How to Get the Fiscal Year and Quarter from a Date in Excel
If your financial year doesn't start in January, calendar quarters are no use — April needs to read as Q1, not Q2. Excel can work out the fiscal year, quarter, and period, but the month-wrapping arithmetic trips everyone up. Here's the reliable way.
Last updated: September 2026
| Date (FY starts April) | Fiscal Year | Quarter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-15 | → | 2024 | Q1 |
| 2024-03-15 | → | 2023 | Q4 |
Method 1 — a formula
- Fiscal period (April start):
=MOD(MONTH(A2)-4,12)+1. - Fiscal quarter:
=ROUNDUP(MOD(MONTH(A2)-4,12+1)/3,0)— and the fiscal year needs its ownIFon the month. - It works, but the offsets are fiddly and a wrong sign quietly shifts everything by a quarter.
Method 2 — the 1-click way (Tellsheet)
Fiscal Period Tagger
Select the date column, pick the month your fiscal year starts (April, July, October — any month), and Fiscal Period Tagger adds Fiscal Year, Fiscal Quarter, and optionally the Fiscal Period (1–12). You choose whether the year is labelled by its start or end. It reads real Excel dates and text dates alike — the fiscal counterpart to Extract Date Parts, which only knows the calendar year. Pairs with Date Table and Group & Summarize for fiscal reporting.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the fiscal quarter?
MOD(MONTH−start,12)+1 then group by three, or Fiscal Period Tagger in one click.
Can I start the year in April or July?
Yes — any start month; January just gives the calendar year.
Label by start or end year?
Your choice, to match your convention.
Does it read text dates?
Yes — Excel dates and text dates alike.
Related Excel guides
Fiscal periods, done right
Fiscal Period Tagger reads any fiscal-year start into Year, Quarter, and Period — one click.
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