CAPS or no caps?

[Donald Hughes]

I have always used Capital Letters to complete a Tax Return (Following the Straw Man thinking, I guess). Not only have I understood it is best to use CAP'S, but I find it easier to read a return in all caps.

My IT Guy, (not a tax guy at all) finds the use of caps to be the incorrect way to type.

Your general thoughts, please.

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

Many entities "reading" data (such as tax information submissions) will require or change the data to all caps. Could be some sort of "old" preference no one bothers to update, or by an old timer's code which can compress better by reducing the number of characters. Some entities do little or no interpretation of submitted data, as their programmers seem incapable of things like stripping out dashes from human entered FEIN's. MANY tax agency programmers cannot interpret a dot as a decimal in a dollar field.

For email and other human read communication, all caps is harder to read for most, and most consider it SHOUTING at the reader. I have a few customers who write in all caps, they also have an automatic signature in their messages stating they use all caps for a reason. In my real worked use, if I get a message in all caps, I reply in the same manner, assuming it is the customer's preference/need.

Online forms and software which knows the output needs to be in all caps, will often take what you enter and upcase it, as well as limit not allowed characters completely (with a beep usually).

[mcb39]

I always use all caps for Tax Returns.  ATX has the option to use all caps.  It is much more presentable and easier to read. IMO

[Donald Hughes]

Thank you.

[BulldogTom]

16 minutes ago, mcb39 said:

I always use all caps for Tax Returns.  ATX has the option to use all caps.  It is much more presentable and easier to read. IMO

I do just the opposite.   I find it harder to type in all caps.   I think it goes back to my typing class.   I can't stop hitting the shift key when I start a sentence or go to the next field, so I get a lower case letter with all caps behind it and it looks really funky and I have to go back and correct.   It is a muscle memory thing with me.

I don't mind all caps in returns...it is not a big deal for me, I just don't do it for the reason above.

Tom
Longview, TX

[mcb39]

Bear in mind that the same thing happens when you exit the tax program and go to email or any other program that involves typing.  They are trying to keep our minds sharp

[Lion EA]

I too have my tax prep software set to use all caps. I  usually remember to hit the caps lock key, also. I find it's easier to proofread if my data that I entered is in all caps; data in caps stands out from all the smaller text on the forms/schedules.

For correspondence and everything else, I prefer this usual upper & lower case.

I'm old and I still struggle with using all caps and going back and forth. If I'm entering tax data and hit the shift key, I see the initial letter as small on my screen briefly; but as soon as I move off that field, the software converts any small letters to caps for my viewing pleasure.

And, yes, I often start an email to a client in all claps, but luckily Outlook changes that for me!

[jklcpa]

With Drake, it doesn't allow the caps lock on during sign in, and I also find with that program that I can fit more description on the forms using initial caps only, so I've switched away from all caps.

[Abby Normal]

CAPS

[kathyc2]

LOL!  I've always viewed all caps as unprofessional and lazy.  To each their own!

[Abby Normal]

5 minutes ago, kathyc2 said:

LOL!  I've always viewed all caps as unprofessional and lazy.  To each their own!

It's a tax return, not an essay. No punctuation either. Same reason.

[kathyc2]

29 minutes ago, Abby Normal said:

It's a tax return, not an essay. No punctuation either. Same reason.

No need to have an angry face.  I find it interesting how the same thing can be viewed differently by different people.  Peace.

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

If I receive an email in all caps, it gets skipped until all the (what I see as not shouting) messages get answered. I doubt I am alone in that opinion/method. I have only one customer who uses all caps, and I know who it is and do not save their messages for later as I acknowledge they may have a reason (or broken keyboard).

I am also of the opinion some programmers in government somehow can afford to be lazy and do not bother with trim/remove/ucase and other similar commands.

The no punctuation, I am used to. I have a relative who is less tech inclined, but uses speech to text, and has not grasped saying things like period and comma, so I have become adept at inferring punctuation.

[jiji778]

3 hours ago, Medlin Software, Dennis said:

If I receive an email in all caps, it gets skipped until all the (what I see as not shouting) messages get answered. I doubt I am alone in that opinion/method. I have only one customer who uses all caps, and I know who it is and do not save their messages for later as I acknowledge they may have a reason (or broken keyboard).

I am also of the opinion some programmers in government somehow can afford to be lazy and do not bother with trim/remove/ucase and other similar commands.

The no punctuation, I am used to. I have a relative who is less tech inclined, but uses speech to text, and has not grasped saying things like period and comma, so I have become adept at inferring punctuation.

I get where you’re coming from, but all caps can feel unprofessional to some. It’s a tax return, not an essay, so I think it’s fine to keep it simple and clear.

[Catherine]

I find all caps harder to read in general, and use mixed-case on tax returns. On those rare occasions all-caps is needed, I get the same issue as Tom, and end up with a lower-case letter for first word in a sentence, names, et cetera - and then have to double-back and fix those. Ugh. 

[Jim Oh Bkkr]

This fight always reminds me of a thread in the old ATX "tree" forum.  A poster named George posted in all caps, and a handful gave him a ton of sh*t about it.  He apologized as his eyes weren't the best, and cap were easier to see.  I don't have a problem with either, but I respect the rules of which ever "arena" I am in at the time.

 

ALL CAPS on returns though!

[Donald Hughes]

Thank you all!!