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How to calculate how many days something is overdue in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Date arithmeticExcel & Google Sheets
=MAX(0,TODAY()-A2)Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Enter due dates in column A.
- 2In B2 enter =MAX(0,TODAY()-A2) — if today is past the due date the result is positive (overdue days); if not, it shows 0.
- 3Format column B as Number so it shows a day count, not a date.
- 4Add conditional formatting to highlight rows where B2>0 in red.
Tips
- To exclude weekends from the overdue count, use =MAX(0,NETWORKDAYS(A2,TODAY())-1) instead.
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Frequently asked
How do I show 'On time' vs '5 days overdue'?
Wrap with IF: =IF(TODAY()>A2,TODAY()-A2&" days overdue","On time")
Can I count overdue items across a list?
Yes — use =COUNTIF(B2:B6,">0") to count rows where the overdue days are positive.
More on Date arithmetic
See all →Reference
TODAY / DATEDIF
Work with the current date and measure the gap between two dates.
How-toHow to calculate age from a date of birth
Turn a birth date into an age in years with DATEDIF and TODAY. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.
ReferenceDATEDIF
Calculates the difference between two dates in years, months, or days using a unit code string.
How-toHow to calculate days between two dates
Subtract one date from another to get the number of days, or count working days with NETWORKDAYS. Works in both apps.
How-toHow to add months to a date
Shift a date forward or back by a number of months with EDATE — it handles month lengths correctly. Works in both apps.
How-toHow to flag overdue dates
Mark rows whose due date has passed by comparing it to TODAY() with IF. Works the same in Excel and Google Sheets.