How to Change Your Address With the IRS Using Form 8822
You just moved, your refund hasn't arrived, and you're picturing a check sitting in an empty mailbox. A wrong address can send that check back to the IRS and add weeks to a refund you were counting on. Tell the IRS directly: file Form 8822, put your new address on your next return, or call the IRS — postal forwarding alone won't update your tax records. Do it today and your refund follows you to the new place.
The IRS needs your updated address in order to send you important correspondence or mail you a refund check. The IRS provides several options for notifying the agency of an address change. Since it can take up to six weeks to process an address change, starting the process sooner rather than later can help you get your tax refund check faster.
Four Ways to Change Your IRS Address
| Method | Who’s it for | How long it takes | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Put new address on next tax return | Filers who move before filing | As soon as taxes are filed | N/A |
| File Form 8822 or 8822-B | Anyone | Four to six weeks | Form 8822 or 8822-B from the IRS |
| Send written statement to IRS | Anyone | Four to six weeks | Paper, envelope, stamp |
| Call or visit the IRS | Anyone | Immediate | Phone number or address |
Put Your New Address on Your Next Return
If your address changes before you file your taxes, you can simply file your return with your new address. Your address of record updates when the IRS processes that return — which means it won't help with a refund that's already on its way to your old address. If you file taxes electronically, sometimes your old address will automatically carry over to your new form, so keep an eye out for this possibility.
File Form 8822 or 8822-B
Form 8822, Change of Address, is the form most people need. Its full IRS title is Change of Address (For Individual, Gift, Estate, or Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Returns) — so it covers your personal return and estate or gift tax returns alike.
Form 8822-B is a different form: Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business. Use it only if you're updating a business address or the responsible party on an EIN. If you're filing a personal return, Form 8822 is the one you want.
If you are the responsible party for a business, you will need to use Form 8822-B to change your address.
When using either of these forms, you will be asked to provide basic information, including your old address and your new address. You can change a spouse's address with the same form.
Where you send this form will depend on your location. The various mailing addresses are listed on the form under “Where to File” on page 2.
Send the IRS a Signed Written Statement
In a written statement, include your full name, old and new addresses, and Social Security number (SSN), ITIN, or EIN.
Mail the signed statement to the address where you filed your last return.
Call or Visit the IRS
The IRS also accepts an address change by phone or in person. You'll need to verify your identity first, so have your full name, your old and new addresses, your date of birth, and your Social Security number or ITIN ready when you call. If you filed jointly and you and your spouse now live at different addresses, each of you needs to notify the IRS separately.
Does USPS Forwarding Update the IRS?
If your address changes while your return is being processed, you should file a change of address with the United States Postal Service (USPS) — that's a USPS form, not an IRS one. Forwarding gets your regular mail to the new place, but it does not update your IRS records, and the IRS notes that not all post offices forward government checks. Keep in mind, however, that some post offices do not forward tax refund checks to new addresses due to fraud concerns. If you are expecting a refund check, you will need to take additional steps to ensure that it makes it to your mailbox. Nonetheless, notifying the post office will change where your correspondence is sent.
More than 40 million Americans change their address every year, according to the USPS Office of Inspector General — and every one of those moves is a separate conversation with the IRS.
- Your full name
- Your old address
- Your new address
- Your Social Security Number or tax identification number
- Your signature
If you are a joint filer, you should provide information for your spouse and your spouse's signature. If there has been a separation, each spouse will need to inform the IRS separately of an address change. If you filed a joint return and you're now establishing a separate residence, check the box on line 1 of Form 8822 and notify the IRS individually — your former spouse's signature isn't required in that case.
This written statement should be mailed to wherever it was that you mailed your last tax return.
How Can You Change Your IRS Address Online?
Here's the short answer most people are looking for: you can't change your mailing address inside your IRS Online Account. The IRS lets you update your email address and your paper-notice preferences there, but for a mailing address it points you straight back to Form 8822.
There's no online address-change tool. Your fastest options are putting the new address on your next return, mailing Form 8822, or calling the IRS.
Where to Mail Form 8822
- Routing by prior address: Kansas City, Austin, Ogden.
- Kansas City handles gift/estate/GST.
- Separate routing for foreign addresses, APO/FPO and U.S. territories.
Don’t Forget Your State Tax Agency
Updating the IRS doesn’t update your state’s agency. To do that, log in to your state’s online tax portal and submit a dedicated address change form. This will vary slightly by state. You can also call the state agency and update your address by phone.
Most states also provide paper forms for a change of address, and you provide a written statement as well.
