XIRR Function in Excel: Real Return on SIPs and Irregular 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

XIRR returns the annualised return for cash flows on specific dates — the right way to measure SIP and mutual-fund returns.

Syntax

=XIRR(values, dates, [guess])
Argument What it means
values Investments negative, redemptions/current value positive.
dates Matching dates.

Examples

Example 1

=XIRR(B2:B26, A2:A26)

Monthly SIP instalments as negatives and today’s value as the last positive entry.

Common errors and fixes

You see Why, and the fix
#NUM! All values have the same sign — you need at least one negative and one positive.

IRR · XNPV · RATE

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