The Excel EOMONTH function returns the last day of the month a set number of months from a start date — essential for month-end reporting, billing cycles, and building first-of-month dates.
Syntax
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
start_date | Required | The starting date. |
months | Required | Months forward (positive), back (negative), or 0 for this month. |
How to use it
Two patterns you’ll use constantly:
For the same day a few months out instead of month-end, use EDATE.
Remember Excel’s date system: every date is a serial number (days since Jan 1, 1900 — so 1 = that day, 46000-ish = today) and every time is a fraction of a day (0.5 = noon). If a result shows a raw number, just apply a date or time cell format.
Try it: interactive demo
Adjust the input and watch the formula and result update.
Tips & gotchas
Last day of the month N months away - month-end reporting and first-of-month tricks. Format result cells as Date or Time so they don’t display raw serial numbers.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the FIRST day of a month?
What does months = 0 do?
EOMONTH vs EDATE?
Does it handle leap years?
Master functions like this in one day
This page covers one function. Our Excel Formulas and Functions class covers the 30 that matter most — live, hands-on, taught by professionals in Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Oklahoma City, Denver, or online.
See the Formulas & Functions Class