Weirdly, no issues with the authrep forms and even better is this year we suddenly are able to get online access to CRA accounts before a first tax return is filed. Never was able to have that before. It’s only on the filing of the T1 that name matching issues have arisen which is wild given we already have access to the account.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
I ran into that problem - had the first, middle initial and last name. Got into the CRA website fine with the authorization form - they had only first and last name on screen. Wouldn’t efile (tried first & last, first, middle initial, last, first + initial, last) so I called the efile help desk and it needed the full middle name. Sigh. so first + middle name, last was finally accepted.
I had a tricky one today (4 names) and after trying every combination I though possible The eFile help desk was very helpful as we tried some more combinations. We succeeded by not putting a space between the two middle names.
I have discovered the name on the client’s SIN card is does not always align with how the Canada Revenue Agency has it keyed into their system. As you discovered, it is generally keypunch entry mistakes made by whomever was responsible for copying Service Canada’s records. It seems they definitely do not share the same database.
I have also discovered that once you file the first return and get it through, for following years you don’t need to include all those middle names. You can revert back to First name and Last name and the tax returns get accepted.
It’s only on the very first return that you need to include every name and/or initial that is on the SIN card, and be lucky enough the person that originally keyed the information into CRA’s system was good at their job.
I have had it happen where the Authrep is accepted but the T1 is rejected. Usually this happens for kids of my clients who are filing for the first time and I am not charging for the return. So I take my name off of it and tell them to mail the CRA Condensed for the first year. They are usually happy to do so because I’ve done the return for free.
It’s because the name doesn’t match the SIN and it HAS to now for the return to go through on efile. No need to send them away to paper file, just get the right name and then file it.
I’m trying to e-file a return, but I’m running into an issue with my client’s child’s name. According to a letter from Service Canada, the child’s name (as an example) is:
• First name: Jacob Jett-Jay
• Middle name: (none)
• Last name: Jung
There is no middle name listed. E-file desk told me I cannot e-file without entering something in the middle name field. Has anyone encountered this before?
I’ve tried all possible combinations and variations and none of them work.
Have you tried putting the first name as Jacob and the middle name as Jett-Jay? or all three names as the first name? Or tried Jay-Jett?
We have definitely had files where whoever was typing on Service Canada/CRA’s end, they messed up and put a last name in the first name and vice versa and every combo in between.
Thanks!
I’ve tried all possible name combinations and nothing works. I’ll file it on paper and let CRA figure it out.
I suspect his previous employer may have issued the T4 under a different name.
But if that’s the case why does the Authrep get accepted and not the T1?
Because CRA are stupidheads and like to make our lives difficult this past year.
Because the requirement to get the name exactly right (ie, matching Service Canada) only applies to a first-time filing of a T1 return. It doesn’t apply to any AuthRep request and doesn’t apply to any subsequent filing of T1 returns.
I literally cut and paste the name from their CRA Account directly into Taxcycle. I don’t know how you get more exact than that. And not worth my time during tax season to figure out on a return I did for free. 
I did my grandson’s girlfriends taxes this year. First time filer. I did the Authrep as “Jane D. Doe” and it went through just fine. But could not efile the return. Turns out, for the return, I needed the FULL middle name so I had to change it to “Jane Delores Doe” and all worked well.
Pat