How to Subtract in Excel With Practical Examples

Discover how to subtract in Excel the easy way. Learn the basics and practice with them to master this function.

The world of Excel is infinite. When we talk about subtracting in this program, maybe you are imagining the specific function of subtracting between two numbers, but Excel's subtraction operations go much further. With a symbol as simple as the minus (-) on your keyboard, you will be able to make calculations not only of numbers but also of times, dates, and percentages.

Here are some very useful applications of the subtraction formula for Excel. Practice with them and get more out of this tool.

Subtract Cells in Excel

We start with a basic subtraction operation: subtracting two (or more) cells. Although it is a simple method, we leave the step-by-step for those who are just starting in the Excel world:

1. On an Excel sheet, place the numbers you want to subtract in different cells.
2. Select the cell in which you want the result of the subtraction to appear.
3. In that cell, put a equals sign (=), the number of the cell where the first value you are interested in is located (minuend), the minus sign (-) and the number of the cell where the second value you want to subtract is located (subtrahend). Instead of typing the name, you can select the corresponding cell with the mouse.
4. Press enter and you should get something like this: =A1-A2.
5. It is important that you respect the order of each element or the result of the subtraction will not be what you want.

Subtracting Percentages in Excel

When it comes to subtracting percentages, it is not enough to do a simple subtraction of cells, you need a specific function.

1. On an Excel sheet, place the value of the total amount in one cell and the percentage value you want to subtract in another.

2. Select the cell in which you want the result of this subtraction formula to appear and place the symbols and values in the following order:

1) Equals symbol (=)
2) Number of the cell where the value of the total amount is located.
3) Multiply sign (*)
4) Number of the cell in which the percentage value is found as follows: (1-$cell letter$cell number). Remember to put it in parentheses.

3. Press enter and you will get something like this: =A2(1-$B$2)

With this formula, the first thing to do is to subtract the percentage from 1 (which is considered 100%), and then multiply the cell with the remaining percentage.

Subtracting Hours and Minutes in Excel

Another very practical utility of Excel is to be able to subtract between amounts of hours and minutes. For example, if you want to know exactly how much time has passed since you started a task until you finished it, you can follow the steps below:

1. Place the start time and the end time in two different cells.
2. Select these two cells and go to format → number → hour, to format your cells in hours, minutes, and seconds.

3. Select the cell in which you want the time difference to appear.
4. Do a basic subtraction between the two cells (as explained in the first case). Here, remember that the order must always be the end time first and then the start time, i.e. it should look something like this: =B2-A2.

5. Click enter and you will get the difference of hours, minutes, and seconds.

Did you find these subtraction formulas for Excel useful? Here we leave you other links with which you can continue improving your knowledge of this tool:

- Course: Excel for Creative Projects and Small Business
- How to Create Excel Graphics
- Free Budget Excel Template