The EOMONTH, NETWORKDAYS guide
=EOMONTH(B2, 1) gives the last day of the month after the date in B2. =NETWORKDAYS(B2, C2) counts the weekdays from B2 to C2, both days included. Together they answer "when is it due, and how many working days is that?"
EOMONTH: the end of a month
=EOMONTH(start_date, months)
The second argument counts months from the start date: 0 is the end of the same month, 1 the end of next month, -1 the end of last month. An invoice sent on 1/14/2026 with terms "end of next month" is due on =EOMONTH(B2, 1), which is 2/28/2026. February, leap years and 30-day months are handled for you.
Two handy tricks: =EOMONTH(B2, -1) + 1 is the first day of B2's month, and =DAY(EOMONTH(B2, 0)) is the number of days in that month.
EDATE is not the same
=EDATE(B2, 1) moves to the same day one month later: 1/14/2026 becomes 2/14/2026. Use EDATE for "one month after", EOMONTH for "the end of the month".
NETWORKDAYS: weekdays between two dates
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
It counts Monday to Friday, and includes both the start and the end date when they are weekdays. From 1/14/2026 to 2/28/2026 there are 46 calendar days but 33 working days. Plain subtraction, =C2-B2, or DAYS count weekends too.
The optional third argument is a range of holiday dates to skip as well. If your weekend isn't Saturday and Sunday, NETWORKDAYS.INTL lets you choose which days count.
If you see a number like 46081
Excel stores dates as numbers: 46081 is 2/28/2026. If a date formula shows a number, format the cell as a date. If a day count shows as a date, format it as General.
Common mistakes
- 0 instead of 1 in EOMONTH. You get the end of the same month.
- EDATE or +30 for a month end. Both land mid-month.
- Subtracting dates for working days. Weekends get counted.
- Dates stored as text. A date typed in a format Excel doesn't read stays text, and every date function returns #VALUE!.
FAQ
- How do I get the last day of the month in Excel?
- Use =EOMONTH(A1,0) for the end of A1's month, =EOMONTH(A1,1) for the end of next month and =EOMONTH(A1,-1) for the end of last month.
- How do I count working days between two dates in Excel?
- Use =NETWORKDAYS(start,end). It counts Monday to Friday, including both dates. Add a range of holiday dates as the third argument to skip those too.
- What is the difference between EOMONTH and EDATE?
- EDATE moves to the same day a number of months later. EOMONTH moves to the last day of the month that many months later.
- Why does EOMONTH return a number?
- Dates in Excel are numbers counted from 1900. Format the cell as a date and the number shows as one.
This task is in the timed finance and accounting practice tests. What Excel interview tests check






























































