Excel: Adding a Month to a Date

2021-12-04

month

Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program that is part of the Microsoft Office suite. It is used by businesses and individuals worldwide for a variety of tasks, including financial analysis, data management, and forecasting. One common task that users need to perform in Excel is to add a month to a date.

There are a few different ways to add a month to a date in Excel. The most straightforward way is to use the DATE function. The DATE function takes three arguments: the year, the month, and the day. To add a month to a date, you simply need to specify the new month in the second argument.

To continue learning the methods to add a month to a date in Excel, please move on to the main content section.

excel add a month to date

Use DATE function, specify new month.

Use EDATE function, specify number of months.
Use MONTH function, add 1 to month number.
Use YEAR function, add 1 to year if necessary.
Use DATEADD function (Excel 2013 and later).
Use VBA code (for advanced users).
Use online date calculator.
Be aware of leap years.

These methods can be used to add a month to a date in Excel, regardless of the date format.

Use EDATE function, specify number of months.

The EDATE function is a simple and straightforward way to add a month to a date in Excel. It takes two arguments: the date to be modified and the number of months to be added.

Syntax: EDATE(date, months)
For example, to add 3 months to the date March 8, 2023, you would use the following formula: =EDATE("2023-03-08", 3)
Result: June 8, 2023
The EDATE function simply adds the specified number of months to the date. If the resulting date falls on a day that does not exist (e.g. February 30), Excel will automatically adjust the date to the last day of the previous month.
Leap years:
The EDATE function takes leap years into account. This means that if you add a month to a date in February of a leap year, the result will be the correct date in March, even if February only has 28 days.
Negative values:
You can also use negative values with the EDATE function to subtract months from a date. For example, the following formula would subtract 2 months from the date March 8, 2023: =EDATE("2023-03-08", -2)

The EDATE function is a versatile and easy-to-use tool for adding or subtracting months from a date in Excel. It can be used in a variety of formulas and calculations, making it a valuable asset for anyone who works with dates in Excel.

Use MONTH function, add 1 to month number.

The MONTH function returns the month number of a date. This means that you can use the MONTH function to extract the month number from a date, add 1 to it, and then use the DATE function to create a new date with the incremented month number.

For example, to add 1 month to the date March 8, 2023, you would use the following steps:

Extract the month number from the date using the MONTH function: =MONTH("2023-03-08")
Add 1 to the month number: =MONTH("2023-03-08") + 1
Create a new date using the DATE function and the incremented month number: =DATE(YEAR("2023-03-08"), MONTH("2023-03-08") + 1, DAY("2023-03-08"))

The result of this formula is April 8, 2023, which is 1 month after March 8, 2023.

Here are some additional points to keep in mind when using the MONTH function to add a month to a date:

The MONTH function returns a number between 1 and 12, where 1 represents January and 12 represents December.
When you add 1 to the month number, you may need to adjust the year. For example, if you add 1 to the month number in December, the resulting month number will be 1 and the year will need to be incremented by 1.
The MONTH function can be used with other date functions, such as the DAY function and the YEAR function, to perform a variety of date calculations.

The MONTH function is a versatile tool that can be used to add or subtract months from a date, extract the month number from a date, and perform other date calculations. It is a valuable asset for anyone who works with dates in Excel.

Use YEAR function, add 1 to year if necessary.

When adding a month to a date, you may need to also add 1 to the year. This is because there are only 12 months in a year, so adding 1 month to a date in December will result in a date in the following year.

Check the month number:
To determine if you need to add 1 to the year, you can use the MONTH function to extract the month number from the date. If the month number is 12, then you know that you need to add 1 to the year.
Use the YEAR function:
Once you know that you need to add 1 to the year, you can use the YEAR function to extract the year from the date. You can then add 1 to the year and use the DATE function to create a new date with the incremented year.
Example:
For example, to add 1 month to the date December 31, 2023, you would use the following steps:
1. Extract the month number from the date using the MONTH function: =MONTH("2023-12-31")
2. Check if the month number is 12: =IF(MONTH("2023-12-31") = 12, TRUE, FALSE)
3. If the month number is 12, add 1 to the year: =YEAR("2023-12-31") + 1
4. Create a new date using the DATE function and the incremented year: =DATE(YEAR("2023-12-31") + 1, 1, 1)
The result of this formula is January 1, 2024, which is 1 month after December 31, 2023.
Be careful with leap years:
When adding 1 to the year, you need to be careful with leap years. Leap years have 366 days instead of 365 days. This means that if you add 1 month to a date in February of a leap year, the result will be a date in March, even if February only has 29 days.

