Business Days Calculator
Advanced options
- No manual holidays added
How Business Days Are Calculated
The formula is simple:
Business Days = Total Calendar Days − Weekend Days − Holidays (falling on weekdays)
Where:
- Total Calendar Days — All days from the start date to the end date
- Weekend Days — Saturdays and Sundays within the date range
- Holidays — Public holidays that fall on weekdays within the date range
In plain English: count every day between the two dates, remove all Saturdays and Sundays, then remove any public holidays that land on a weekday.
What Counts as a Business Day?
A business day is any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday. In most countries, the standard business week runs Monday through Friday. Some countries (like the UAE) have different weekend days, and our country-specific calendars account for these variations.
Examples
Example 1: Project Deadline
You have a project starting Monday, March 2, 2026, and ending Friday, March 20, 2026. That is 19 calendar days. Remove 4 weekend days (2 Saturdays + 2 Sundays). Result: 15 business days.
Example 2: Payment Terms (Net 30)
An invoice is issued on April 1, 2026. Payment is due in 30 business days. Starting from April 1, count 30 business days forward (excluding weekends and US holidays). Result: May 13, 2026.
Example 3: Cross-Country Deadline
A contract signed June 1, 2026 requires delivery in 15 business days. Using US holidays (Memorial Day excluded), the deadline is June 22, 2026. Using UK holidays (Spring Bank Holiday excluded), the deadline is June 23, 2026. This shows how country-specific calendars affect calculations.
Common Use Cases
- Project Managers — Calculate exact deadlines for milestones and deliverables
- HR & Payroll — Determine payroll cutoff dates and PTO accrual periods
- Legal Professionals — Count court filing windows and response deadlines
- Freelancers & Contractors — Calculate Net 30, 60, 90 payment due dates
- Logistics & Shipping — Estimate delivery dates excluding weekends and holidays
- Finance — Calculate interest accrual periods, loan processing times
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a business day?
A business day is any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday. In most countries, business days are Monday through Friday. However, business day definitions can vary by country and industry.
Are Saturdays business days?
In most countries, no. Saturdays are typically considered non-business days. However, some industries such as retail, healthcare, and logistics may consider Saturday a business day. Our calculator excludes Saturday by default.
How many business days are in a year?
There are approximately 260 business days in a year before holidays (52 weeks × 5 weekdays). After excluding US federal holidays, the typical count is around 250 business days. The exact number varies by country and year.
What happens when a holiday falls on a weekend?
Most countries observe the holiday on the nearest weekday. For example, when July 4 (US Independence Day) falls on a Saturday, it is observed on Friday July 3. Our calculator accounts for this when a country-specific holiday calendar is selected.
Do all countries have the same business days?
No. While most Western countries follow a Monday-Friday workweek, some countries have different schedules. For example, UAE observes Friday-Saturday weekends, and Israel has Sunday-Thursday workweeks. Our calculator currently supports US, UK, and India holiday calendars with more countries planned.
Can I include the end date in the count?
Yes. You can toggle the "Include end date" option in the Advanced settings to include the end date as a business day in your total. When enabled, one additional day is added to the result.
What is the difference between business days and calendar days?
Calendar days include every day of the week (Monday through Sunday). Business days exclude weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and public holidays. For example, 7 calendar days might be only 5 business days if the period includes a weekend.
How do I calculate Net 30 payment terms?
To calculate Net 30 terms, add 30 business days from the invoice date, excluding weekends and public holidays. For example, an invoice issued on April 1 with Net 30 terms would be due approximately 6 weeks later in calendar days, but exactly 30 business days later.