two last names

[Eri&Greg 5]

I know this is regarding taxes ... but this is also a specific Latin question as well, ... So on to my question;

Should we enter my wife's two last names when e filing or only one ? she's Latin and has two last names , father and mother with no " - " separating the last names.

more details below ;

because of the government shut down we missed out on getting a SSN card and had to wait for her EAD, then I made a mistake filling the AOS in her legal name and not married name.

so my wife has two last names, she's Colombian with her mother and fathers last name.

I called the IRS, with my wife on the phone to give Authorization, to see how we should input her name and the IRS says;

first phone call;
Sir try different combinations with her last names.

went to the IRS office ;
and they said only input one last name and not both.

called the irs again, I found a number for name formats division http://www.irs.gov/uac/Common-Error-Reject-Codes-(ERCs)-for-Individual-Tax-Returns-%26-Suggested-Solutions;

she said input exactly as shown on her SSN Card.

Of course when I ask if this is explained anywhere they said "NO" Then when I ask if they can give me their directions in writing ... they said " NO!!" Asked for them to tell me how her name is exactly spelled in their system .... and they said "NO" They said they can only see the first 4 letters of her last name ... ugh ... both her last names start with the same 4 letters.

So back to my question ....has anyone had any issues entering both last names ( Latin ) when e filing taxes ? or were you forced to only enter one when e filing?

Thank's!!!

Edited March 4, 2014 by Eri&Greg

[Mononoke28 135]

I know this is regarding taxes ... but this is also a specific Latin question as well, ... So on to my question;

Should we enter my wife's two last names when e filing or only one ? she's Latin and has two last names , father and mother with no " - " separating the last names.

more details below ;

because of the government shut down we missed out on getting a SSN card and had to wait for her EAD, then I made a mistake filling the AOS in her legal name and not married name.

so my wife has two last names, she's Colombian with her mother and fathers last name.

I called the IRS, with my wife on the phone to give Authorization, to see how we should input her name and the IRS says;

first phone call;

Sir try different combinations with her last names.

went to the IRS office ;

and they said only input one last name and not both.

called the irs again, I found a number for name formats division http://www.irs.gov/uac/Common-Error-Reject-Codes-(ERCs)-for-Individual-Tax-Returns-%26-Suggested-Solutions;

she said input exactly as shown on her SSN Card.

Of course when I ask if this is explained anywhere they said "NO" Then when I ask if they can give me their directions in writing ... they said " NO!!" Asked for them to tell me how her name is exactly spelled in their system .... and they said "NO" They said they can only see the first 4 letters of her last name ... ugh ... both her last names start with the same 4 letters.

So back to my question ....has anyone had any issues entering both last names ( Latin ) when e filing taxes ? or were you forced to only enter one when e filing?

Thank's!!!

Since she's from Colombia she probably has a first name, middle name, father's last name and mother's last name. Here in the US we don't use the mother's last name, it just doesn't exist so you should have filed her AOS with only her father's last name or her married name. What does her EAD card show? Her father's last name only or did they issue her card with both last names? I ask because this is how the SSA office will issue her SS card and how she will appear in the system. Based on that, that's how her tax info should be filed with the IRS.

Diana

[Eri&Greg 5]

Correct she has a first name, fathers last name and mothers last name. No middle name.

SSN Card shows this;

First Name

Fathers last name Mothers Last name

EAD Card shows First and both last names, Fathers last name & Mothers Last name.

Assuming when she gets her green card it will be the same as above ..... only if they could lower that 500 ish fee to change her name on her GC ... ugh!

Because the IRS is giving me conflicting data I'm wondering how other latins filed when they have two last names.

Thanks again!

[Mononoke28 135]

Correct she has a first name, fathers last name and mothers last name. No middle name.

SSN Card shows this;

First Name

Fathers last name Mothers Last name

EAD Card shows First and both last names, Fathers last name & Mothers Last name.

Assuming when she gets her green card it will be the same as above ..... only if they could lower that 500 ish fee to change her name on her GC ... ugh!

Because the IRS is giving me conflicting data I'm wondering how other latins filed when they have two last names.

Thanks again!

Most of us Latinos ditch our mother's last name when we come to the US. Others choose to hyphenate both last names. Based on the info above, your wife's "new" last name is both, her father's and mother's last names put together. So in the US she now appears as follows (using a fictitious name as an example):

First name: Juliana

Last name: García Montoya (both last names together)

Like I said, most Latinos never use their mother's last name here in the US because it basically doesn't exist in this country, it's useless.

Diana

[Eri&Greg 5]

Because of my mistake inputting both her last names on the AOS we have to use both last names until we file the I-751.... or pay the hefty fee to change her name on the GC.

Also we have to use both of her last names to file for our taxes and right now there is nothing I can do to change that... only kick my self.

I was just wondering if someone made the same mistake as we did not changing both last names to one or maybe someones family that came over and didn't change their last name and how they handled both their last names when doing taxes for the IRS. Logic is very easy to follow, enter the name exactly how it appears on her SSN card, EAD card and green card .... but its very confusing when the IRS says to try different combos with the last name until it works, then say only use one last name at the office ... then you call back and they say to use both names. Also our accountant said he had an issue in the past with a lady with two last names and the IRS said she didn't pay taxes for the past 3 years and he had records that she did ... but he had records with both her last names and the IRS was only using one. This is why he requested we get in writing from the IRS instructing us to use both last names ..... But of course the IRS LOL'ed when I requested a letter directing us what to do.

So we're going to use both last names to follow logic and because that was the last direction from the IRS suggested solutions dept .... just scares the hell out of me using logic and government in the same sentence.

If we run into any issues and have to use another format other than on her GC and SSN card we will update this thread in case if others are in the same situation.

Thanks!

[NickD 203]

Some though is required on this, we used my wife's first, middle, fathers last name, then her married name for our USCIS applications and the SS.

Her Colombian passport is still in her maiden name as is her ID card, sure didn't want to go through that expense to change it for occasional visits. And her US Passport is all four names, no hyphen. Now without a visa, she has to show both passports to leave Colombia, no problem either because the only difference her Colombian shows her mom's last name, US passport, her married name. Her green card was the same. And all these have photo ID's as well.

With the IRS, we just type in her married last name, ask for first, middle initial, and last name that is her married name. Ha, with some of these Spanish names, can have as many thirty middle names.

In the US, a woman can stick with her maiden, no such rule she has to use her married name. Daughter-in-law, a doctor, is using her maiden name, would cost her a small fortune to switch all those documents.