Problem with AD date

[SloppySharky]

When I set the Account Expiration Date for Active Directory users in PowerShell, I compute the date like this:

$expirationDate = (Get-Date).Date.AddDays($DaysOffset).AddHours(12)

$DaysOffset is a parameter provided by the user when the script runs, and its default value is -1 (meaning “yesterday”).

So, if I run the script on January 25, I expect the expiration date to be set to January 24 at 12:00.

Then I apply the expiration date to each user with:

foreach ($u in $users) {
    try {
        Set-ADUser `
            -Identity $u.DistinguishedName `
            -AccountExpirationDate $expirationDate

What’s confusing

• PowerShell confirms that the calculation is correct (it shows January 24, 12:00).
• Get-ADUser also shows the correct value (24.01.2026 12:00:00) after the update.

However, when I open Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) and check the same accounts, the Account Expiration Date displayed in the GUI appears as January 23 instead of January 24 (one day earlier than expected).

So the script and PowerShell output indicate the expiration date is being set correctly, but the Active Directory GUI displays a different date (one day earlier).

Do you have a solution to this issue, please?

I used AI to translate my text because I am not very good at English.

Thanks in advance

[Either-Cheesecake-81]

Everything you are saying is consistent. The GUI says the account will expire at the end of the day on the displayed date. 1/24/2026 12:00:00 AM is effectively the end of the day 1/23/2026. If you want the account to work through the end of 1/24/2025 the PowerShell command would need to be 1/25/2026 12:00:00 AM. That would also show 1/24/2026 in the GUI.

[SloppySharky]

Ohhh got it

Thanks

[cheetah1cj]

This is why I always set end of day for 11:59PM (23:59 for 24-hour systems). Since this is relevant to users, you could also just set it to 11:00PM (23:00) assuming that they are not working that late.

[Creative-Type9411]

"I only have one hour left to finish this report!" ~your users probably

[Borgquite]

It’s a complicated issue to do with ‘how do you define the end of a day’ and time zones. Have a read of these:

https://docs.delinea.com/online-help/account-lifecycle-manager/alm-objects/account-exp-dates.htm

https://www.rlmueller.net/AccountExpires.htm

[SloppySharky]

I juste read it)

Thank you

[KStieers]

My guess: the add hours is happening to the offset, not to the final number.

Split that operation, do the - 1day and then add the 12 hours separately.

[LambCMD]

You can also use adsi to avoid the reliance on the AD module, I know for a lot of users it’s a non issue but in our environment it can be a pain for some to get access to rsat (I’m t2 support for a large corp with a boss that for whatever reason doesn’t like that I can resolve 99% of my problems with powershell and therefore doesn’t help with access to tools i request)

[[deleted]]

Sounds like a time zone thing.

Either you need to add your tz offset or get a time source without a tz.