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How to Use the TRUNC Function in Excel

By Freedom251 Team · · 8 min read

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Use Excel’s TRUNC function when you need to remove digits without rounding. Its syntax is TRUNC(number, [num_digits]): number is required, while num_digits is optional and defaults to zero. Positive values of num_digits keep decimal places, zero returns the integer portion, and negative values remove digits to the left of the decimal point.

For example, =TRUNC(8.987,2) returns 8.98, whereas =TRUNC(12345,-2) returns 12300. Unlike ROUND, TRUNC never rounds the discarded digits. Unlike INT, it moves negative numbers toward zero rather than toward the next lower integer.

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What TRUNC does in Excel

TRUNC removes part of a number and keeps the remaining digits exactly as they are. The function does not evaluate the discarded digit to decide whether the retained portion should increase. That makes it suitable for rules such as “keep two decimal places, but never round up” or “keep the whole-number portion only.”

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With no precision argument, TRUNC removes the fractional part. These formulas illustrate the default behavior:

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Formula Result What was removed
=TRUNC(8.9) 8 The fractional part
=TRUNC(-8.9) -8 The fractional part, with the result moving toward zero
=TRUNC(0.45) 0 All digits after the decimal point

TRUNC changes the numeric result returned by the formula. It is different from merely changing a cell’s display format, because the function supplies a shortened value for calculations that use the result.

TRUNC syntax and its two arguments

Enter the function in this form:

TRUNC(number, [num_digits])

number

number is required. It can be a literal value such as 8.987, or a reference to a worksheet cell such as A2. A cell reference is usually preferable when the source value may change.

num_digits

num_digits is optional. It controls how many digits remain and defaults to zero when omitted.

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  • A value of 0, or no second argument, keeps the integer portion.
  • A positive value keeps that many digits to the right of the decimal point.
  • A negative value removes digits to the left of the decimal point.

The comma separates the arguments in the examples shown here. Excel formulas begin with =, followed by the function name and its arguments.

How to enter a TRUNC formula

  1. Select the worksheet cell where you want the truncated result.
  2. Type =TRUNC(.
  3. Enter a number or click the cell containing the number. For example, click A2 to create a reference.
  4. If you need a specific precision, type a comma and the required num_digits value. Use 2 for two decimal places, 0 for an integer, or a negative number for positions to the left of the decimal point.
  5. Type the closing parenthesis and press Enter.

For a value in cell A2, a two-decimal formula is =TRUNC(A2,2). If the source values are in a column, copy or fill the formula down so each row uses its corresponding cell reference.

Examples of decimal truncation

Positive num_digits values determine the number of decimal places retained. The digits beyond that position are discarded, even when the next digit would normally cause a rounded result.

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Formula Result Interpretation
=TRUNC(8.987,2) 8.98 Keep two decimal places; discard the 7
=TRUNC(8.987,1) 8.9 Keep one decimal place
=TRUNC(8.987,0) 8 Keep no decimal places
=TRUNC(8.987) 8 Omitting the second argument uses the default of zero

To apply the same rule to worksheet data, place the source value in A2 and enter =TRUNC(A2,2) in another cell. The result updates whenever A2 changes, while preserving the same two-decimal truncation rule.

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Using negative num_digits to truncate whole-number places

A negative precision moves the cutoff to the left of the decimal point. The absolute value tells Excel how many positions to remove from the integer side.

Formula Result Digits removed
=TRUNC(12345,-1) 12340 Ones place
=TRUNC(12345,-2) 12300 Ones and tens places
=TRUNC(12345,-3) 12000 Ones, tens and hundreds places

For the documented example =TRUNC(12345,-2), the result is 12300. The function is still truncating, not rounding: the removed positions are replaced by zeros in the returned number.

How TRUNC treats negative numbers

TRUNC removes the fractional portion toward zero. Therefore =TRUNC(-8.9) returns -8, not -9. This direction matters when a worksheet contains credits, adjustments, temperatures, balances or other values that can be below zero.

The same rule applies when you keep decimal places: TRUNC retains the digits up to the requested position and removes the rest without moving the result farther from zero. Test a negative sample whenever the sign of the result affects a later calculation.

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TRUNC compared with INT

TRUNC and INT can both produce an integer when you omit num_digits, but they define negative values differently. TRUNC removes the fraction toward zero. INT returns the lower integer. Microsoft’s example is explicit: TRUNC(-4.3) returns -4, while INT(-4.3) returns -5 because -5 is the lower number.

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Function Primary action Result for a negative fractional value Precision argument
TRUNC Discards digits without rounding Moves toward zero; TRUNC(-4.3) is -4 Optional num_digits; positive, zero or negative
INT Returns the lower integer INT(-4.3) is -5 No decimal-place control in the INT operation

Choose TRUNC when “drop the fraction” is the rule regardless of sign. Choose INT only when moving to the lower integer is the intended mathematical behavior.

TRUNC compared with ROUNDDOWN

Both functions can produce a result that is no larger in magnitude than the original when used with positive precision, but their stated purposes differ. Microsoft describes ROUNDDOWN as rounding a number down, toward zero, and its num_digits argument is required. TRUNC is described as removing the fractional part or selected digits without rounding, with num_digits optional.

