What SUMIFS Needs
Microsoft documents the syntax as SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2], ...), with up to 127 range and criteria pairs. Every criteria range must have the same number of rows and columns as the sum range. Note the argument order: SUMIFS takes the sum range first, while SUMIF takes it third.
Criteria that include logical or mathematical symbols, such as ">=", must be enclosed in double quotation marks. To compare against a value held in a cell, Microsoft says to concatenate the operator with the cell reference, as in =">"&$D$1.
Date Criteria with DATE and EOMONTH
EOMONTH(start_date, months) returns the serial number for the last day of the month that is the given number of months from start_date. With months set to 0 it returns the end of start_date's own month. Microsoft warns that dates entered as text can cause problems, and that Excel stores dates as serial numbers.
DATE(year, month, day) builds a date from numbers, and Microsoft recommends four digits for the year. Put the first day of the month you want in a cell, such as F2 containing =DATE(2026,1,1), and every month boundary can be derived from it.
Worked Example with Synthetic Data
Suppose dates are in A2:A6, and signed amounts are in C2:C6 (deposits positive, withdrawals negative):
Date Description Amount
2026-01-03 Sample Cafe -4.50
2026-01-10 Sample Payroll 2000.00
2026-01-15 Sample Market -62.30
2026-02-02 Sample Payroll 2000.00
2026-02-05 Sample Books -18.00With F2 holding the first of the month, deposits for that month are:
=SUMIFS($C$2:$C$6, $A$2:$A$6, ">="&F2, $A$2:$A$6, "<="&EOMONTH(F2,0), $C$2:$C$6, ">0")For withdrawals, change the last criterion to "<0". For F2 = 2026-01-01 the deposits formula returns 2000.00 and the withdrawals formula returns -66.80 (4.50 + 62.30). For F2 = 2026-02-01 it returns 2000.00 and -18.00.
Because both date criteria use the same range, the month includes its first and last day. Put 2026-02-01 in F3 and copy the formula down to get each month. Microsoft's page confirms criteria such as ">32" and cell references work as criteria; the date handling here follows from dates being stored as serial numbers.
If a date cell contains a time part, a "<=" comparison against the last day at midnight would exclude that day's later times. Check whether your dates include times.
Checks Before You Trust the Totals
Confirm the date column holds real dates and not text, since Microsoft notes text dates can cause problems. Confirm all ranges are the same size. Then compare the sum of every month against the statement's own total, which catches missing rows. These checks apply to your data; they do not replace reading the statement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Microsoft says criteria that include logical or mathematical symbols must be enclosed in double quotation marks. You then join the quoted operator to a cell reference with &, as in ">="&F2.
It returns the serial number for the last day of the month that is 0 months from the date in F2, so the end of that same month. Format the cell as a date to read it.
Microsoft states that each criteria range must contain the same number of rows and columns as the sum range, so mismatched ranges should be corrected.
Primary Evidence & Official References
- SUMIFS function — support.microsoft.com (Verified 2026-10-29). Official source documentation →
- SUMIF function — support.microsoft.com (Verified 2026-10-29). Official source documentation →
- How to use cell references and defined names in criteria in Excel — support.microsoft.com (Verified 2026-10-29). Official source documentation →
- EOMONTH function — support.microsoft.com (Verified 2026-10-29). Official source documentation →
- DATE function — support.microsoft.com (Verified 2026-10-29). Official source documentation →