How to Minus Number of Days or a Date from Today in Excel

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Determining the days between dates is a very common use of Excel. If you are curious about how you can calculate the subtraction of days or dates from Today’s date, then this article may come in handy for you. In this article, I am going to show how you can minus a number of days or dates from Today’s date in Excel with an elaborate example.


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Download this practice workbook below.


3 Suitable Examples to Minus Number of Days or a Date from Today in Excel

We are going to show three separate examples of subtracting the days from today’s date. Before using them, make sure that the dates are actually in the right format. For avoiding any kinds of compatibility issues, try to use the Excel 356 version.


1. Subtract Number of Days from Today

Here, in this example, we are going to subtract/ delete different day values from Today’s date using the Today function.

Steps

  • We have the number of days that are going to be deleted from today’s date.
  • To do this, select cell C5 and enter the below formula:

=TODAY()-B5

 Subtract Number of Days from Today date in Excel

  • Then drag the Fill Handle to cell C11.
  • Doing this will fill the range of cells with today’s date subtracted by the days mentioned in the range of cells C5:C11.

Read More: Excel Formula to Calculate Number of Days Between Today and Another Date


2. Subtract Number of Days from Today with Paste Special Method

Using the paste special tool, we can delete a certain amount of days from today’s date.  We are going to use the TODAY function to accomplish this.

Steps

  • For starters, you need to enter Today’s date.
  • Select cell C5 and enter the formula below:

=TODAY()

Subtract Number of Days from Today date with Paste Special Method

  • Select cell C5 and right-click on it.
  • From the context menu, click on the Copy.

Copy the number of days that are going to be deleted

  • Then again return to cell B5 and right-click on the mouse again.
  • Then from the Context menu, go to Paste Special > Paste Special.

paste special to minus 20 number of days from today date

  • In the new window named the Paste Special, Select Values under the Paste
  • And then select Subtract under the Operation
  • Click OK after this.

.

  • After clicking You are going to see that Today’s date is subtracted by values mentioned in cell C5.

Read More: How to Calculate Number of Days Between Two Dates in Excel


Similar Readings


3. Calculate Number of Days Between Today and Another Date

In this, the difference between the two dates is going to be calculated using the TODAY and DAYS formula.

Steps

  • Now we have the random dates in the range of cells C5:C10. The days between these dates and today’s date are going to be calculated.
  • To calculate the number of days between today’s date and another date, we need to determine today’s date.
  • To do this, select the cell B5 and enter the following formula:

=TODAY()

  • Moreover, merge the range of cells B5:B10.

Subtract Today and Another Date to Calculate Number of Days Between them

  • To calculate the days between Today’s date and the random dates enter the following formula:

=DAYS(B5,$C$5)

  • Then drag the Fill Handle to cell D10.
  • Doing this will fill the range of cells with the day differences between today’s date and the random dates.

Output differences of day between Today date and random dates

Read More: Excel Formula for Number of Days Between Two Dates


💬 Things to Remember

If any value seems odd or out of format, then try to reformat it. For example, if the value shows number format instead of date format, then reformat the cell from the Home menu.


Conclusion

To sum it up, the issue of how we minus date or days from today’s date is shown here with 3 separate examples.

For this problem, a workbook is available to download where you can practice these methods.

Feel free to ask any questions or feedback through the comment section. Any suggestion for the betterment of the ExcelDemy community will be highly appreciable.


Further Readings

Md. Abdullah Al Murad

Md. Abdullah Al Murad

Hello! Welcome to my Profile. Currently, I am working and researching Microsoft Excel, and here I will be posting articles related to this. My last educational degree is BSc, and my program was Computer Science and Engineering from American International University-Bangladesh. I am a Computer Science graduate with a great interest in research and development. Always try to gather knowledge from various sources and try to make innovative solutions.

2 Comments
  1. hi, i need to substract dates formula of machine break down hours
    i.e : machine breakdown started A1:1/1/2021 B1: 6:00 am

    job done C1: 15/1/2021 D1: 4:00 PM

    with minimum 10 hours each day = 150 hours(15 days)

    can some one help me out on this formula..

    • Hello, IMTIYAZ AHMED!
      Thank you for your query.
      Regarding your question, are you saying that your machine breakdown continues daily from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM and now you want to calculate total machine breakdown hours as 10 hours every day till 15/1/2021? Is it what you have asked for?
      Or something else? Please make your question a bit more clear. We are eager to get your reply to provide you with the actual solution to your query.
      Regards,
      Tanjim Reza

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