My wife last name is too long and won’t fit under the 20 character limit (note SSN allows up to 25 and her name last name has 26). What is the best course of action?

[SabrinaD2]

Generally, a last name that is too long to fit in the box will not cause an issue as the IRS and many states use your SSN and the first 4 letters of your last name. 

• So, if your last name is too long, then you should still be fine. Just enter as many letters as possible and make sure your wife Social Security numbers is entered correctly.
• However, if for some reason it does reject due to missing the last letter of your name, you will need to print and mail your return.  
• Before you mail it, you can handwrite the missing letter on your form.  Also, be sure you do not have any extra spaces or characters in the last name box...such as a space in front of the start of your name. 

Original Post