Mexican name?

[Black Bart]

Got a guy in yesterday, doesn't speak English too well (he's one-up on me--I don't speak Spanish at all) and I'm trying to figure out how to list his name, Eduardo Alvarez Sandoval (example-not his real name), on the tax return. So what's wrong with using Sandoval? The catch is: he said his last name is Alvarez (the middle name). His dependent father's name is B Alvarez Arajo which agrees with that.

The payroll clerk just hyphenated it to Eduardo Alvarez-Sandoval on his W-2 (don't know if they knew what they were doing or just wingin' it). Anybody know what the correct tax return listing should be to make it fly by the IRS computer? Thanks.

And just a month ago I donated my copy of "Spanish For Ignoramuses" to the local library --guess I'll have to ask for it back.

[JoshinNC]

Input it the way it is on his SS card

Got a guy in yesterday, doesn't speak English too well (he's one-up on me--I don't speak Spanish at all) and I'm trying to figure out how to list his name, Eduardo Alvarez Sandoval (example-not his real name), on the tax return. So what's wrong with using Sandoval? The catch is: he said his last name is Alvarez (the middle name). His dependent father's name is B Alvarez Arajo which agrees with that.

The payroll clerk just hyphenated it to Eduardo Alvarez-Sandoval on his W-2 (don't know if they knew what they were doing or just wingin' it). Anybody know what the correct tax return listing should be to make it fly by the IRS computer? Thanks.

And just a month ago I donated my copy of "Spanish For Ignoramuses" to the local library --guess I'll have to ask for it back.

No SS card? No tax return.

BTW, in my practice, anyone who can't speak English must bring their own interpreter and get charged a PITA fee or NO return.

[oceanlovin'ea]

SSN verification

Since I do bookkeeping too, I can go to SSA website and verify ss numbers. Can you do that?
Usually with Spanish people, you would consider Alverez Sandoval as the last name.

Linda F

[dkss]

agree with Linda

the last name should be "Alvarez Sandoval". I have a client that we tried for years to efile with one of the last names in the middle name field - always rejected. Finally, I attended a workshop where this issue was addressed - use both names in the last name field.

[David1980]

If it's hyphenated on the SS card put the "first" last name first. If it's not hyphenated put the last last name first (put other last names if customer insists, for efile IRS only matches up first 4 characters of last name.)

When it rejects flip a coin and try another last name...

[Bonnie]

From past experience with Spanish last names, I have done many over the years, the middle name is usually the last name. They really have 2 last names. They take the mother and father's last name and combine them. I can't remember in which order.
But 9 times out of 10 with a Spanish name what is listed in the middle on the SS card will be the last name. If it rejects then go to the reverse order. I would try with the middle first.

Bonnie

[DTS]

Bart

I just talked to my next door neighbor who is from Costa Rica and discussed this with her. She told me that the child will have two last names: her father's and mother's in this order, Sandoval Garcia. If the father has recognized the child by signature, Sandoval will be her last name. If not, the child goes by the mother's, Garcia. Sandoval will not be included as part of the child's name.

Also, I've heard that at some age, the female child will add the mother's name, but not sure about this. There was a tennis player a few years ago from Spain who did this, Arantxa (pronounced Arancha) Sánchez Vicario. For years, she went by Arantxa Sanchez and then later, went by both.

If you need more, I can't help you

Dennis

[Gary]

Final Word

Look at SS card. If the clients name appears on two lines such as

Jose Alvarez
Domingo Canteras

then his last name is Domingo Canteras.

If it is all on one line, his last name is Canteras.

If it is hyphenated, then it would be the total hyphenated name.

Gary

[taxxcpa]

Hyphenated names

Of all the hyphenated names, Smith is the most hyphenated with. (Ogden Nash, I believe).

[bertrans]

Of all the hyphenated names, Smith is the most hyphenated with. (Ogden Nash, I believe).

Ending a sentence with a preposition? This is something up with which we shall not put! (Churchill).

In Spanish, the 'middle' name is the English surname,(last name); the Spanish 'last name' is usually the socalled matronymic, i.e. mother's name. As other posters have pointed out, however, how you enter it on the e-file will depend on how the name appears on the SSN card, since the IRS and SSA computers 'speak' to one another - sorta.

[Bonnie]

My thought always was--Go with what looks most like what should be the correct last name. If it rejects, then use the other name. Of the two one or other will be the corrct one and it only takes a day to find out by trial and error. Sometimes quicker than trying to figure it out.

Bonnie

[Gary]

Why

Why use trial and error and take a day or two when it is so easy to do it correctly?