The YEAR function is a versatile tool that can be used to add or subtract years from a date, extract the year from a date, and perform other date calculations. It is a valuable asset for anyone who works with dates in Excel.

Use DATEADD function (Excel 2013 and later).

The DATEADD function is a powerful function that allows you to add or subtract a specified number of days, months, quarters, or years to a date. This makes it a very versatile function for performing date calculations, including adding a month to a date.

Syntax:
=DATEADD(interval, number, date)
- interval: The unit of time to add or subtract. Valid values are "year", "qtr", "month", "week", "day", "hour", "minute", and "second".
- number: The number of units to add or subtract. Can be positive or negative.
- date: The date to which the interval and number are applied.
Example:
To add 1 month to the date March 8, 2023, you would use the following formula: =DATEADD("month", 1, "2023-03-08")
The result of this formula is April 8, 2023.
Be careful with leap years:
The DATEADD function takes leap years into account. This means that if you add 1 month to a date in February of a leap year, the result will be a date in March, even if February only has 29 days.
Additional uses:
The DATEADD function can be used to perform a variety of other date calculations, such as adding or subtracting days, quarters, or years from a date, or calculating the difference between two dates.

The DATEADD function is a valuable tool for anyone who works with dates in Excel. It is especially useful for performing complex date calculations, such as adding or subtracting a specific number of months or years from a date.

Use VBA code (for advanced users).

VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is a programming language that is built into Excel. It allows you to create custom functions, macros, and user forms. VBA can be used to perform a variety of tasks in Excel, including adding a month to a date.

Create a VBA function:
To add a month to a date using VBA, you can create a custom function. Here is an example of a VBA function that adds 1 month to a date:
```
Public Function AddMonths(date As Date, months As Long) As Date
    AddMonths = DateAdd("m", months, date)
End Function
```
Use the VBA function:
Once you have created the VBA function, you can use it to add a month to a date in Excel. To do this, simply enter the following formula into a cell:
```
=AddMonths(date, 1)
```
where "date" is the date to which you want to add a month.
Be careful with leap years:
The VBA function takes leap years into account. This means that if you add 1 month to a date in February of a leap year, the result will be a date in March, even if February only has 29 days.
Additional uses:
VBA can be used to perform a variety of other date calculations, such as adding or subtracting days, quarters, or years from a date, or calculating the difference between two dates.

VBA is a powerful tool that can be used to perform complex calculations and automate tasks in Excel. However, it is important to note that VBA is a programming language and requires some programming knowledge to use effectively.

Use online date calculator.

An online date calculator is a tool that allows you to add or subtract a specified number of days, months, or years from a date. This can be a useful tool if you do not have access to Excel or if you simply prefer to use an online tool.

To use an online date calculator, simply enter the date you want to modify and the number of days, months, or years you want to add or subtract. The calculator will then generate the new date.

Here are some of the benefits of using an online date calculator:

Easy to use: Online date calculators are typically very easy to use. Simply enter the date you want to modify and the number of days, months, or years you want to add or subtract, and the calculator will do the rest.
Free to use: Most online date calculators are free to use. This makes them a great option for people who do not want to spend money on a date calculator software.
Accessible from anywhere: Online date calculators are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This makes them a great option for people who need to calculate a date on the go.

Here are some of the drawbacks of using an online date calculator:

May not be as accurate as Excel: Online date calculators may not be as accurate as Excel, especially when dealing with complex date calculations.
May not be able to handle all types of date calculations: Some online date calculators may not be able to handle all types of date calculations, such as adding or subtracting a specific number of business days.
May not be secure: Some online date calculators may not be secure, which means that your data could be at risk.

Overall, online date calculators can be a useful tool for adding or subtracting a month from a date. However, it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks of using an online date calculator before using one.

Be aware of leap years.

