Page 164 - JoFA_2022

TECHNOLOGY Q&A

MICROSOFT EXCEL
What is so special about Paste Special in Excel?

Q. What is the A. As an accountant, you know how to copy or cut worksheet. On a PC, click Home on the Ribbon,
difference and paste in Microsoft Excel. On PCs, it’s as simple then click the drop-down arrow under Paste in the
between a as Ctrl+C or Ctrl+X followed by Ctrl+V. What Clipboard group. Choose Paste Special (or click
regular paste you may not know are all the different ways Excel’s Ctrl+Alt+V), select Values, and click OK. Paste
in Microsoft Paste Special options can make your life easier. Special is located on the Edit tab on a Mac.
Excel and Paste This article explores some of the features that
Special? Paste Special offers, such as pasting formulas as Increase numbers by percentage
values; increasing numbers by a percentage; pasting Paste Special also can be used to increase numbers
numbers with the destination formatting; convert- by a percentage. To do this, enter the amount of
ing a positive number into a negative number; the percentage you want to increase the numbers
inserting Excel cells, tables, or worksheets into by in a blank cell. The percentage should be entered
Microsoft Word and PowerPoint; and inserting as a decimal added to the number 1, as this will
Word content into an Excel file. be the value multiplied by the numbers you want
Note that this content was based on Microsoft increased. For example, if you want to increase
Excel 365 for PCs. Other versions of Excel may numbers by 20%, enter 1.2 in a blank cell. Copy
work differently. the cell that contains the percentage increase, and
then select the cell or range of cells that contain the
Paste as values numbers that should be increased.
Paste Special can paste the contents of your Let’s look at an example. Say you want to
spreadsheet as values. This is very useful when, for increase all salaries by 20%. Select and copy cell
example, you are emailing an Excel workbook that D1, the cell that contains the amount of the
contains formulas to a client. You want to ensure percentage increase. Then, select cells B2:B12, the
all your calculated values are delivered correctly and cells that contain the numbers (salaries) that need
not accidentally altered due to changes in formula to be increased 20%. Click Home on the Ribbon,
references. To change all formulas to values, simply then click the drop-down arrow under Paste in
Submit a select the cells you want pasted as values, or select the Clipboard group. Choose Paste Special, then
question the entire worksheet. select Multiply, as shown in the screenshot below
Once you have selected the cells or worksheet, to the left.
Do you have copy the cells by clicking Ctrl+C on a PC or Click OK. All of the salaries have now changed
technology Cmd+C on a Mac. Place the cursor where you to reflect the 20% increase. See the updated salaries
questions for this would like to paste the cells, or select the entire in the screenshot below to the right.
column? Or, after
reading an answer,
do you have a
better solution?
Send them to
jofatech@aicpa.org.
We regret
being unable to
individually answer
all submitted
questions.

32 | Journal of Accountancy April 2022