Life Events

Change Your Name? How to Update with the Tax Agencies

Change Your Name? How to Update with the Tax Agencies

There are a number of common reasons for people to change their names. Perhaps they decided to get married and want to take on their spouse’s name, or add a hyphen and their spouse’s name to their maiden name. Perhaps they got divorced and are reverting back to a previous name. Whatever the reason, if you have legally changed your name then it is essential that you make sure that the name that the Social Security Administration has on the books for you is the same name that the Internal Revenue Service has – otherwise, you may end up without a refund. There are several steps that you should take in order to ensure that everybody is on the same page. These include: 

  • Officially report and document your name change. Changing your name is not as easy as simply deciding to switch. There are forms that need to be filled out and documents that need to be mailed to and from the Social Security Administration in order to make sure that you and the government are both using the same information when it comes to matching the name that you use with your Social Security Number and identity. You can file form SS-5 – available on the Social Security website ssa.org or by calling 800-772-1213 - in order to obtain a new Social Security card that reflects your new name along with your already-existing Social Security Number.
  • If you have a dependent whose name changed, you must similarly make that official. This would most commonly occur in cases of adoption. If you have adopted a child who did not previously have a Social Security Number, then as parent you need to apply for one. When preparing your tax return, you will be asked for all dependent Social Security Numbers. Use Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoption in order to obtain an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number, or ATIN, which is used while awaiting the official number. This form is available on the irs.gov website.
  • Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, it is necessary that any change of status that affects the family – such as the birth or adoption of a child, a marriage or a divorce – is reported to the Health Insurance Marketplace if you have received the benefit of the premium tax credit, or if you believe that you may be entitled to a greater benefit. The changes that need to be reported include such things as changes of name or address changes of income or family size. The earlier that you make sure that the marketplace is aware of these changes, the less chance that you will either be overpaid or underpaid.
  • For those living in and paying taxes in the state of California, the submission of taxes with a new last name is relatively easy, as the tax return provides space specifically dedicated to those who have undergone a name change. Look for the spot to fill out your “Prior Name” in order to ensure that your return is properly filed. If you would like to notify the state officially of your name change, simply send a letter including the decree reflecting the change, a copy of your Social Security card, and a copy of a photo I.D. to the Franchise Tax board, c/o PO Box 942840, Sacramento, California 94240-0040. 

Making sure that all of your documentation is in the hands of all of the appropriate agencies as early as possible is the best way to avoid confusion and delays in both processing your tax returns and in receiving any refund that you may be owed.

share this post
Search for matches...
Gordon W. McNamee

Gordon W. McNamee

Gordon W. McNamee is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) based in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Gordon W. McNamee can assist you with your tax return preparation, payroll, accounting and tax planning needs. <br /> <br /> 2021 is Gordon W. McNamee, CPAs 38th year in the profession. As as a former IRS agent (1984 through 1987), Gordon has been in public accounting since 1987. Gordon specializes in individual, corporate, HOA, trust, estate and payroll taxes. He also prepares financial statements and provides accounting & bookkeeping services. He enjoys making his clients feel at ease while providing a personalized professional service.

GORDON W. MCNAMEE, CPA
22 reviews

California

Recommended Professionals

In the face of economic uncertainty, TaxBuzz is the industry's most up-to-date tax information.

Join 60,000 who get our weekly newsletter. No spam.

We know tax and accounting issues are complicated.

Do you have additional questions on this topic for this author?

Related Posts

Latest Posts