Leap years occur every four years, with the exception of years that are divisible by 100 but not by 400. For example, the year 2000 was a leap year, but the year 1900 was not.

February has 29 days in leap years:
In leap years, February has 29 days instead of the usual 28 days. This means that when adding a month to a date in February of a leap year, you need to be careful to add the correct number of days.
Use the DATE function:
The DATE function can be used to add a month to a date and take leap years into account. For example, the following formula would add 1 month to the date February 28, 2023:
```
=DATE(YEAR(A2), MONTH(A2) + 1, DAY(A2))
```
where A2 is the cell containing the date February 28, 2023.
Use the DATEADD function:
The DATEADD function can also be used to add a month to a date and take leap years into account. The following formula would add 1 month to the date February 28, 2023:
```
=DATEADD("month", 1, A2)
```
where A2 is the cell containing the date February 28, 2023.
Be careful with VBA code:
If you are using VBA code to add a month to a date, you need to be careful to take leap years into account. You can use the DateSerial function to create a date that takes leap years into account. For example, the following VBA code would add 1 month to the date February 28, 2023:
```
Dim newDate As Date
newDate = DateSerial(Year(Range("A2")), Month(Range("A2")) + 1, Day(Range("A2")))
```

It is important to be aware of leap years when adding a month to a date, regardless of the method you are using. Otherwise, you may end up with an incorrect date.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about months:

Question 1: How many months are there in a year?

Answer 1: There are 12 months in a year.

Question 2: What are the names of the months?

Answer 2: The names of the months are January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December.

Question 3: How many days are in a month?

Answer 3: The number of days in a month varies from 28 to 31. Most months have 30 or 31 days, but February has 28 days in a common year and 29 days in a leap year.

Question 4: What is a leap year?

Answer 4: A leap year is a year that is divisible by 400 or divisible by 4 but not divisible by 100. Leap years have 366 days instead of the usual 365 days.

Question 5: How can I add or subtract months from a date?

Answer 5: There are several ways to add or subtract months from a date. You can use the DATE function, the DATEADD function, or VBA code in Excel. You can also use an online date calculator.

Question 6: How can I calculate the difference between two dates?

Answer 6: To calculate the difference between two dates, you can use the DATEDIF function in Excel. The DATEDIF function can calculate the difference between two dates in years, months, days, or even hours and minutes.

These are just a few of the many questions that people have about months. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Now that you know more about months, here are a few tips for working with them in Excel:

Tips

Here are a few tips for working with months in Excel:

Tip 1: Use the MONTH function to extract the month number from a date.

The MONTH function can be used to extract the month number from a date. This can be useful for calculations or for sorting data by month.

Tip 2: Use the DATE function to create a date from a month number.

The DATE function can be used to create a date from a month number. This can be useful for generating a series of dates or for creating a date from a text string.

Tip 3: Use the DATEADD function to add or subtract months from a date.

The DATEADD function can be used to add or subtract months from a date. This can be useful for calculating future or past dates or for calculating the difference between two dates.

Tip 4: Use the DATEDIF function to calculate the difference between two dates.

The DATEDIF function can be used to calculate the difference between two dates. This can be useful for calculating the number of days, months, or years between two dates.

These are just a few tips for working with months in Excel. By using these tips, you can save time and improve your accuracy when working with dates.

Now that you know how to add a month to a date in Excel and you have some tips for working with months, you are well on your way to becoming a proficient Excel user.

Conclusion

Months are a fundamental unit of time that we use to organize our lives. They are also an important part of working with dates in Excel.

In this article, we have discussed several ways to add a month to a date in Excel. We have also provided some tips for working with months in Excel. By using the techniques and tips discussed in this article, you can save time and improve your accuracy when working with dates in Excel.

Here are some key takeaways from this article:

There are several ways to add a month to a date in Excel, including using the DATE function, the DATEADD function, or VBA code.
You can also use an online date calculator to add a month to a date.
It is important to be aware of leap years when adding a month to a date.
There are several tips for working with months in Excel, such as using the MONTH function to extract the month number from a date and using the DATEADD function to add or subtract months from a date.

By understanding how to work with months in Excel, you can improve your productivity and accuracy when working with dates.

Thanks for reading!