Mixed Case or Upper Case

[Guest Taxed]

When you prepare returns do you use mixed case or upper case only?

[Jack from Ohio]

When you prepare returns do you use mixed case or upper case only?

Are you kidding? Upper case only has been the recommended standard for any official government forms since I was a sophomore in High School.

Now for those of you slow on the uptake, No two upper case letters look enough alike to be mistaken for each other.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

[GeneInAlabama]

The only problem with upper case only is that the names on the letters will appear in upper case while the rest of the letter is upper and lower case. Looks kind of bad.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I always use upper case for speed and convenience. I also thought the software converted everything to upper case anyway but not sure. Then again, the speed I gained by not changing case was reduced by editing the letter using the Custom option where I use mixed case but also first names. Many times those familiar names are not typical so truly custom. One client's first name is Richard but everyone knows him as Sek. I have no idea why but I use his name of choice.

[Guest Taxed]

Are you kidding? Upper case only has been the recommended standard for any official government forms since I was a sophomore in High School.

Now for those of you slow on the uptake, No two upper case letters look enough alike to be mistaken for each other.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Those were the days when kids were taught how to write in script. These days most public schools do not even teach script in elementary schools!

Hence the Govt. wanted forms written in Upper Case Only.

I switched to mixed case when I started using laser printers because the letters or address on labels does not have to be edited.

[MAMalody]

I use mixed case for everything.

[Randall]

Was the original post referring to returns or letters? I use upper case on the returns, but it seems there are some auto fills that input the info in lower case (ATX), Can't think of a specific example right now. Perhaps on Sch D (8849) when you use 'various' or 'inherited'. For letters, I use mixed.

[Guest Taxed]

Was the original post referring to returns or letters? I use upper case on the returns, but it seems there are some auto fills that input the info in lower case (ATX), Can't think of a specific example right now. Perhaps on Sch D (8849) when you use 'various' or 'inherited'. For letters, I use mixed.

Returns.

If you set the software to upper case only, don't you have to edit the name and address and salutation to mixed case in each letter?

[jklcpa]

I've always used upper case for returns, and I have never edited the salutations or addresses in the letters. The clients all know that the program is inserting the name and address into a stock letter, and they look at that letter for a very short amount of time, so I leave it as is. I never liked the look of the invoices in any program and always prepared that outside of the program until last year when I decided to leave that as is also. Again, the client looks at that for such a short amount of time, I don't worry about that any more because what they are really interested in is the bottom line.

For my business clients that are paying for other than tax work, they receive a bill that looks much nicer with my actual letterhead on it.

[Guest Taxed]

I did also notice that most clients only glance at that letter because I verbally explain to them when they pick up the packet. 99% of the returns are e-filed so the mailing instructions etc don't even apply.

The accountant who trained me was a big believer in presentation so I actually got a used GBC binding machine to spiral bind my returns with a nice cover when I first started. Then clients complained that if they needed to fax a copy of the return it was a real pain to undo the pages. So now I just staple the corner and stick it inside the folder.

[Pacun]

I use only capital letters for returns.

[Vityaba]

Taxed,

I do not think ATX allows to set it up to Upper case only, does it?

[Guest Taxed]

Taxed,

I do not think ATX allows to set it up to Upper case only, does it?

You may be correct I did not use ATX 2012. I have been using mixed case for a long time since I switched from dot matrix and inkjet printers.

[mcb39]

I only use Upper Case for Tax Returns. Good thing my computer warns me that Cap Lock is on when I go to do something else. I am finding that the newer computers no longer have a Caps Lock light; which I am slowly getting used to. Am getting used to on-screen warnings.

[kcjenkins]

Back when I started, upper case was REQUIRED by my software. I've always used it, and I think on forms it is easier to read.

[Catherine]

I use mixed case with everything; for me that is far easier to read, even on forms.

[Kea]

I agree with Catherine. I find all caps very hard to read. And since I e-file everything I can, the IRS gets an electronic version. So, I'm guessing their computers are programmed to read the forms in either version. (I know I really shouldn't make bold assumptions like that - especially with IRS.)

[Guest Taxed]

Check a copy of the Wage and Income Transcript. It is mixed case. So IRS is ok with mixed case.

[Richcpaman]

Mixed case.

And if someone at the Guv'mint' complained? I would laugh.

Sheesh.

Rich

[Lion EA]

All caps, because they stand out when I look at the page or the form as what I entered vs. what the form says. (And, a bit because that's the way Block trained me years ago and old habits die hard for me.)

In my software, I can set it to print all caps on the forms but allow me to enter mixed case. I think that would let letters and other items remain as mixed text. But, that isn't of high importance to me, so I just hit Caps Lock when preparing a return and rely on Windows to notify me when I forget to turn it off when typing in another software.

[CathysTaxes]

Mixed case, easier for me to read and looks nicer. It would be very easy for the software to convert lower case to upper case for the actual printing of the forms (I know, because I am a computer programmer and I have software where I do convert the cases).

The invoices, letters, and schedules are so much easier to read with mixed case.

[shdytxmn]

Mixed case, easier for me to read and looks nicer. It would be very easy for the software to convert lower case to upper case for the actual printing of the forms (I know, because I am a computer programmer and I have software where I do convert the cases).

The invoices, letters, and schedules are so much easier to read with mixed case.

Totally agree - all caps is very hard to read.

[Jack from Ohio]

I do not have any problem pushing the caplock key for tax returns, and pushing it again for other items. I learned how to do that as a freshman in High School. Minutia

[Max W]

Are you kidding? Upper case only has been the recommended standard for any official government forms since I was a sophomore in High School.

Now for those of you slow on the uptake, No two upper case letters look enough alike to be mistaken for each other.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

I was curious to see if government forms all had upper case letters, so I looked at about a dozen IRS and state letters sitting on my desk and the names and addresses are ALL upper case. The body of the text is mixed.

Invariably I use Upper only on the tax returns except occasionally will cut and paste a long street address from our contact file.