4 Reasons You Shouldn't Put Off Changing Your Last Name
Photo Credit: Whitney Lee Photography
If there was such a thing as a national newlywed calendar, October would be a completely booked month. Spring and summer weddings (and their ensuing honeymoons) are wrapping up, leaving couples a brief span of time to settle into newlywed life before the holidays hit.
At the top of over 88% of newlywed couples’ to-do lists is making the switch to their married last name(s). Whether the bride opts to take her spouse’s last name, hyphenate, take two last name sans hyphen, take her maiden name as a middle name, or replace her middle name with her maiden name, there are a series of legal forms and notification letters to be completed and filed. The same is true for men taking their spouse’s names or same sex couples taking their spouse’s name or blending their last names.
Curious why October is the month of married name change? There are four key factors that influence the uptick in newlywed name change this time of year:
Taxes: During the wedding planning process and honeymoon, no one wants to think about the joy of tax season as newlyweds. But if a couple is planning to file joint taxes under their married name, the individual(s) changing their name need to file their SS-5 form to affect their name change with Social Security prior to December 31. It is also advisable to file the IRS 8822 to inform the IRS of your new name. The filing of both of these documents well in advance of filing your taxes prevents any confusion regarding your identity that could cause lengthy delays of your tax returns.
