Returns the number of days between two dates based on a 360-day year (twelve 30-day months), which is used in some accounting calculations. Use this function to help compute payments if your accounting system is based on twelve 30-day months.
Syntax
DAYS360(start_date,end_date,method)
Start_date and end_date are the two dates between which you want to know the number of days. If start_date occurs after end_date, DAYS360 returns a negative number. Dates should be entered by using the DATE function, or as results of other formulas or functions. For example, use DATE(2008,5,23) for the 23rd day of May, 2008. Problems can occur if dates are entered as text.
Method is a logical value that specifies whether to use the U.S. or European method in the calculation.
| Method | Defined |
|---|---|
| FALSE or omitted | U.S. (NASD) method. If the starting date is the 31st of a month, it becomes equal to the 30th of the same month. If the ending date is the 31st of a month and the starting date is earlier than the 30th of a month, the ending date becomes equal to the 1st of the next month; otherwise the ending date becomes equal to the 30th of the same month. |
| TRUE | European method. Starting dates and ending dates that occur on the 31st of a month become equal to the 30th of the same month. |
Dates are stored as sequential serial numbers so they can be used in calculations. By default, December 31, 1899 is serial number 1, and January 1, 2008 is serial number 39448 because it is 39,448 days after January 1, 1900.
Example
The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank spreadsheet.
How?- Create a blank spreadsheet.
- Select the example in the Help topic.
Selecting an example from Help
- Press CTRL+C.
- In the spreadsheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
- To switch between viewing the formula that returns the result and the result in the cell, select the cell and press F2 and then ENTER, or click Commands and Options on the spreadsheet toolbar, click the Formula tab, and look in the Formula in active cell (active cell) box.
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| 1/30/2008 | |
| 2/1/2008 | |
| Formula | Description (Result) |
| =DAYS360(A2,A3) | Number of days between the two dates above, based on a 360-day year (1) |