August 30, 2010

5 IRS Tips for Newlyweds

It is not uncommon for those who are newly married to be issued a letter by the IRS when they file their taxes after their marriage. Receiving a letter from the IRS after you have filed your taxes generally means that they may have found something amiss with your tax returns. It might be a wrong name, a missing Social Security number, an accounting error and mismatched information such as underreported incomes or an unusually high number of credits on a return. These can potentially alert the IRS and cause them to seek clarification from you. For most newly married couples, the discrepancy might very well be something to do with your changed marital status.

Therefore, if you have just been married or intend to get married in this tax year, you can save yourself a lot of stress come tax season next year by following a few simple steps given by the IRS.

1. To avert a discrepancy with your married name, report a name change to the Social Security Administration (SSA) so that your name and your Social Security number will match when you file your tax returns. To do so, go to your local Social Security Administration office and fill up a Form SS-5. You can also obtain the form by visiting the SSA website at www.socialsecurity.gov or by calling 800-772-1213.

2. Make sure your change of address (if any) is recorded in the IRS records. You need to fill up an IRS change of address form which you can download from www.irs.gov or call 800-829-3676.

3. Likewise, a change of address may be the cause of a mis-sent W-2 Form by your employer. Report any change of name or address to your employer so that they send your W-2 Form to the correct address and that you will receive it on time.

4. To ensure you receive all your mails from the IRS, inform the US Postal service of your change of address so that your mail can be forwarded to your present address.

5. If both you and your spouse work, your combined income will likely place you in a higher tax bracket. You need to ensure that the correct withholding is made on your salaries by your employers. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator on their website to calculate the correct withholding amount and print out the Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. Give this Certificate to your employers in order for them to make the correct withholding for you.

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