subtraction of vlookup in two sheets but across a number of columns

This can't work:

=vlookup(c306,C4:c297,20,0)

There is only one column in the array, not 20.

We need clarity.

There are instructions at the top of the page explaining how to attach your sample workbook.

If you replace the 20 in your formula with COLUMNS($A:T) it will increment as you drag to the right.

Is that what you mean?

Note there appears to be an error in your formula above as the first VLOOKUP is only looking at column C so it cannot return a value from the 20th column. I presume just a typo.

BSB

@Leanne

As I said, and BSB has also noted, this can't work:

=vlookup(c306,C4:c297,20,0)

There is only one column in the array, not 20.

Please attach a sample workbook.

Try this:

=VLOOKUP($A9,$A$3:$AQ$6,COLUMNS($A:S),0)-VLOOKUP($A9,'DEC 20'!$A$3:$AQ$6,COLUMNS($A:S),0)

thank you so much - so if there is an employee in Jan tab but not in Dec tab I get an error, I still want to know what the result is ?

Ok.

=iferror(vlookup($a9,$a$3:$aq$6,columns($a:s),0),0)-iferror(vlookup($a9,'dec 20'!$a$3:$aq$6,columns($a:s),0),0)

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