I just did this today it was a piece of cake if you get the right person. I did 10 years. You just fill out a form and you put your new ssn and whatever others you have used in the past . Bring all your w2 with you and they will transfer the credits to the new ssn. They don't ask you any questions of why are you doing this or anything like that. If you get a rep that tells you need your 1040 come on a dif day. All they need is your w2