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How to find the first day of the quarter in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=DATE(YEAR(B2), INT((MONTH(B2)-1)/3)*3+1, 1)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Date | First Day of Quarter |
| 2023-04-15 | |
| 2022-12-31 | |
| 2021-01-01 | |
| 2020-07-22 |
=DATE(YEAR(B2), INT((MONTH(B2)-1)/3)*3+1, 1)→693871
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Step by step
- 1Enter your date in cell B2 of your spreadsheet.
- 2In another cell, input the formula provided for Excel or Google Sheets.
- 3The formula will return the first day of the quarter corresponding to the date in B2.
Tips
- Ensure the date format in cell B2 is recognized by Excel or Google Sheets as a date.
- This formula works universally across different locales and Excel versions.
- Adjust the cell reference (B2) if your date is located in a different cell.
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Frequently asked
What if my date is in a different cell?
Simply replace B2 in the formula with the cell reference containing your date.
Does this formula work for all years?
Yes, the formula calculates the first day of the quarter for any year entered.
Can I use this formula in other cells?
Absolutely, copy the formula to other cells to find the first day of the quarter for multiple dates.