all caps required on tax returns?

hi
are filed returns required to use all caps or all capital letters?
Every firm i've worked had that rule.
But when I prepare for my own clients, I use lower case.

Not required. I like all caps (all capital letters) to avoid weird printing / presentation.

As HenryDavid noted, there is no rule that requires that Federal income tax returns be written in all capital letters. And, some major brands of tax return preparation software would be deficient if there were such a "rule".

All caps not required, I have been using lower case for years.

Some states (like Wisconsin) require the use of all capital letters on their returns. The IRS does not have that requirement.

Personally, I feel that the final presentation in some tax software looks better in all caps, while the presentation in others looks better in mixed case (using upper and lower case). I usually want a professional-looking product.

Some states (like Wisconsin) require the use of all capital letters on their returns. The IRS does not have that requirement.

Personally, I feel that the final presentation in some tax software looks better in all caps, while the presentation in others looks better in mixed case (using upper and lower case). I usually want a professional-looking product.

Just my personal opinion, but I've always found the use of "all capitals" to be distracting. I'm one of those who find the use of "all caps" to be something of the written versions of needlessly "shouting" at the reader. Also, where everything in a document is in "all caps", it sort of defeats one purpose of using "all caps": to emphasize a particular statement or piece of information.

At least with Intuit's Proseries (which I currently use) and ATX (which I used for a while over 11 years ago), I find the regular use of characters to be professional and superior to "all caps." Again, just my personal view.

And ProSeries converts when necessary to all caps.

I do it simply for consistency. Some people are sloppy with their typed entries and so setting it to print as all caps removes that sloppiness.

Using ProSeries, I prefer all caps for consistency. I feel the worst presentation would be having names, addresses in all lower case, so all caps then avoids the need to initial capitalize, which you would do in 'normal' documents .

Capitals always seems more readable to me. I have always used all capital letters. But of course these days with everything filed electronically it probably makes no difference. You could use wingdings if you wanted to and IRS would never know much less care.

I enable all caps by default in the software.

It's cleaner and more consistent IMO. Like all the others have mentioned.

If you have help or employees, it also eliminates inefficient back and forth if some of your preparers have less attention to detail than you do.

I try to follow the capitalization rules of English grammar. It makes me look ed-e-cated.

I hate when all caps prints code sections such as 338(H)(10) and 401(K), for example.

ALL CAPS REMINDS ME OF A PRESCHOOLER WHO HASN'T YET LEARNED ABOUT LOWER CASE.

Keep the noise down, please.

ALL CAPS REMINDS ME OF A PRESCHOOLER WHO HASN'T YET LEARNED ABOUT LOWER CASE.

I usually picture an elderly person shouting at the TV or to "hoodlums" to "GET OFF MY LAWN!".

What about preparing tax returns in sticky caps?

TAxpAyEr Is mAkIng thE dE mInImIs sAfE hArbOr ELEctIOn UndEr SEctIOn 1.263(A)-1(f).

I hate when all caps prints code sections such as 338(H)(10) and 401(K), for example.

Bingo. This is a big reason why I like lower case. Of course, code sections are not required all that often. I can see with a staff that using caps would eliminate capitalization typos. My staff consists of me, myself and I, and we are all quite careful, so it is never an issue.

Baxley's assertion that the defendant is not the same individual as named in the complaint because he does not spell his name in all capital letters does, in fact, fail the “laughable” test. Thus, despite knowing what was coming, when Baxley stated his contention at the hearing, I spontaneously laughed. This, it seems to me, establishes the frivolousness of the contention.

U.S. v. Sweet, 88 AFTR 2d Par. 2001-5446 (M.D. Fla. Sep. 17, 2001)

How would ee cummings have handled it?

Poem
why did you go
By E.E. Cummings

why did you go
little fourpaws?
you forgot to shut
your big eyes.

where did you go?
like little kittens
are all the leaves
which open in the rain.

little kittens who
are called spring,
is what we stroke
maybe asleep?

do you know? or maybe did
something go away
ever so quietly
when we weren't looking.