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How to get the start date of a quarter in Excel and Google Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=DATE(YEAR(A2),INT((MONTH(A2)-1)/3)*3+1,1)Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Enter dates in column A (A2:A6).
- 2In B2 enter =DATE(YEAR(A2),INT((MONTH(A2)-1)/3)*3+1,1).
- 3INT((MONTH-1)/3)*3+1 maps any month to its quarter's first month: Jan-Mar → 1, Apr-Jun → 4, Jul-Sep → 7, Oct-Dec → 10.
- 4Format column B as Date and copy down.
Tips
- For a fiscal year starting in April (common in the UK and India), shift the month: =DATE(YEAR(A2),INT((MOD(MONTH(A2)-4,12))/3)*3+4,1).
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Frequently asked
How do I get the quarter NUMBER instead of the start date?
Use =INT((MONTH(A2)-1)/3)+1 — this returns 1, 2, 3, or 4.
How do I get the LAST day of the quarter?
Use EOMONTH on the quarter start: =EOMONTH(DATE(YEAR(A2),INT((MONTH(A2)-1)/3)*3+1,1),2).