Dates & Time

Excel formula for Days until a future date

Count down the days remaining until a deadline or event.

Copy this formula

=A2-TODAY()

How the formula works

Subtracting today's date from a future date gives the days left, and it updates every day because TODAY() is dynamic. A negative result means the date has passed.

Examples

=IF(A2-TODAY()<0, "Overdue", A2-TODAY()&" days")→12 days

Days left, or "Overdue".

=DATE(2026,12,25)-DATE(2026,10,7)→79

Days from 7 October to 25 December 2026.

=MAX(0, A2-TODAY())→0

Shows 0 instead of a negative number once the date has passed.

FAQ

How do I count only working days left?

Use =NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(), A2) to exclude weekends.

How do I count down to the next birthday?

Use =EDATE(A2, 12*(DATEDIF(A2, TODAY(), "y")+1))-TODAY(), where A2 holds the date of birth.

How do I show weeks and days remaining?

Use =INT((A2-TODAY())/7)&" weeks "&MOD(A2-TODAY(), 7)&" days".

Why does the countdown look like a date?

Excel copied the date format from A2. Change the number format of the cell to General.

Related formulas

Days between two dates Calculate age from a birth date

Functions used

TODAY DAYS

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