need formula

Judy Mahoney 0 Reputation points
2026-10-17T16:06:45.12+00:00

would like to subtract expenses from income on excel spreadsheet need formula

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 89,925 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-17T16:42:28.8266667+00:00

    Hi, @Judy Mahoney

    You can subtract your expenses from your income in Excel using a simple formula.

    For example, if your total income is in cell A2 and your total expenses are in cell B2, enter this formula in the cell where you want the remaining balance to appear:

    =A2-B2

    1. Enter your income in cell A2.
    2. Enter your expenses in cell B2.
    3. Enter =A2-B2 in cell C2 to calculate the remaining balance.

    To help you with the exact formula for your spreadsheet, could you clarify the following?

    1. Are your income and expenses in separate cells, or do you have multiple income and expense entries in different rows?
    2. Do you want to subtract the total expenses from the total income automatically?


    Click “Add comment” to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-17T16:07:12.7866667+00:00

    Enter =A2-B2 in the balance cell, where A2 contains income and B2 contains expenses, then press Enter. Excel formulas begin with =, and subtraction uses the minus sign (-).^1^

    Example:

    A B C
    Income Expenses Balance
    3000 1200 =A2-B2

    The result in C2 is 1800.

    If expenses are in several cells

    If income is in A2 and individual expenses are in B2:B10, use:

    =A2-SUM(B2:B10)
    

    SUM(B2:B10) totals all expenses, and Excel subtracts that total from the income.^2^

    To calculate additional rows, select the formula cell and drag its small fill handle downward.


    References

    1. [Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/accessibility/excel/basic-tasks-using-a-screen-reader-with-excel#create-a-simple-formula)
    2. Subtract numbers in Excel | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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