Misspelled my daughter's last name (Davus instead of Davis) on tax return - will it be rejected after acceptance?

The good news is that if your return has already been "accepted," it means it's passed the initial validation checks. The IRS does have a name/SSN matching system, but it's not as strict as you might think. Since the first four letters don't match perfectly, there's a possibility the IRS will flag this for review, but this doesn't automatically mean rejection. Many times these minor discrepancies are overlooked, especially if everything else on the return matches their records. If you're concerned, you have a couple options. You could wait and see if the IRS contacts you about the discrepancy (they'll send a notice if there's an issue), or you could be proactive and file an amended return (Form 1040-X) to correct the spelling. However, I wouldn't rush to amend unless the IRS specifically requests it, as amendments can indeed delay processing. The most important thing is that you used the correct Social Security Number. That's the primary identifier the IRS uses to process dependent claims.

After similar spelling issues with my daughter's middle name on last year's taxes, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) incredibly helpful. The tool scanned my return, flagged the discrepancy, and estimated the likelihood of it being an issue. What surprised me most was how their system analyzes past IRS processing patterns to predict how specific errors might be handled. In my case, they confirmed that minor name spelling issues rarely trigger full rejections when SSNs match correctly, which saved me from filing an unnecessary amendment that would have delayed my refund by months. The document analysis feature also identified other small errors I hadn't caught that could have caused problems. Definitely worth checking out if you're worried about any part of your submission.

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. I was skeptical at first, but it identified that my name inconsistency pattern across years (using my full middle name vs. initial) was likely to trigger additional verification this year because of new IRS matching algorithms. The analysis suggested I didn't need to amend past returns but recommended specific documentation to have ready if questioned. This saved me from panicking and filing unnecessary amendments. What impressed me most was how it explained exactly why some naming discrepancies matter more than others based on recent IRS processing patterns. The peace of mind was definitely worth it!

After waiting on hold with the IRS for hours about my kid's misspelled name last year, I finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this service where they navigate the IRS phone tree for you and actually call you back when they've got an agent on the line. I was honestly blown away when they called me back with an actual IRS representative who confirmed I didn't need to amend for a minor spelling mistake. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Instead of stressing and waiting on hold for hours, I got a definitive answer directly from the IRS in about 45 minutes. The agent told me that as long as the SSN was correct, a small name spelling error on a dependent wouldn't trigger rejection since it was still recognizable as the same name.

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway since I was desperate to resolve a similar name issue on my tax return. Within 38 minutes (I timed it), I got a call back with an actual IRS representative on the line. The agent confirmed that minor spelling errors on dependent last names rarely cause rejections when the SSN matches and the name is still recognizably similar. She even added notes to my account about our conversation in case any questions came up during processing. After spending nearly 3 hours on separate attempts to reach someone myself, this was honestly life-changing. The peace of mind from getting a definitive answer directly from the IRS was worth every penny.

I actually had the exact opposite problem last year - spelled my son's name correctly but transposed two digits in his SSN. My return was accepted initially but then I got a notice about 3 weeks later asking for verification of his SSN. Had to send in a copy of his social security card and birth certificate. It delayed my refund by about 6 weeks but wasn't a huge deal in the end. The most important part is responding quickly if they do request verification. Don't ignore those notices!

Just to add another perspective - I'm a volunteer tax preparer, and we see name/SSN mismatches fairly often. In my experience, the IRS is most concerned that the SSN is correct, as that's their primary identifier. Name spelling issues for dependents are common and usually resolved without amendments. The system is designed to handle variations in names (like Bob vs Robert, or hyphenated last names entered differently). Your case is borderline since "Davus" vs "Davis" changes the 4th letter, but it's still recognizably the same name. If you get a letter from the IRS, respond promptly with the correct info. Keep a copy of your daughter's social security card handy just in case. But I wouldn't lose sleep over this - the vast majority of these minor issues resolve without any action needed on your part.