XIRR/IRR Cashflow Calculator (Offline)
Paste cashflows and solve in USD
XIRR/IRR calculator FAQs
Do I need both negatives and positives?
Yes. IRR needs at least one sign change. All negatives or all positives cannot produce a solution.
Why do XIRR and IRR differ?
XIRR uses exact dates; IRR assumes equal spacing. Uneven timing makes the money-weighted XIRR a better summary.
Can the return be negative?
Yes. If timing and magnitudes imply a loss, the annualized XIRR will be below zero.
How is the payback date found?
It tracks cumulative nominal cashflows by date and marks when they cross zero; interpolation estimates the crossing month.
How to use this XIRR/IRR cashflow calculator
1. Format your cashflows cleanly
Put one cashflow per line as date, amount, note. ISO dates like 2024-07-15 avoid locale issues. Amounts can include symbols and commas. Enter negatives for what you invest (money out) and positives for what you receive (money in). The calculator sorts by date and ignores blank lines.
2. Understand XIRR vs periodic IRR
XIRR is a money-weighted annual return that respects exact dates. It answers, “What single annual rate would make these dated cashflows break even?” If your flows are roughly monthly or quarterly, the tool also shows a periodic IRR that treats intervals as equal, solves a per-period rate, and annualizes from the average spacing.
3. Read the core tiles
The summary focuses on a small set of signals: XIRR, a periodic IRR when it can be estimated, total invested, total returned, net gain, the span from first to last date, and a simple payback date where cumulative cash turns positive. If periodic IRR differs a lot from XIRR, timing is driving results—double-check your dates and signs.
4. Use Copy summary for quick reporting
After calculating, use Copy summary to grab a text block that includes the date span, XIRR, periodic IRR (if available), invested, returned, net gain, and payback date. Paste it into a note, deck, or email when you explain a portfolio, deal, or project outcome to a partner.
5. Watch common IRR pitfalls
- Multiple sign changes can allow more than one mathematical IRR; this tool reports a single bracketing root.
- Large one-off flows can dominate results—always sanity-check with invested vs returned totals.
- Short spans can show large annualized numbers; compare with absolute net gain and holding period.
- A negative XIRR is valid when the timing and size of flows imply an overall loss.
6. Practical ways to use the tool
- Summarize private deals, real estate cash calls, or fund drawdowns and distributions.
- Compare money-weighted returns across accounts with irregular contributions and withdrawals.
- Capture outcomes for yearly reviews without opening a spreadsheet.
This page is an educational planner. It does not model taxes, carried interest, performance fees, or currency conversion. Treat the numbers as a helpful lens on timing and magnitude of cashflows, then reconcile them against your official statements.
References & further reading
Core definitions and spreadsheet equivalents:
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Internal rate of return (overview)
Wikipedia
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XIRR function (Excel)
Microsoft Support
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Money-weighted rate of return
Wikipedia