MS Excel 2007 I'm not a dummy but having formulae trouble

I am not a dummy, and I have inserted this simple simple formulae into other areas of this same document, but for reasons I dont understand, on one area of my worksheet, the simple calculation G20-G21 only comes up with the equivalent of G20+G21??? Why will the two numbers not subtract? I have checked and quadruple checked and I am going crazy with frustration.:cry
Any ideas?

 

Can you post the contents of G20 and G21? Do either of them contain a negatave number? Can you post the formula?

 

Good morning person in Ohio!

The contents of the cell are:
G20=15915.54
G21= 417.32

So what I hoping for with a formulae of G20-G21 is 15498.22 obviously

BUT...my worksheet only wants to add the 2 cells and gives me the 16000+ figure???

I am figuring it must have something to do with the formating of the cells??
What annoys me is this formulae appears above and below this area of the worksheet and works fine, but just not these specific cells?
:confused

 

Just wondering as I try and eliminate possibilities.
The figure in G21 is the result of linking a cell in 4 worksheets to list the total on the worksheet I am having trouble with. So the formulae for cell G21 is e.g.
'=+Tom!G21+Dick!G21+Harry!G21+Mo!G21'.
Would this have anything to do with the formulae in G22 (=G20-G21) not being intepreted correctly as subtraction and 'defaulting' to addition?

 

Hello TimW
It comes up with a figure that is ADDING the 2 numbers so I get 16750.18!!
This problem has GOT to be so simple that when I find the answer, I am going to feel a complete gooose!:-o

Janita
Qld
Australia

 

G20 SUBTOTAL $15,915.54
G21 LESS REBATES -$417.32
G22 SUBTOTAL FOR PERCENTAGE PURPOSES $16,332.86

This is a copy of what I am trying to do.

Why doest the formulae for G22=G20-G21 subtract instead of add??

 

In my first post, I asked, "Do either of them contain a negatave number?" Your first reply to me showed the contents of G20 and G21 as being positive numbers. But now, you've posted -$417.32 as the content of G21. So, the formula, G22=G20-G21, is subtracting a negative number. This now becomes a mathematical issue. Have you forgotten, from high school Algebra , that subtracting a negative number is really the same as adding the number?

 

Oh my @$%!&^(!!!!

YEEESSSSSS! It works!:-D:-D

What champions you both (TimW and usafveteran) are for leading me down the old 'negative number' path.
Hey presto! G22 now gives me the right answer and has subtracted G21 from G20.

Well done and thanks a million and yes....I AM a goose!!!:-o