How to Deduct Percentage in Excel?

In Excel, you may need to deduct a certain percentage from a given value for calculations like discounts, tax deductions, or any other percentage-based reduction. Whether you’re calculating a price after a discount or subtracting a tax rate, Excel offers simple and effective ways to perform percentage deductions.

This article will guide you through different methods of deducting percentages in Excel with examples and formulas.

What Does Deducting a Percentage Mean?

Deducting a percentage from a number involves reducing that number by a specific percentage. For example, if you want to reduce a price of $200 by 10%, you would subtract 10% of $200 (which is $20) from the original price. The formula for this is: New Value=Original Value−(Original Value×Percentage)\text{New Value} = \text{Original Value} – (\text{Original Value} \times \text{Percentage})

Method 1: Using a Simple Formula to Deduct a Percentage

The most straightforward method to deduct a percentage in Excel is by using a basic formula that combines subtraction and multiplication.

Steps:

1. Enter the Original Value:
   • In cell A1, enter the original number or value (e.g., 200).
2. Enter the Percentage:
   • In cell B1, enter the percentage you want to deduct (e.g., 10%).
3. Apply the Formula:
   • In cell C1, enter the following formula to calculate the reduced value: =A1−(A1×B1)=A1 – (A1 \times B1)
   • This formula calculates the percentage deduction and subtracts it from the original value.

Example:

If A1 is 200 and B1 is 10%: =200−(200×0.10)=200−20=180=200 – (200 \times 0.10) = 200 – 20 = 180

Method 2: Using Multiplication to Directly Calculate the Reduced Value

Another way to quickly find the reduced value after deducting a percentage is by multiplying the original value by the remaining percentage (100% – the percentage to be deducted).

Steps:

1. Enter the Original Value:
   • In cell A1, enter the original number or value (e.g., 200).
2. Enter the Percentage:
   • In cell B1, enter the percentage you want to deduct (e.g., 10%).
3. Apply the Formula:
   • In cell C1, enter the following formula to calculate the reduced value: =A1×(1−B1)=A1 \times (1 – B1)
   • This formula multiplies the original value by the percentage that remains after the deduction.

Example:

If A1 is 200 and B1 is 10%: =200×(1−0.10)=200×0.90=180=200 \times (1 – 0.10) = 200 \times 0.90 = 180

This method is often quicker because you’re directly applying the remaining percentage.

Method 3: Deduct Percentage from Multiple Values Using Cell References

If you have a list of values and you want to apply the same percentage deduction to each value, you can apply the formula to multiple cells efficiently.

Steps:

1. Enter the Original Values:
   • In column A, enter the list of values you want to deduct from (e.g., 100, 200, 300).
2. Enter the Percentage:
   • In cell B1, enter the percentage you want to deduct (e.g., 10%).
3. Apply the Formula to Multiple Cells:
   • In column C, enter the formula to calculate the reduced value. For example, in cell C1, enter: =A1 – (A1 \times $B$1)
   • Drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of the cell) down through the cells in column C to apply the formula to all values in column A.

This will automatically calculate the reduced values for all the rows in your list.

Method 4: Using Excel’s Discount Function for Prices

If you’re working with prices and want to calculate the price after a discount, Excel doesn’t have a dedicated discount function, but you can easily create a formula for this purpose using Percentage Deduction methods explained above.

Steps:

1. Enter the Original Price:
   • In cell A1, input the original price of the item (e.g., 100).
2. Enter the Discount Percentage:
   • In cell B1, input the discount percentage (e.g., 15%).
3. Apply the Formula:
   • In cell C1, input the formula to calculate the price after the discount: =A1×(1−B1)=A1 \times (1 – B1)
4. Calculate Final Price:
   • After applying the formula, C1 will show the final price after the discount has been applied.

Method 5: Using the Excel Percentage Button for Quick Calculations

If you’re working with values that need percentage deductions frequently, using Excel’s built-in percentage format can save time.

Steps:

1. Enter the Original Value:
   • In cell A1, enter the value (e.g., 200).
2. Enter the Percentage:
   • In cell B1, enter the percentage (e.g., 10%).
3. Use Excel’s Percentage Calculation:
   • Click on cell C1 and enter the formula: =A1∗(1−B1)=A1 * (1 – B1)
   • The percentage in B1 will be automatically recognized by Excel when formatted as a percentage.

Conclusion

Deducting percentages in Excel is easy and can be done using a few simple formulas. Whether you need to calculate a discounted price, reduce a value by a specific percentage, or apply the deduction across multiple rows of data, Excel provides flexible ways to perform these calculations.

• Simple Formula: Subtract the percentage from the original value.
• Multiplication Method: Directly multiply by the remaining percentage.
• Apply to Multiple Cells: Use cell references to apply the deduction to many values at once.
• Discounts: Use the same formula to calculate prices after discounts.

Master these techniques to save time and ensure accurate percentage deductions for your data in Excel.