XIRR Calculator
Wealth Projection
What is XIRR?
XIRR (Extended Internal Rate of Return) is the annualised return on a series of investments made on different dates. A SIP is the classic case: your first instalment has been invested for years, your latest for only a few days, so a simple "total gain ÷ total invested" figure badly misstates your real return. XIRR weighs every rupee by how long it was actually invested.
That is why mutual fund statements, AMCs and SEBI-registered platforms report SIP returns as XIRR. The GoPocket XIRR calculator gives you the same figure in seconds - pick your SIP frequency, enter your start date, maturity date, instalment amount and current value, and it does the rest.
Your Cash Flow Schedule
Excel-ready XIRR inputs
These are the exact dated cash flows behind your result. Paste them into a spreadsheet and
=XIRR() returns the same rate.
| # | Date | Type | Cash Flow |
|---|
How Does the XIRR Calculator Work?
The calculator turns your inputs into a list of dated cash flows: one outflow for every instalment, from the start date until the maturity date, and one inflow - your maturity amount - on the maturity date. It then finds the single annual rate at which all of those cash flows, discounted back to the start date, add up to zero. That rate is your XIRR.
Practical Example:
Suppose you invest ₹5,000 every month from 1 April 2020 to 1 April 2025 - 60 instalments - and your investment is worth ₹5,00,000 on the maturity date:
- Total Invested: ₹3,00,000
- Absolute Return: 66.67%
- XIRR: 20.53% p.a.
Treating the same ₹3,00,000 as a single lump sum invested on day one would suggest a CAGR of only about 10.8% - it ignores that most of the money went in much later. XIRR gets it right.
What is the XIRR Formula?
XIRR is the rate that sets the net present value of all your cash flows to zero:
There is no way to rearrange this for XIRR directly, so it is solved numerically - the calculator (like Excel) starts from a guess and refines it until the equation balances.
How to Calculate XIRR in Excel or Google Sheets
- 1
In column A, list the date of every instalment, followed by the maturity or valuation date.
- 2
In column B, enter each instalment as a negative number (money going out) and the maturity value as a positive number.
- 3
In an empty cell, type =XIRR(B2:B62, A2:A62) - adjusting the ranges to your rows.
- 4
Press Enter and format the cell as a percentage. That is your annualised return.
The cash flow schedule above is laid out exactly this way, so you can check any result from this calculator in your own spreadsheet.
XIRR vs CAGR vs Absolute Return:
| Return Measure | What It Measures | Best For | Accounts for Timing | Annualised |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XIRR | Annualised return across many dated cash flows | SIPs, top-ups, STPs, SWPs, irregular investments | Yes - every cash flow's own date | Yes |
| CAGR | Annual growth rate of one investment between two dates | Lump-sum investments, fund NAV growth | Only the start and end dates | Yes |
| Absolute Return | Total gain as a percentage of the amount invested | Holdings of under one year | No | No |
| Annualised Return | Absolute return converted to a yearly figure | Quick comparisons of lump sums | Only the holding period | Yes |
What is a Good XIRR?
A "good" XIRR depends on what you are comparing it with. Measure an equity SIP against its benchmark index over the same dates - beating the index is the real test of a fund. For any investment, an XIRR comfortably above fixed-deposit rates and inflation means your money is genuinely growing.
Be careful with short periods. A SIP only a few months old can show a very high or negative XIRR because a small market move is annualised over a short time. XIRR becomes meaningful over three years or more.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know — from what we do to how we do it — in one quick FAQ section.
OPEN ACCOUNTXIRR (Extended Internal Rate of Return) is the annualised return on investments made at different times - such as SIP instalments - each with its own date and amount. It is the standard way to measure SIP returns because it accounts for how long every instalment was actually invested.
