How to count the days between two dates
Take one date from another to count the days between them. Then count both ends, or working days only.
Task 1Take the earlier date from the later one4 questions
Dates are counts of days. So the later date minus the earlier date is the number of days between them.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Invoice | Invoice date | Date paid |
| 2 | 2141 | 4 March 2026 | 30 March 2026 |
| 3 | 2142 | 10 March 2026 | 24 April 2026 |
| 4 | 2143 | 16 March 2026 | 2 April 2026 |
=C2-B2 gives the days from the invoice date to the payment. =DAYS(C2,B2) gives the same answer, with the later date first.
If the answer shows as a date, change the cell format to Number. If the dates are the wrong way round, the answer is negative.
Task 2Counting both ends, and working days4 questions