Names on Pay Checks

njjel · January 2007

I brought this up a few months ago and got some guidance as to W-2's, however I never got a clear answer as to whether or not it is permissible for the employee paychecks to use just a middle initial instead of the full name (as shown on their social security card) OR in the case of a long middle name and a hyphenated last name is it allowable to eliminate the middle name/initial on the paycheck? OR must the name on the paycheck exactly match the name on the social security card? Can anyone help with this and give me a regulation for it?

Dutch2 · January 2007

According to the company that processes our payroll.... We can list any name on the actual check. For instance we have an Elizabeth that everyone knows as Beth. A couple of employees that have gone by their middle name all their life and no ones knows them by their first name. However, on the W-2's we have their official/legal name listed as it appears on their social security card.
Being in the banking business, if their check does not have their legal name printed on it this could cause problems for anyone not on direct deposit when they go to cash their payroll check.

marc · January 2007

In our system, the names on the paycheck are the same ones used when the W-2's are printed as the information is drawn from the same database. So, the paycheck name agrees with the W-2, which agrees with the SS card.

drehil · February 2007

Same here.

njjel · February 2007

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 02-01-07 AT 08:10AM (CST)[/font][br][br]The instructions for form W-2 state we may use a middle initial and i'm wondering if this then holds true for the paycheck? My finance people tell me they MUST use the entire name that is on the SS card on the paycheck, yet the IRS instructions seem to say it's ok to use an initial (middle) for the W-2. I don't find anything that specifically refers to what can be used on the paycheck. Can anyone give me a place to check?

BettyBoop FL · February 2007

We have always used the first & last name as listed on the ss card without middle name or initial. This is printed on paychecks & W2 & we have not had a problem as long as first & last name matches SS card.

ACU Frank · February 2007

Dutch is correct... you can put whatever you want on there. He listed some good caveats, though - it needs to be acceptable for the bank, etc. What some of you are getting from your Finance people are probably issues of convenience or practicality; for example, if your automated payroll processing system requires that the names on the check and W-2 be the same, or if one field in the database feeds the other.

Names on Pay Checks

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