Excel Accounting Number Format: How to Format Currency

If you work with financial data in Excel, formatting numbers clearly is essential—and that’s where the Accounting Number Format comes in.

It’s a special format designed to make your numbers easier to read by adding currency symbols, aligning decimal points, and handling negatives in a professional way.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to apply and customize the Accounting Number Format in Excel step by step.

Below is a quick guide on how to apply accounting number format in Excel:

1. Step #1: Highlight the cells you wish to format
2. Step #2: Go to Home→Number→Accounting
3. Bonus: Alternatively, just click the dollar sign in the number group

See screenshot:

Now let’s dive into the details.

What Is the Accounting Number Format in Excel?

The Accounting Number Format in Excel is a built-in formatting option designed to make financial values easier to read and more professional in appearance. It applies several features automatically to your selected cells:

• ✅ Adds a currency symbol (e.g., $, €, ₵) aligned to the left of the cell
• ✅ Displays two decimal places by default
• ✅ Uses commas to separate thousands
• ✅ Shows negative numbers in parentheses (e.g., (500.00))
• ✅ Replaces zero values with a dash (–)

These formatting details follow standard accounting conventions, which is why this format is popular among accountants, bookkeepers, and financial analysts.

📌 Example:
A value like -2500 would appear as ($2,500.00) using the Accounting Format, instead of -2500 or $-2500.

Accounting Format vs Currency Format in Excel

At first glance, the Accounting and Currency number formats in Excel may look similar, but there are important differences that can affect how your data appears.

Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide which format to use:

Feature	Accounting Format	Currency Format
Currency Symbol Position	Aligned to the left of the cell	Placed right next to the number
Negative Numbers	Displayed in parentheses (e.g., (500.00))	Shown with a minus sign (e.g., -500.00)
Zero Values	Displayed as a dash (–)	Displayed as 0.00
Alignment	Values are aligned vertically in column	Values may appear slightly misaligned

---

🧠 Which One Should You Use?

• Use Accounting Format if you work in finance or accounting, where clean alignment and parentheses for negatives are preferred.
• Use Currency Format if you need more flexibility in symbol placement or are working outside of strict accounting standards.

💡 Tip: If you’re preparing reports for stakeholders or clients, the Accounting Format is the safer, more polished option.

See screenshot of currency symbol position:

See screenshot of Negative Numbers

See screenshot of Zero Values

How to Apply the Accounting Number Format in Excel (Step-by-Step)

Applying the Accounting Number Format in Excel is quick and easy. Here’s how to do it in just a few clicks:

---

✅ Method 1: Use the Ribbon

1. Select the cells you want to format.
2. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
3. In the Number group, click the dropdown and select Accounting (or simply click the Accounting icon—usually shown as a dollar sign: $).

📌 Tip: If you want a different currency symbol (like €, ₵, £, or ₦), you can customize it later—just apply the Accounting format first.

(See screenshot animation on applying accounting number format in Excel)

Or just click the dollar sign

(see screenshot)

At this point, you should see a dollar sign displayed in the selected cells with the values in 2 decimal places.

How to Customize the Accounting Number Format in Excel

The default Accounting Format uses the dollar sign ($) and shows two decimal places, but Excel allows you to customize these settings to match your local currency or specific formatting preferences.

Here’s how to make those changes:

1. Select the cells where you want to apply the custom format.

2. Press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog box.

3. In the Number tab, choose Accounting from the category list.

4. Adjust:

• Decimal places: Choose how many digits appear after the decimal.
• Symbol: Pick a different currency symbol (€, ₵, £, ₦, etc.) or select None if you prefer no symbol.

Click OK to apply your setting

You can also move to the Alignment, Font, Border, Fill, or Protection tab to fine-tune the display of the cells.

At this point, if you apply the accounting Number Format to any cell, the currency and the decimal places will change according to the choice you just made.

Why Customize?

• Different countries and companies use different currency symbols.
• You might need more or fewer decimal places depending on the level of accuracy you want.
• Customization gives your reports a more professional and localized appearance.

💡 Tip: Once customized, your Accounting Format will remember these settings for future use on that workbook.

Conclusion

The Accounting Number Format in Excel is a simple but powerful tool for presenting financial data in a clean, consistent, and professional way. Whether you’re working with budgets, invoices, or reports, applying this format helps your numbers stand out—and stay easy to read.

Now that you know how to apply and customize it to fit your needs, you’re one step closer to building better spreadsheets.