Changing dates by specific year increments in Google Sheets might seem tricky initially. This is due to the complexities introduced by leap years. Fortunately, a couple of methods effectively handle these calculations.
Method 1 - DATE Function
The DATE function, combined with YEAR, MONTH, and DAY functions, offers a flexible way to manipulate date components for adding or subtracting years. To add 4 years to a date in cell A2, the formula is:
=DATE(YEAR(A2)+4, MONTH(A2), DAY(A2))
Step 1: Open your Google Sheet and select the cell where you want the modified date to appear.
Step 2: Enter the formula =DATE(YEAR(A2)+4, MONTH(A2), DAY(A2)), replacing A2 with the cell containing the original date and 4 with the number of years you want to add.
=DATE(YEAR(A2)+4, MONTH(A2), DAY(A2))
Step 3: To subtract years, change the + sign to a - sign in the formula. For example, to subtract 4 years: =DATE(YEAR(A2)-4, MONTH(A2), DAY(A2)).
=DATE(YEAR(A2)-4, MONTH(A2), DAY(A2))
Step 4: Press Enter to apply the formula and display the result.
Method 2 - EDATE Function
The EDATE function provides a direct way to add or subtract months from a date. To use it for adding or subtracting years, you need to convert the number of years to months by multiplying by 12.
The function’s syntax is =EDATE(start_date,months), where start_date is the starting date and months is the number of months to add or subtract.
For instance, if your date is in cell A2 and you want to add 4 years, the formula would be:
=EDATE(A2, 12*4)
Step 1: Select the cell where you want to display the new date.
Step 2: Input the EDATE formula. To add years, use =EDATE(A2, 12*4), where A2 is the cell containing the date and 4 represents the number of years to add.
=EDATE(A2, 12*4)
Step 3: To subtract years, include a negative sign before the number of months. For example, subtract 4 years using: =EDATE(A2, -12*4).
=EDATE(A2, -12*4)
Step 4: Press Enter. The cell will now display the date after adding or subtracting the specified number of years.
Leap Year Treatment
When working with leap years, be aware of how DATE and EDATE handle February 29th. Adding one year to February 29th using DATE results in March 1st, while EDATE results in February 28th. Choose the function that best suits your specific needs.
Apply to Multiple Cells
Step 1: Click on the cell containing the formula you want to copy.
Step 2: Locate the fill handle, which is the small square at the bottom-right corner of the cell.
Step 3: Click and drag the fill handle down the column to apply the formula to multiple cells. Google Sheets will automatically update the cell references.
Bonus Tip - Formatting
Step 1: Select the cells containing the dates you want to format.
Step 2: Navigate to Format > Number > Date in the menu. This ensures the cells are recognized and displayed as dates.
Both methods provide ways to adjust dates by year increments, but understanding their nuances is key to accurate results, especially when leap years are involved.