Subtract in Excel
Subtraction is an operator rather than a function, which is why searching the function list for it turns up nothing and why every page below is really about what sits on either side of the minus sign. One cell against another is the easy case. A column taken off a single figure is the case that goes wrong, because chaining a minus sign per row breaks the moment a row is inserted — total the column first and take one number away instead. And a result that reads as a date, or refuses to calculate at all, is not a subtraction problem: those values are text, or the cell inherited a format from the column it sits in.
The formula
=A1-B1 subtract one cell from another
=A1-B1-C1 subtract several in a row
=A1-SUM(B1:B10) subtract a whole range at once
=SUM(A1:A10)-SUM(B1:B10) subtract one column total from anotherA worked example
A2 holds a budget of 2,500 and B2 holds spend of 1,840.
=A2-B2
660 - the amount left. Format the cell as currency and it reads as 660.00 without changing the formula.
Which one do I need?
| If you want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Two cells, one result | The minus operator: =A1-B1 |
| One number minus a whole range | =A1-SUM(B1:B10) - chaining minus signs breaks when rows are inserted |
| The result may go negative and you want it not to | Wrap it: =MAX(0, A1-B1) |
| Subtracting dates to get days between | Plain subtraction works: =B1-A1 returns a number of days |
| Subtracting times | Subtract, then format the result as [h]:mm, or Excel shows a decimal |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a SUBTRACT function in Excel?
No. Unlike SUM, there is no SUBTRACT function in Excel or Google Sheets. Subtraction is done with the minus operator inside a formula, so =A1-B1 is the correct and complete answer. SUM is only involved when you want to subtract a whole range at once.
How do I subtract a whole column in Excel?
Use SUM for the range rather than chaining minus signs: =A1-SUM(B1:B10) subtracts everything in B1:B10 from A1. This keeps working when rows are inserted into the range, which a chain like =A1-B1-B2-B3 does not.
Why does my subtraction show a date instead of a number?
The cell is formatted as a date, usually because one of the inputs was a date. Select the result cell and set the number format back to General or Number. The formula is correct; only the display is wrong.
Does subtraction work the same in Google Sheets?
Yes. The minus operator, the SUM pattern and date subtraction all behave identically in Google Sheets. No formula in this guide needs changing.
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