In current versions of Word, Pip can still set a tab stop beyond the right margin, but tabbing to the location automatically moves the text to the next line. She needs a way to place information beyond the right margin as she used to be able to do, and she doesn't want to use text boxes or tables as these unnecessarily complicate the document.

Pip is correct-in current versions of Word you cannot set a tab beyond the right margin. However, you can work around this by adjusting how you layout your document.

What comes into play here are two layout elements: your right margin and the right indent. When you set up your document, you specify margins for that document. These margins define the size of your text block. In Pip's case, we are concerned with the width of the text block, which is defined by the left and right margins. If your paper width is 8.5 inches and your left and right margins are 1.25 inches, then your text block is 6 inches wide. (That is calculated by 8.5 - 1.25 - 1.25 = 6.) You cannot put things outside of this text block, except for special elements such as text boxes. Word lets you set a tab stop outside of that text box, but it won't let you align any text to that tab stop. This is where a right indent comes into play. Word allows you to set a right indent which is cumulative with the right margin.

Microsoft word set tab stops