Deadlines run on working days
"We will deliver within 10 business days." "Payment is due 30 working days after the invoice." Rules like these skip weekends and public holidays, which makes them awkward to count on a calendar. This business days calculator does it for you.
Count the working days between two dates, or start from a date and add or subtract a number of working days to find a deadline. You choose which days are the weekend, and you can list the holidays that apply to you, so it works wherever you are.
How to use it
- Choose Business days between dates, or Add or subtract business days.
- Pick the dates, or the start date and the number of business days.
- Choose your weekend. Saturday and Sunday is the default; Friday and Saturday and Sunday only are there too.
- Add any public or company holidays. Press Add a holiday for each one.
- Read the answer, with the calendar days, weekend days and holidays that were left out.
How business days are counted
business days = calendar days − weekend days − holidays on working daysBetween two dates, both dates are counted by default, because "from Monday to Friday" usually means five working days. Untick Count the end date too if your rule does not include it.
When adding, the start date itself is not counted. Ten business days after a Friday starts counting on the Monday. Holidays that land on a weekend are ignored, so you never lose a day twice.
Worked example: November 2026 with Thanksgiving
A US team wants the working days from Monday 2 November to Friday 27 November 2026, counting both dates. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 26 November.
- Calendar days, both dates counted: 26
- Weekend days left out: 6, leaving 20 weekdays
- Thanksgiving left out: 1
- Business days: 19
There are 19 business days, which is 152 working hours at 8 hours a day. Switch to adding days and 10 business days after Friday 20 November lands on Monday 7 December 2026, because Thanksgiving and two weekends are skipped.
Working days in a year
| Year | Weekdays | With 10 public holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 261 | 251 |
| 2027 | 261 | 251 |
| 2028 | 260 | 250 |
Most years have 260 or 261 weekdays. The exact number of public holidays depends on your country and region, so add your own to the calculator for an exact count.
Common counting errors
- Counting the start day when adding. "Within 5 business days" from a Monday usually means by the following Monday, not Friday.
- Forgetting regional holidays. A national list can miss a state, province or company holiday.
- Assuming everyone has the same weekend. Several countries rest on Friday and Saturday.
- Using calendar days for a business day rule, or the other way round. Check the wording of the contract or terms. For plain calendar days, use the date calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate business days between two dates?
Count the calendar days, take out the weekend days, then take out any holidays that fall on working days. Enter the two dates and your holidays above and the calculator does the counting. By default it counts both the start and end date; untick the box if your rule does not.
How many working days are in a month?
Usually between 20 and 23 on a Monday to Friday week, before holidays. A 30 day month with four full weekends has 22 weekdays; months with five Saturdays or Sundays have fewer. Pick the first and last day of the month above, add your holidays, and the calculator gives the exact figure.
What date is 10 business days from today?
Choose Add or subtract business days, leave the start as today and enter 10. The answer skips weekends and any holidays you add. The start date itself is not counted, so 10 business days from a Monday with no holidays lands on the Monday two weeks later.
Does it include public holidays?
Only the ones you add, because they differ by country, region and company. Press Add a holiday and pick each date. Holidays that fall on a weekend are ignored, and a holiday outside your date range makes no difference, so you can keep a full year's list in place.
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