Year-to-date or year to date?

year to date, sales were 105% of budget and expenses were 103% of budget





OR





year-to-date sales were 105% of budget and expenses were 103% of budget





Is it "year to date" or "year-to-date"

Year-to-date or year to date?
year-to-date


Year-To-Date is a period starting January 1 of the current year and ending today. Year-to-date is used in many contexts, mainly for recording results of an activity in the time between today's date and the beginning of either the calendar or fiscal year.
Reply:If it's a compound adjective: use the hyphens.





Your first example is "year to date,..." no adjective there, no hyphens. Your second example, "year-to-date sales" is a compound adjective modifying a noun; hyphens needed.





This is a little-understood rule of English. Compound adjectives need hyphens unless one of the words ends with "ly." Thus, a "six-foot fence" is correct, not six foot fence.
Reply:use the hyphens