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New Member
posted Jun 4, 2019 2:23:42 PM

My name in the W2 form has an initial and the social security card has my middle name.Should I use the one in the W2 form or social security card when I refile?

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13 Replies
Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:44 PM

Use your initial for the middle name.  The tax return only requires your middle initial.

New Member
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:45 PM

My social security number has my entire middle name on it. Would that be a problem?

Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:47 PM

No.  The IRS only needs the middle initial as shown on any of the tax returns Form 1040EZ/1040A/1040.  The TurboTax program also will not accept a full middle name for your personal information, only the middle initial.

Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:48 PM

Actually the IRS only looks at the first 4 letters of your last name ... everything else can be dead wrong and they wouldn't care.

New Member
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:50 PM

@Critter#2 I had filed my taxes without the middle name or the Intial and it didn't go though. That's why I want to be cautious before I refile. I'm worried because my name in the W2 form doesn't  match with the one in the social security card

Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:51 PM

That is common that they don't match ... make sure you correct that with your employer ... but the SS# should be correct.   You must file your return with the same name that is on the SS card ... the IRS matches up the first 4 letters of the last name, the year of birth & SS# ... if any of these don't match the SS records then the return will be rejected.

Are you sure the SS records are correct ?   Do you have one of those double last names  like Smith Jones ?
If you only entered Jones then try Smith Jones and file again.

New Member
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:52 PM

For instance, if my name was Cassandra Mary Wilson, then that is exactly how it appears on the SS but in the W2 form it would be Cassandra M Wilson. When I filed my taxes I only mentioned Cassandra Wilson by omitting my middle name. That is possibly why my return was rejected. If something were to go wrong again, would I be able to file it all over again?

Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:54 PM

If the e-filed tax return is rejected you will receive an email from TurboTax.  There will be a rejection code and message for the rejection.  You can e-file the tax return again after correcting the problem

Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 2:23:55 PM

Loosing the middle initial will not reject a return.

Level 2
Dec 30, 2020 3:28:26 AM

Thank god. I'm stressed because this year I changed the spelling of my middle name and**they forgot my second middle name on my scocial as well😫

New Member
Mar 17, 2023 2:30:43 PM

I have four 1099Rs. Three of them use my middle initial, but the other one spells out my name in full. The forms view will not allow me to change the middle name to a letter. A warning is display that doing so will not allow me to efile. If I leave the default will it cause a problem?

Many thanks for your help!

Level 15
Mar 17, 2023 2:38:52 PM

@Oceans4 No matter what the 1099R has on it for your name, use the name that matches your current Social Security card on your tax return.  

Expert Alumni
Mar 17, 2023 2:44:05 PM

You can leave the names on the Forms 1099-R as they were generated and they will match what was reported to the IRS by the payors.  They will all have your social security number associated with them, so there should be no confusion.