Question TRUNC ROUNDDOWN
Does it discard digits without rounding? Yes It rounds down toward zero
Is the precision argument optional? Yes; omitted means zero No; num_digits is required
When is it the clearer choice? When the requirement explicitly says to truncate or discard digits When the requirement is expressed as rounding down to a specified precision

If the business rule uses the word “truncate,” TRUNC makes that intent visible in the formula. If the rule is specifically a rounding-down operation, ROUNDDOWN communicates that operation instead.

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TRUNC compared with ROUND

ROUND is for ordinary rounding to a chosen number of digits. It may increase the retained portion when a discarded digit meets the rounding rule. TRUNC never performs that increase; it simply removes the digits beyond the cutoff.

Function Use it when you need to Effect on discarded digits
TRUNC Keep existing digits and discard the rest Never rounds
ROUND Round a number to a chosen number of digits Uses rounding behavior rather than simple removal

For example, =TRUNC(8.987,2) returns 8.98 because the 7 is discarded. Use ROUND instead when the desired result should reflect a rounding rule.

Choosing the right function

Use this decision guide before writing the formula:

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  • Need to remove digits and never round? Use TRUNC.
  • Need the integer toward negative infinity? Use INT.
  • Need an explicit rounding-down operation toward zero with a required precision argument? Use ROUNDDOWN.
  • Need conventional rounding to a selected number of digits? Use ROUND.

When negative values are possible, include a negative test case in your worksheet. The visible difference between TRUNC and INT may not appear in positive-only data, so a formula can seem correct until a negative value is introduced.

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Common TRUNC worksheet patterns

Keeping two decimal places for a column

  1. Put the original values in a source column such as column A.
  2. In the first result row, enter =TRUNC(A2,2).
  3. Fill the formula down the result column.
  4. Use the result column in later formulas when the truncated values, rather than the original untruncated values, are required.

This pattern keeps the rule in one reusable formula instead of manually editing each value.

Returning whole numbers

Use =TRUNC(A2) or =TRUNC(A2,0) when the fractional part must be removed. The two forms have the same result because zero is the default for num_digits.

Removing trailing whole-number positions

Use a negative precision such as =TRUNC(A2,-2) when the last two integer positions should be discarded. This is useful for values where the tens and ones positions are not part of the retained figure, provided that truncation rather than rounding is the required rule.

Checking a formula before relying on its result

Verify the formula in a small set of cells before filling an entire range. Include at least one positive decimal, a value with more decimal places than you intend to keep, an exact integer, and a negative decimal if negative numbers can occur. Confirm that:

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  • The formula starts with =.
  • The source reference points to the intended cell.
  • The second argument has the correct sign and magnitude.
  • The returned value has digits removed rather than rounded upward.
  • Negative samples move toward zero, not toward the lower integer.

A compact test set makes an incorrect precision value easy to spot. For example, compare =TRUNC(8.987,2), =TRUNC(8.987,0), and =TRUNC(12345,-2) in separate cells so the decimal-side and integer-side behaviors are visible at once.

Typical mistakes and how to fix them

Expecting rounding

If a result appears lower than a conventionally rounded value, that is expected. TRUNC discards the extra digits. Replace it with ROUND only when the requirement calls for rounding.

Using INT for every integer conversion

INT is not interchangeable with TRUNC for negative numbers. If -4.3 should become -4, use TRUNC. If it should become the lower integer -5, use INT.

Forgetting that the second argument is optional

Omitting num_digits deliberately returns the integer portion. If you intended two decimal places, write the precision explicitly as in =TRUNC(A2,2).

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Using the wrong sign for whole-number positions

Positive precision counts places to the right of the decimal. To remove positions on the left, use a negative value. For example, -2 targets the tens and ones positions, producing 12300 from 12345.

Applying the formula to the wrong source cell

When using references, inspect the first result and the copied formulas. A formula such as =TRUNC(A2,2) should point to the row’s source value; an accidental reference to another row can produce a valid-looking but incorrect result.

TRUNC, displayed decimals and downstream calculations

TRUNC is appropriate when later calculations must use the shortened number itself. For instance, a cell containing =TRUNC(A2,2) supplies a value with the extra digits removed, rather than merely showing fewer digits while retaining the original precision behind the display.

Decide where in the calculation chain truncation belongs. Truncating each input before a calculation can produce a different result from calculating first and truncating the final result. Put the TRUNC formula at the stage required by the rule you are implementing, and document the chosen precision in the worksheet header or adjacent note.

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A concise reference

Requirement Formula pattern Result or behavior
Remove the fractional part =TRUNC(number) Integer portion; num_digits defaults to zero
Keep two decimal places =TRUNC(number,2) Digits beyond the hundredths place are discarded
Remove one digit left of the decimal =TRUNC(number,-1) Ones position is removed
Remove two digits left of the decimal =TRUNC(number,-2) Tens and ones positions are removed
Use a worksheet value =TRUNC(A2,2) Truncates the value currently in cell A2 to two decimals

Bottom line

TRUNC is the Excel function for removing digits without rounding. Write TRUNC(number, [num_digits]), use a positive precision for decimal places, zero or omission for an integer, and a negative precision for digits to the left of the decimal point. Choose it over INT when negative values must move toward zero, and choose ROUND when the requirement is actual rounding.

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