Dax Function: STARTOFQUARTER
Category: Time Intelligence Functions
The STARTOFQUARTER function in Power BI is a DAX time intelligence function that returns the first date of the current quarter in the context of the specified date column. It is particularly useful for time-based calculations involving quarterly aggregations or comparisons.
Purpose of the Function
The primary goal of STARTOFQUARTER is to identify and extract the starting date of a quarter within the given filter context. It simplifies quarter-based calculations and enables precise data analysis at a quarterly granularity.
Type of Calculations
- Quarterly Aggregation: Compute metrics that rely on the starting date of a quarter.
- Cumulative Calculations: Calculate totals from the start of a quarter to the current date.
- Trend Analysis: Anchor comparisons or visualizations to the first date of each quarter.
Practical Use Cases
- Cumulative Revenue Tracking: Calculate total revenue from the start of a quarter.
- Quarterly Metrics Comparison: Compare sales or revenue between the starts of consecutive quarters.
- Date Grouping: Use the first date of each quarter for grouping data in reports.
STARTOFQUARTER(<dates>)
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
dates | Column | A column containing date values, typically from a well-structured date table. |
How Does STARTOFQUARTER Dax Function Works
- Filter Context Evaluation: The function evaluates the
datescolumn based on the applied filters. - Quarter Identification: It determines the quarter for the given context (e.g., Q1, Q2, etc.).
- First Date Extraction: The earliest date for the identified quarter is returned as a single-row table.
For instance, if the dates column includes entries from Q3 2025 and the filter context applies Q3, STARTOFQUARTER will return July 1, 2025.
What Does It Return?
The STARTOFQUARTER function returns a single-column table containing one row with the first date of the current quarter in the specified filter context.
When Should We Use It?
- Quarterly Analysis: Anchor calculations to the start of quarters.
- Financial Reporting: Use in reports where data needs to be summarized quarterly.
- Cumulative Trends: Calculate running totals or averages starting from the beginning of a quarter.
Examples
Basic Usage
First Date of Quarter = STARTOFQUARTER(Dates[Date])
This returns the first date of the current quarter based on the filter context.
Column Usage:
Cumulative Revenue =
CALCULATE(
SUM(Sales[Revenue]),
Dates[Date] >= STARTOFQUARTER(Dates[Date])
)
This calculates cumulative revenue from the first day of the quarter to the current date.
Advanced Usage
YOY Revenue Growth =
DIVIDE(
CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Revenue]), STARTOFQUARTER(Dates[Date])),
CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Revenue]), SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR(STARTOFQUARTER(Dates[Date])))
) - 1
This formula calculates year-over-year revenue growth for the start of quarters.
Tips and Tricks
- Ensure a Proper Date Table: A complete and continuous date table ensures accurate results.
- Combine with Other Time Intelligence Functions: Use with
SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR,ENDOFQUARTER, orDATESQTDfor richer calculations. - Avoid Redundant Nesting: Do not nest within functions that already work on quarterly levels unless necessary.
Potential Pitfalls:
- The function outputs a table, not a scalar value. Use it only where table expressions are supported.
Performance Impact of STARTOFQUARTER DAX Function:
- Efficiency: Optimized when used with an indexed date table.
- Large Datasets: Use filters wisely to avoid unnecessary computation on large datasets.
Related Functions You Might Need
ENDOFQUARTER: Returns the last date of the current quarter.DATESQTD: Returns all dates in the current quarter-to-date.STARTOFYEAR: Retrieves the first date of the current year.FIRSTDATE: Returns the first date in the context without limiting it to quarters.
Want to Learn More?
For more information, check out the official Microsoft documentation for STARTOFQUARTER. You can also experiment with this function in your Power BI reports to explore its capabilities.
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It returns the first date of the current quarter in the filter context of a date column.
No, it works with calendar quarters. To handle fiscal quarters, customize your date table accordingly.
It returns a single-row table containing the first date of the quarter.
STARTOFQUARTER identifies the first date of a quarter, while STARTOFMONTH works at the monthly level.
While not mandatory, a well-structured date table ensures accurate and consistent results.
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