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Date & TimeVerified QA Tested

YEAR.

Extracts the 4-digit year from a date value.

SyntaxArgumentsExampleInteractive SandboxGeneratorCompatibilityFAQRelatedCheat Sheet
Category: Date & Time
ExcelExcel 365Excel 2021Excel 2019Google Sheets

How it works.

YEAR extracts the four-digit year (1900 to 9999) from any valid Excel date or date serial number.

Formula syntax.

Standard Excel Notation
=YEAR(serial_number)
Tip:Arguments wrapped in square brackets [like_this] are optional; all other arguments are required.

Formula arguments.

Every parameter accepted by the YEAR function is detailed below.

serial_numberRequired

The date from which to extract the year.

Example value: A2

Simple example.

Step-by-Step Scenario

Extract Year from Transaction Date

Isolate the 4-digit year for annual revenue reporting.

Transaction DateExtracted Year
2025-05-20—
2024-11-15—
Applied Formula
=YEAR(A2)
Expected Result:2025

Evaluates YEAR over the sample table cells, placing the verified output in cell B2.

Formula generator.

Full Generator Wizard

Customize the argument fields below to generate a tailored YEAR formula ready to paste directly into your worksheet.

Generated FormulaReady to copy
=YEAR()

Expected result behavior.

Returns number 2025 based on sample evaluation criteria and active cell references.

Sample Output:2025
Output Type:Numeric (Double/Integer)

Best Practices

  • Great for grouping multi-year sales transactions into annual fiscal reports.

Common Mistakes

  • Text dates formatted with invalid regional delimiters return #VALUE!.
Compatibility Database

Platform & version compatibility.

Verified platform compatibility matrix based on actual spreadsheet calculation engine specifications.

Excel✓
Supported
Excel 365✓
Supported
Excel 2021✓
Supported
Excel 2019✓
Supported
Google Sheets✓
Supported
Microsoft Excel History & Version Availability

Core standard function supported across all modern and legacy Microsoft Excel versions (365, 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010), as well as Excel for the Web and Mac.

Google Sheets Compatibility Notes

100% compatible with Google Sheets. Uses identical argument order, data types, and standard calculation logic.

Frequently asked questions.

Technical Q&A
Can I use YEAR across different worksheets in Excel?↓

Yes. You can reference cells located on other sheets by including the sheet name followed by an exclamation mark, for example: =YEAR(Sheet2!A2:A10). If the sheet name contains spaces, enclose it in single quotes: ='Q1 Report'!A2:A10.

What is the most common reason for errors in YEAR?↓

Text dates formatted with invalid regional delimiters return #VALUE!.

Does YEAR work identically in Google Sheets?↓

Yes, YEAR is supported in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets with standard evaluation behavior.