Tax Tips for Recently Married Taxpayers

Tax Advice for Newly Married Taxpayers

Tax Tips for Recently Married Taxpayers

This is the time of year for many couples to tie the knot.  When you marry, here are some post-marriage tips to help you avoid stress at tax time.

 

See Relax Tax’s Tax Audit Assistance at relaxtax.com/audit

 

6 Post-Marriage Tax Tips

1. Notify the Social Security Administration

Report any name change to the Social Security Administration so that your name and SSN will match when filing your next tax return.  Informing the SSA of a name change is quite simple.  File a Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card at your local SSA office.  The form is available on SSA’s Web site, by calling 800-772-1213, or at local offices.  Your income tax refund may be delayed if it is discovered your name and SSN don’t match at the time your return is filed.  

2. Notify Those Paying You as a Contractor

If you are a self-employed sole proprietor filing your business income and expenses on a Schedule C, and you have a different name now that you are married, notify anyone who has been issuing you a Form 1099-NEC under your Social Security number about the name change. This will prevent a mismatch with the IRS.

3. Notify the IRS

If you have a new address, you should notify the IRS by sending in a completed Form 8822, Change of Address.  If your state has an income tax, also notify the appropriate tax agency.

  

See this related post from Daniel Fenco: Does Marriage Counseling Work Towards a Happy Married Life?
When Pastor Dan meets with couples for pre-marriage counseling, he usually mentions that forgiveness is key at the beginning of marriage, but he thinks it will help couples as things progress to 5 years, 10 years, 15 years passed by, and ultimately for reconciliation purposes. It’s that one thing he helps people to understand and try to live out himself as well. It's just one of those things that need constant work. One thing that you have to remind yourself of almost every day. We need to have this ability to forgive and to forgive a lot. How do you deal with couples that come to you, wondering if marriage is right for them or as a married couple and they're not sure if they want to continue as a married couple?

 

4. Notify the U.S. Postal Service

You should also notify the U.S. Postal Service when you move so that any IRS or state tax agency correspondence can be forwarded.

5. Review Your Withholding and Estimated Tax Payments

If both you and your new spouse work, your combined income may place you in a higher tax bracket, and you may have an unpleasant surprise when we prepare your joint return for the first time.  On the other hand, if only one of you works, filing jointly with your new spouse can provide a significant tax benefit, enabling you to reduce your withholding or estimated payments. In either case, it may be appropriate to review your withholding (W-4 status) and estimated tax payments, if any, for the year to make sure that you are not going to be under-withheld and that you don’t set yourself up to receive bad news for the next filing season. Even if no adjustment is needed with your tax withholding, you will still need to advise your employer of your new marital status and name change, if applicable.

6. Notify the Marketplace

If you or your spouse have health insurance through a government Marketplace (Exchange), you must notify the Marketplace of your change in marital status. If you were included on a parent’s health insurance policy through a Marketplace, then the parent must notify the Marketplace.  Failure to notify the Marketplace can create tax filing problems.

 

See this related post from Marissa Del Mauro: How a Family and Matrimonial Law Attorney Can Help You In Multiple Ways
When going through tumultuous times like divorce, people can experience different emotions like what others described as storms in the sea. When that happens, it’s good to know there’s a good family law attorney that will help you get through it and carry on through any sort of difficult times like a “lighthouse in the storm”. Marissa is a Certified Matrimonial Law Attorney in the state of New Jersey which means she’s been designated by the state’s Supreme Court as an expert in the area of Family and Matrimonial Law.

 

If you have any questions about the impact of your new marital status on your taxes, please give this office a call at 551-249-1040.

Dennis Harabin at Relax Tax is an expert in taxes, insurance, and debt. Contact him today!

 

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