Free business day calculator. Add or subtract working days from any date, skip weekends and US federal holidays, and get exact delivery, payment, or contract due dates instantly.
Enter your start date — this is the date from which the calculation begins. Most contracts and shipping calculations use "today" as the start date.
Enter the number of business days to add (for forward calculation) or subtract (for backward calculation). Use a positive number to add days, negative to subtract.
Choose whether to skip US federal holidays. The calculator excludes weekends (Saturday and Sunday) by default. Checking "Skip US federal holidays" also excludes the 11 recognized federal holidays.
Click "Calculate" to see the target date, the day of the week it falls on, and a breakdown of how many calendar days were skipped (weekend days + holidays).
Review the worked examples below for common use cases — contract deadlines, payment terms, shipping estimates, and notice periods.
A business day is any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or recognized holiday. The federal government recognizes 11 holidays per year (New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, it is observed on the preceding Friday; when it falls on a Sunday, it is observed on the following Monday. Business day calculations are critical for contract deadlines, shipping estimates, and statutory notice periods.
A package ships on Monday and the carrier promises "5 business days" delivery. Count: Monday (day 1), Tuesday (2), Wednesday (3), Thursday (4), Friday (5). The package arrives on Friday the same week. If it shipped on Wednesday: Wednesday (1), Thursday (2), Friday (3), [skip weekend], Monday (4), Tuesday (5). Delivery is the following Tuesday — 7 calendar days after shipping.
An invoice is dated October 15, 2025, with Net 30 payment terms (30 business days). Counting forward, skipping weekends and federal holidays: October 15 + 30 business days = November 26, 2025 — but that's the day before Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving (Nov 27) is a federal holiday, the deadline extends to Friday Nov 28. But Nov 28 is also a holiday for many employers. The actual due date becomes Monday, December 1, 2025.
A common contract clause is "3 business days written notice." If today is Wednesday, count: Wednesday (1), Thursday (2), Friday (3). Notice must be given by Friday to be effective Monday. If today is Thursday: Thursday (1), Friday (2), [skip weekend], Monday (3). Notice given on Thursday is effective the following Tuesday.
The federal WARN Act requires employers with 100+ employees to give 60 days advance notice of mass layoffs. The 60 days are CALENDAR days, not business days. However, if the 60th day falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the notice deadline extends to the next business day. For a layoff planned for March 31, 2026 (Tuesday), the 60-day notice must be given by January 30, 2026 (Friday).
Starting January 2, 2026 (Friday after New Year's), add 10 business days skipping federal holidays. January 2 (1), January 5 (2), January 6 (3), January 7 (4), January 8 (5), January 9 (6), January 12 (7), January 13 (8), January 14 (9), January 15 (10). Result: January 15, 2026 (Thursday). Note that MLK Day (Jan 19) falls after the calculation window, so it does not affect this result.
A contract requires notice "not less than 90 days before termination." Termination is set for December 31, 2025. Counting backward 90 business days: December 31 - 90 business days = approximately August 22, 2025 (Friday). The notice must be given by August 22 to be valid.
Find answers to the most common questions about business day calculator.
A business day is any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or recognized holiday. The federal government recognizes 11 holidays: New Year's Day (Jan 1), MLK Day (3rd Monday in January), Washington's Birthday (3rd Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (1st Monday in September), Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October), Veterans Day (Nov 11), Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November), and Christmas (Dec 25). State holidays may differ.
For shipping carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL), business days typically exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. Some carriers offer Saturday delivery for an additional fee — this counts as a business day for delivery purposes but not for pickup. Most carriers use "transit time" rather than business days: USPS Priority Mail is 1-3 business days, UPS Ground is 1-5 business days based on distance.
Calendar days include every day of the week (Monday through Sunday, including holidays). Business days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and recognized holidays — typically Monday through Friday only. For example, "30 calendar days" from a Wednesday is the following Thursday 4 weeks later. "30 business days" from the same Wednesday is approximately 6 weeks later.
Net 30 (or Net 60, Net 90) is a payment term meaning the buyer has 30 (or 60, or 90) business days from the invoice date to pay the seller. Some B2B contracts offer a 1-2% discount for early payment ("2/10 Net 30" means 2% discount if paid within 10 days, otherwise full amount due in 30 days). Always clarify which day-count applies when reviewing contracts.
By default, no — Saturday is part of the weekend and not a business day. However, there are exceptions: Banking (some banks process transactions on Saturdays but post them on Monday), Shipping (UPS and FedEx offer Saturday delivery for an extra fee), Retail (many retail businesses operate 6 or 7 days a week, but contract law still typically defines "business day" as Monday-Friday).
Under federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6(a) and most state laws, if a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day. For example, if a tax return is due on Saturday April 15 (typical federal tax deadline), the actual deadline becomes Monday April 17 (assuming Monday is not a holiday).
The general rule for legal notice periods (eviction notices, contract terminations, IRS response letters, court filings) is: count the day after the notice is served as Day 1, count every day except weekends and federal holidays, and the deadline is the last day of the count. If the deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, extend to the next business day. Always check the specific statute — for example, SEC Rule 13d-1 requires 10 calendar days (not business days) for Schedule 13D filings.
It depends on the context. For federal contracts and filings, only federal holidays are excluded — state holidays are business days. For state contracts, state-specific holidays are also excluded. For example, a contract governed by California law would exclude Cesar Chavez Day (March 31) as a state holiday. For private contracts between businesses, the governing state law typically determines which holidays count.
Calculations and computational models on QuickBizCalc are verified against published regulatory standards and statutory tax tables:
Publication 15-T (Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods) & Publication 15 (Employer's Tax Guide).
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA 29 U.S.C. § 207) regulations on overtime hours, recordkeeping, and minimum wage.
OASDI taxable maximum wage base limits and statutory FICA tax rates (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare).
Formulas and worked examples are checked against the sources above before publishing. For advice on your own situation, consult a licensed tax professional or accountant.
