SUMIF FUNCTION works in all cells but those related to one account

[Skyhawk]

My Excel Workbook (2003 version_ includes two tabs (spreadsheets. The first
tab is an income statement. The second tab is a trial balance.

The first spreadsheet has one column of account numbers. The SUMIF function
is in the amount column to the right of the account number column and it
refers to the second spreadsheet account number column. The formula pulls
dollar amounts from that spreadsheet (Trial Balance) for each account number
found in the first spreadsheet.

This SUMIF function works in ever cell of the first spreadsheet except for
cells with one specific account number. There is no error message. It simply
returns a ZERO amount. Formatting is "general" for the account number
columns in both spreadsheets. The account number in question is exactly the
same in both spreadsheets.

Any ideas why this is happening?

 

[T. Valko]

The numbers for that account may not be numeric numbers. They may be TEXT
numbers. NUMERIC numbers and TEXT numbers are not the same even though they
may look the same. Or, the accounts don't *exactly* match from sheet to
sheet.

The problem is one or the other!

If your formula works for every other account then I'd look at the accounts
not exactly matching from sheet to sheet as the culprit.

 

[Luke M]

Wihtout seeing your data, possible ideas:

The sum really is zero? Don't know if negative charges exist.

One of the heet's account numbers was originally entered as text. Even if
you then switch the formatting later to general, XL will stores the 'number'
as text, and you won't get a match.

Is there a chance that some zero's have been etnered as O's?

 

[Skyhawk]

Thank you for the quick response.

After checking the formatting, I found all the same. However, on a whim I
copied the problem account number from another source and pasted it into my
spreadsheet. Whalla! It worked. Funny thing, though: formatting was exactly
the same as the number replaced. Oh well: I guess this is one of the
"mysteries" inherrent in Excel...

Skyhawk

 

[T. Valko]

That means your account numbers didn't exactly match from sheet to sheet.

When you copied/pasted you also copied/pasted the format of the source cell.
This is the default behavior unless you use Paste Special and explicitly
exclude formats. Apparently, this new format then matched the format of the
other sheet and is now a match.