Filing Taxes After Your Name Has Changed

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The information in this article is up to date for tax year 2023 (returns filed in 2024).

If you were married or divorced and changed your name last year, be sure to notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) before you file your taxes with the IRS. If the name on your tax return doesn’t match SSA records, the IRS will flag it as an error, and that may delay your refund.

When You Need to Update Your Name

• If you have married and you’re using your new spouse’s last name, or you’ve hyphenated your last name.
• If you were divorced and are now using your former last name.
• If you adopted your new spouse’s children and their names changed.

Basically, any time you or a dependent has a legal name change, you will need to update the SSA for your tax records.

How to Change Your Name

If you and/or a dependent’s name has changed, notify the SSA as soon as possible. The SSA will issue you a new social security card. That way, the IRS can match your new name with your SSN. 

To change your name, file Form SS-5. You can also get Form SS-5 on the SSA’s website at www.ssa.gov, by calling 800-772-1213, or at local SSA offices. Your new card will have the same number as your former card but will show your new name.

You will need to mail your application or deliver it to your nearest SSA office. 

What you will need: 

• Proof of identity (e.g., valid driver’s license)
• Proof of citizenship status (e.g., birth certificate)
• Proof of legal name change (e.g., marriage license, divorce decree, or court order)

The SSA will notify the IRS of the name change for you.

If You’re Newly Married but Haven’t Changed Your Name Yet

Even if you are socially going by your new married name, if you haven’t legally changed your name after the wedding, you still need to file your taxes using the name on your social security card. You and your spouse can still file jointly–your last names don’t have to match. But both of your names should match your respective names attached to your SSNs. If you keep your maiden name when you marry, you do not have to notify the SSA or IRS.

Read more: Tax Advice for Newly Married Couples

If You Adopted Your New Spouse’s Children

If you adopted your new spouse’s children and their names changed, you’ll need to update their names with SSA too. For adopted children without SSNs, parents can apply for an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number by filing Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions, with the IRS. The ATIN is a temporary number used in place of an SSN on the tax return. 

Form W-7A is available on the IRS.gov website or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

How Long to Wait to File Your Taxes After a Name Change

You should receive your new social security card within two weeks of the SSA receiving your application. It is best to wait another 1-2 weeks after your card arrives before filing taxes to ensure all records have been updated in time. 

Depending on when you change your name, you may not have enough time to change your name with the SSA before the tax filing deadline. We recommend calling your local SSA office to check on processing times to ensure you have enough time to file. If you don’t have time to update your records before tax day, file under the name listed on your social security card. You can finalize your name change with the SSA and IRS after that. 

Make Sure Your IRS Forms Are Also Updated

After you change your name with the SSA, notify your employer (or clients, if you are self-employed), to ensure your IRS Form W-2 or Form 1099s correctly reflect your new name. If your employer has already issued a W-2 with your former name, you will need to contact them to issue you a corrected form. 

If You Recently Divorced

Just like after getting married, if you change your name after a divorce, you will need to update that info with the SSA and file your taxes under your new name. 

The articles and content published on this blog are provided for informational purposes only. The information presented is not intended to be, and should not be taken as, legal, financial, or professional advice. Readers are advised to seek appropriate professional guidance and conduct their own due diligence before making any decisions based on the information provided.