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<<What is the rule for putting a comma (,) before the abbreviation
"Inc."
>
I've notice that some people put the comma before it and some don't and
I'm curious to know if there is a rule or simply preferences.>>
There's a rule. When a company files the papers with the appropriate
state, provincial or federal agency to incorporate, the company includes
a statement of what the incorporated entity's LEGAL name will be. That
legal name may end with Inc. or Incorporated, and there may or may not
be a comma before the Inc./Incorporated.
If you add a comma where one doesn't exist, or leave out a comma that
does exist, then you are no longer referring to the legal entity that is
the corporation. Depending on the context and the document, there may
be serious repercussions.
Jane Credland, formerly of a corporate legal department
