How to tell the IRS your business name has changed

The first name line of an IRS sole prop account and the IRS name code should be that of the sole prop, not the DBA. The DBA goes on the second name line. If done correctly, changing the DBA will not cause a name code mis-match. You'll probably have to deal with someone in a local office to get the name and name code changed - someone who has a contact at the service center where the actual change will be made. When doing so, you should get your name listed as the sole prop with the new DBA shown second.

In article <rtg62e$prm$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me you write:

Yes, that's what is on my W9, and my name certainly hasn't changed, but the TIN match rejects it anyway.

Got any other suggestions?

But how does IRS have your BMF EIN styled? They would have captured the info from the SS-4 you did 30 years ago. I've seen SS-4s prepared incorrectly and I've seen correctly prepared SS-4s input incorrectly. If the sole prop account is set up correctly with first name line being John Levine, then the name code should be LEVI. If the first name line is John's Widget Company, the name code will be JOHN. If you or IRS is now trying to change the first name line to Widgets by John, WIDG is not going to match either name code, and the change will bounce. I'd want to see a BMF transcript to see how they have your name and name code now, and work from there.

I presume so since it worked fine with the old name. How would I find out?

As I believe I already said, my name on the first line hasn't changed. Only the DBA has.

I checked the IRS website - they don't seem to have any guidance on this at all. It's like they figure this will never happen, so they make no provisions for it, and don't even seem to have a team you can contact that might have a clue what to do.

Have you tried going to your local IRS office and talking to someone there? You may need an appointment.

You can get a new EIN if you incorporate your business. But that's the only thing I can think of.

Call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. They should be able to verify your EIN and tell you what the correct current TIN match is and what you need to do to change it (if that is possible).

Ira Smilovitz, EA Leonia, NJ

In article <XnsACAED7C419F63spamtraplexregiacom@130.133.4.11> you write:

That was my experience, too.

Done that, I have an LLC into which I am trying to move all my business. But there is a long tail of occasional clients.