Smaller Fonts?

[zeros]

A lot of the w-2s and other print outs are using much smaller fonts, I noticed. Seems like they could use a larger font and still use the same form. I use a magnifier glass on some items. Noticing the same?

[Koss]

Smaller Fonts

I think employers are simply trying to educate their employees.

Since the reduction in social security tax was not extended, employees are seeing less take home pay.

In some cases, employees who got a raise on January 1 are still getting less take home pay than they did last year.

The message is clear: The raise is so small, you need a magnifying glass to see it!

LMAO

BMK

[WhiteOleander]

Maybe they're saving ink.

[Black Bart]

Yeah,

Smaller Fonts?

A lot of the w-2s and other print outs are using much smaller fonts, I noticed. Seems like they could use a larger font and still use the same form. I use a magnifier glass on some items. Noticing the same?

it's definitely a trend that's been going on for several years, but each year seems to push it a little further/faster in the race to illegibility. Previously I used the magnifying glass only occasionally, but lately it's been about a third of all the W2s.

Even had one the other day who (trying to emulate the credit card companies' terms-of-service tactics I suppose) printed the figures in light-grey ink. Adding insult to injury they then used an "arty" hard-to-read font so shrunken that am Amazonian head-hunter would have been impressed.

A pox upon their houses and (as Saddam once said) may their stomachs roast in the desert (can't remember how to make a frown, so this'll have to do).

P.S. Found 'em. Say, Brad: Any chance of gettin our old similes back? These new ones just don't emote like the old ones -- for instance that big blue one full of teeth and a sarcastic grin that FE used to use a lot was very good; with these now you can't even get a decent smirk (need a magnifying glass).

[Snaggletooth]

I welcome Fonts of any size

Just be glad you even HAVE a W-2 to work from...

More and more companies are telling their employees "We have WONDERFUL news!! For your ease and convenience, your W-2 is now ONLINE."

Of course, I like to keep a copy like I do e-filing from, so what my clients are finding out: The only "wonderful" news is that their cheap company has successfully avoided paying posting, paper, ink, the clerical cost of handling, and pushed the effort of production onto the client.

Some lines I have heard at appointments this year:

"Honey, do you remember the PIN code? I didn't write it down."
"I'm looking at my W-2 on my I-phone but I need to send it as an e-mail attachment to my laptop before I can print it"
"I'm having an awful time trying to get this computer to boot up!"
"Whaddya need to see? I THINK I have everything everyone sent me on my computer, but dunno for sure."
"We haven't used the printer in a long time. Not sure it works..."

[S T]

I am like Snags - I take the documents in any form that I can receive them,

What is nice (well part of time) is that I can scan to PDF and then enlarge them (if the figures are not distorted when I do this) and the PDF is like a manifying glass!

Or another trick I have learned is to take the document and photocopy and enlarge(again it only works if the figures don't distort)

I have the worst time with 3, 5, 6, 8 numbers

Guess I need to go to the eye doctor as well and see if I need a new prescription

Sandy

[BP.]

A friend told me, "The large font givith; the small font taketh away."

[Jiggers]

Just be glad you even HAVE a W-2 to work from...

More and more companies are telling their employees "We have WONDERFUL news!! For your ease and convenience, your W-2 is now ONLINE."

Of course, I like to keep a copy like I do e-filing from, so what my clients are finding out: The only "wonderful" news is that their cheap company has successfully avoided paying posting, paper, ink, the clerical cost of handling, and pushed the effort of production onto the client.

Some lines I have heard at appointments this year:

"Honey, do you remember the PIN code? I didn't write it down."
"I'm looking at my W-2 on my I-phone but I need to send it as an e-mail attachment to my laptop before I can print it"
"I'm having an awful time trying to get this computer to boot up!"
"Whaddya need to see? I THINK I have everything everyone sent me on my computer, but dunno for sure."
"We haven't used the printer in a long time. Not sure it works..."

You have that correct! The employees that print their own W-2 don't care what it looks like. I have them bring them in printed in green ink, yellow ink, blue ink, and sometimes the ink cartridge is so low, that those printed in black ink are hard to read.

Client's are also printing their home mortgage interest statements (1098), 1099's from brokerage houses, etc. with the same quality!

[taxxcpa]

W-2s

Back when companies printed with a dot-matrix printer and provided employees with carbon copies, the copies were extremely difficult to read. Once the only way I could determine the payer's EI number was to find the EI number from another return or from a prior year when the form was readable.

[Roberts]

It's those blasted state ID numbers I can't read. Jeeze that's a tiny font.

[taxea]

I have a goose-neck magnifying glass on my desk for just this purpose. It is even worse when you get a copy of a document that is fuzzy or the ink is very light. And the worst is the receipts that fade out. I get so tempted to send it on IRS request when one can't even read it. I advise my clients to write the store/vendor name, date, items and amount on it before it fades.

[joanmcq]

In CA, we have CA SDI on almost all W-2s mostly in box 14. Box 14 printing is so small on one variety of W2, I missed an ESPP when interviewing the client (in box 14) because I just didn't see it. Glad I'm not the only one with a magnifying glass.