comparing records from one excel sheet to another

Do you have a unique ID that you could run a match on ?

Also, check out this excellent article by Dave Brett, which will give you the add-in and the knowledge to easily compare two worksheets.

Thomas

yes.  there is an EIN column

So the easy way, if I understand your problem statement, is to use a MATCH function on every row in the new sheet and search for the EIN in the column on the old sheet that contains the EIN.  Make sure your 3rd parameter in the MATCH is 0, for an exact match.  The formula will return an error for every EIN in the new sheet not found in the old.  You can process the error condition to your liking (via an IF statement, etc).

Can you post samples of data?

eo-id.xls

I just posted a sample.  I will be comparing this exact sheet which gets additions each month.

Did you try the match function?  Searching for a value in a list is it's purpose - one that it accomplishes with ease.  It will let know know, when searching for an exact match (vs the closet value) whether one is found or not.  Using it, you can definitively tell the new EIN numbers added each period.

If I have two different sheets though, how would I compare the first sheet with the second sheet

Are you trying to check that all cells are the same, or just that a line didn't exist previously?

that a line didn't previously exist compared to the old sheet.

The sheet gets added to monthly and then they send me the whole new one each month