How do I calculate percentages using an amount and total?

Depends which percentage you want to find out.

Here are two numbers: 175, 200

1. 175 is 87.5% of 200.
2. 200 is 114.3% of 175.
   
3. The percent increase from 175 to 200 is 14.3% (eg. Cost of item = $175, tax rate is 14.3%, cost with tax = $200)
4. The percent decrease from 200 to 175 is 12.5%(eg. Regular price $200, discount 12,5%, your price $175.

EDIT: Jerry's description addresses case 1.

I'm guessing you want the third one:

Amount is in B2, Total in B3, formula is: =B3/B2 - 1

Format the result cell as percentage, with as many decimals as you need.

Regards,

Barry

Linzrle,

A percentage is a ratio, multiplied by 100 with the percent sign added.

If the "amount" is in column A and the "total" is in column B, then you could write in column C:

=a/b

Now you have the ratio. To view the ratio as a Percentage, click on the "%" sign on the Format Bar (center of the bar, right under the document title). Numbers will multiply the ratio by 100 and add the %-sign, for the purposes of the display. Internally, however, the amount is the simple A/B ratio.

Hope that helps.

Jerry

Hi Barry,

Thanks for explaining all the options. I'm trying to create a formula that I think does two of the options but I can't discern which option applys and how.

(Labor Cost + Material Cost) next subtract a discount 25% and finally add the sales tax 6%

Can you help? Thanks

Michael,

In your case you would write an expression for:

=(Labor + Material) * (100% - 25%) * 106%

Jerry