If you divorced in 2021 and went back to your maiden name, should you file your taxes in your maiden name or the married name?

Before you do your taxes please follow the instructions below as it is important that your name change is completed with the Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) first.

As per our TurboTax article Advising the Canada Revenue Agency of a Name Change:

If you haven't done so already, you need to let the CRA know that your marital status has changed.

You can tell the CRA about your new marital status and the date of the change by using one of the following options:

If you are only changing your first name or last name, you need to call 1-800-959-8281 to advise the CRA of your name change.

• You will need to identify yourself on the phone, so be sure to have your Social Insurance number, full address, and latest tax return handy. (You will likely be asked to provide figures from certain line numbers of your tax return for verification purposes, quite often you will be asked for Line 15000 – Total Income).

You can also change your name by mail or fax. You must provide documentation if you have already changed your name. Write a letter with the following:

• an original or certified true copy of one of the following documents:
  • a name change certificate from a provincial/territorial vital statistics department
  • a court order issued under an act on change of name
• your old and new names
• your social insurance number
• your signature.

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