First comes love, then comes marriage, often followed by name change after marriage, and a ton of complicated name-change forms. The IRS 8822 is hands down the form that MissNowMrs customer support receives the most calls and emails about. No newlywed wants to make a mistake involving their taxes and their new married name, but the form isn’t exactly easy to understand (no surprise there).

The title of the form is the first confusing factor. It’s labeled as a change of address form, buuuuuuuuuut if you read the fine print on the second page of the form, it is also used to notify the IRS of your new married name. Why they cannot add name change to the title is beyond us (and yes, we’ve asked for the change).

So, even if you are not changing your address as a newlywed, you should file the IRS 8822 form if you are changing your name. There isn’t a fee to file it, and it provides peace of mind that you have informed the IRS that you Miss YXZ are now Mrs. ZYX and they can send your tax returns to you at your new name.

The decedent question is another confusing part of the IRS 8822. Everyone newlywed wants to know “What is a decedent?” Well, to be straightforward, it’s a dead person. Not something you really want to think about in your post-wedding bubble, but a decedent is important to the IRS. Why? If a dead person has left you money in your maiden name, the IRS wants to keep tabs on that as your name changes.

The good news is that if you don’t have a decedent in your life, you can simply skip that question. But, it is totally fine to feel bummed that you’re not a trust fund kid.

Should you want access to name-change experts who can answer any and all questions about the IRS 8822 and the other name change forms. Sign up for the MissNowMrs online name change service!