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In this article
EDATE returns the same day a number of months before or after a date — ideal for due dates, renewals and EMIs.
Syntax
=EDATE(start_date, months)| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
start_date |
A real date. |
months |
Positive to go forward, negative to go back. |
Examples
Example 1
=EDATE(A2, 12)Warranty end one year later.
Example 2
=EDATE(A2, -1)Same day last month.
💡 From 31-Jan, EDATE(…,1) returns 28/29-Feb — it never spills into March.
Related functions
EOMONTH · DATE · DATEDIF
📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.
📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Date scenarios workbookMonth maths, financial-year start, working days with holidays — with PASS/FAIL checks and the 2 most common date mistakes.⬇ XLSX · 8 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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