IRR Function in Excel: Return of Regular (Periodic) Cash Flows

⏱ 1 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

FinancialLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2007+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. Common errors and fixes
  5. Related functions

IRR returns the rate at which the NPV of regular, equally spaced cash flows is zero. For irregular dates use XIRR.

Syntax

=IRR(values, [guess])
Argument What it means
values Cash flows; first is usually the negative investment.

Examples

Example 1

=IRR(B2:B7)

Project return from yearly cash flows −10L, 2L, 3L, 3.5L, 3L, 2L.

Common errors and fixes

You see Why, and the fix
#NUM! No sign change in the cash flows, or it can’t converge — give a guess like 10%.

XIRR · NPV · MIRR

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