Marriage
The IRS doesn’t require any evidence that you got married or divorced, but if you change your name, you will. “If your marital status has changed during the last tax year, and you want to file your taxes using your new last name, you’ll first need to go to a Social Security office and change it,” says Jill Gonzalez, a tax analyst for Wallet Hub. According to the Social Security Administration, in order to prove your legal name, you need to present one of the following documents: a marriage document, divorce decree, certificate of naturalization showing your new name, or court order for a name change.
Death of a spouse
Identity theft is a common occurrence nowadays, with 7-10 percent of the U.S. population becoming victims. If you want to avoid becoming a victim yourself, send the IRS a copy of the death certificate. “The IRS will flag the account to reflect that the person is deceased,” says Gonzalez. “A copy of the death certificate may also be sent with the decedent’s final tax return.”
