days after January 1, 1900.
If months is not an integer, it is truncated.
The result will normally be expressed as a number that can be formatted to represent a Date with Format Cells.
If start_date is not a valid date, EDATE returns the #VALUE! error value.
If the date resulting from the calculation is not a valid Excel Date, EDATE returns the #NUM! error value.
Applicability
Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016
Example
