Can “thanks in advance” be considered rude? [closed]

Some argue that because “thanks in advance” is written before any help has been offered, it adds an expectation of help and thus can be considered presumptuous.

Is this reasonable? Would it be appropriate to use this phrase in business correspondence? If not, is it possible to demonstrate gratitude without coming across as presumptuous?

Thanks in advance.

To remove any chance of seeming presumptuous, you might say:

Thanks in advance for any help you are able to provide.

This acknowledges that their ability to help may be limited (or nonexistent), but it is courteous nonetheless. It is perfectly suitable for business contexts.

(Note that according to the specific situation, you could swap out help with words like assistance, information, thoughts, etc.)

I prefer:

I would be grateful (or very grateful or perhaps even most grateful) for any help you are able to provide.

"Thanks in advance" may be acceptable in an internet forum, but to me it seems too informal for business correspondence, and does run a risk of being interpreted as presumptuous.

I only ever use it when I fully expect that the request will be acted upon, e.g. a refund for a returned item, and I consider it good manners in cases where you are not going to send a followup after the other party has completed their work.