# Why does my IF formula return FALSE?

The third argument is missing, so IF returns FALSE when the test fails. Give it one: =IF(B2>=$F$1,"Bonus","").

**Excel:** `=IF(B2>=$F$1,"Bonus","")` (Every current version)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rep | Sales | Bonus |  | Target | 50000 |
| Ana | 62000 |  |  |  |  |
| Ben | 48500 |  |  |  |  |
| Cara | 71200 |  |  |  |  |
| Dev | 50000 |  |  |  |  |
| Eli | 39900 |  |  |  |  |

Formula in C2, filled to C6: `=IF(B2>=$F$1,"Bonus","")`

Result: Bonus; ; Bonus; Bonus; 

## How it works

IF has three parts: the test, the result when it is TRUE and the result when it is FALSE. Leave out the third and IF returns the word FALSE for every row that fails the test, as for Ben and Eli. Giving it "" (empty text) shows a blank instead.

## Other ways

- `=IF(B2<$F$1,"","Bonus")`: Testing the other way round puts the blank first.
- `=IF(B2>=$F$1,"Bonus")`: Without the third argument. (Ben and Eli show FALSE.)

## Common mistakes

- A trailing comma with nothing after it, `=IF(B2>=$F$1,"Bonus",)`, returns 0 instead of FALSE. Write "" explicitly.
- An IF that shows TRUE or FALSE where you expected a value usually has a missing or misplaced argument. Check the commas.

## Questions

**How do I return 0 instead of a blank?**

Put 0 as the third argument: `=IF(B2>=$F$1,500,0)`.

**Why does my nested IF show FALSE?**

One of the inner IFs has no FALSE result. Every IF needs both.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/if-formula-returns-false