Married or Divorced—Let the SSA Know

In a recent Tax Tip notice, the IRS has reminded taxpayers to file the right forms if there's been a name change due to marriage or divorce. "A mismatch between the name shown on your tax return and the SSA records can cause problems in the processing of your return and may even delay your refund," says the notice.

• If you took your spouse’s last name, or if you hyphenated your last names, you may run into complications if you don’t notify the SSA. When newlyweds file a tax return using their new last names, IRS computers can’t match the new name with their Social Security numbers.
• If you recently divorced and changed back to your previous last name, you’ll also need to notify the SSA.
• To inform the SSA, file a Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, at your local SSA office or by mail, and provide a recently issued document as proof of your legal name change. The new card will have the same number, but show a new name.
• If you adopted your spouse’s children after getting married and their names changed, you'll need to update their names with SSA, too. For adopted children without SSNs, the parents can apply for an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number—or ATIN—by filing Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions. The ATIN is a temporary number used in place of an SSN on the tax return.