There are four ways to change your address with the IRS: enter the new address on your next tax return, mail Form 8822, send a signed written statement, or call the IRS at 800-829-1040.1Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 157, Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS Whichever method you pick, allow four to six weeks for the change to fully process.2Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822, Change of Address
Why It’s Worth Doing Promptly
The IRS sends correspondence to your “last known address,” which is the address on your most recently processed return unless you’ve told the IRS otherwise.3Internal Revenue Service. Rev. Proc. 2010-16 A notice mailed there is legally valid the day it’s sent, even if it never reaches you.4Taxpayer Advocate Service. Legislative Recommendations – The IRS Should Do More to Deliver Mail to Correct Addresses That matters most for a Notice of Deficiency, which starts a 90-day clock to petition the U.S. Tax Court whether you saw the letter or not.5Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP3219N Notice
Put the New Address on Your Next Return
If you’re about to file, just write the new address on the return. The IRS updates your records automatically when the return is processed, and no separate form is required.1Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 157, Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS
The drawback is timing. Returns can sit in processing for weeks, and until yours clears, the IRS still has the old address. If you moved months before you file, submitting Form 8822 in the meantime is safer.
Mail Form 8822
Form 8822, Change of Address, is the IRS’s dedicated form for individual address updates outside of filing season. You’ll list your name, Social Security number or ITIN, old address, and new address.6Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822, Change of Address The form is on irs.gov.
Where you send it depends on where your old home was. The form uses three processing centers:
- Kansas City, MO 64999-0023, for most eastern and midwestern states.
- Austin, TX 73301-0023, for Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and foreign addresses.
- Ogden, UT 84201-0023, for most western states plus several others including Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The complete state-by-state list is in the form instructions.7Internal Revenue Service. Certain Where To File Addresses Updated for Form 8822 Sending it to the wrong center delays processing. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a dated record of the notification if a dispute comes up later.
Send a Signed Written Statement
You don’t have to use the form. A signed statement with your full name, old and new addresses, and Social Security number, ITIN, or EIN also works. Mail it to the IRS address where you sent your last return.8Internal Revenue Service. Address Changes If you filed jointly and still live with the same spouse, both of you must sign.1Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 157, Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS
Call the IRS
The phone number for individual address changes is 800-829-1040. The agent will verify your identity before making the change, and typically asks for your Social Security number, date of birth, filing status, and details from a prior-year return, with the possibility of more questions.9Internal Revenue Service. Be Ready to Verify Your Identity When Calling the IRS If you can’t complete verification, the call won’t do it, and you’ll need to use one of the written methods.
Can You Change Your Address in Your IRS Online Account?
No. Your IRS online account lets you update your email address and paper notice preferences, but not your mailing address. For that, the IRS still points you to Form 8822 by mail.10Internal Revenue Service. Online Account for Individuals – Frequently Asked Questions
Does a USPS Change of Address Cover the IRS?
Not reliably. The IRS can pick up your new address from the U.S. Postal Service’s National Change of Address database and update its records automatically.3Internal Revenue Service. Rev. Proc. 2010-16 But the IRS itself cautions against relying on it, because not all post offices forward government mail consistently and the NCOA update may not reach IRS systems before your next notice goes out.11Internal Revenue Service. Address Changes Treat the USPS filing as a backup and notify the IRS directly.
If You Have a Business or an EIN
Businesses and other entities with an Employer Identification Number use Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party — Business. It covers the business mailing address, business location, and the responsible party.12Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business Any entity with an EIN must report a change in its responsible party within 60 days, whether or not the entity is currently active.13Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B – Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business Trusts, estates, and gift tax filers use the individual Form 8822.1Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 157, Change Your Address – How to Notify the IRS
If Someone Is Filing on Your Behalf
A tax professional or other authorized representative can submit the change for you, but they must attach a copy of their power of attorney or Form 2848 to the form or statement. Without that on file, the IRS won’t process a third-party submission.8Internal Revenue Service. Address Changes
Your State Tax Agency Is Separate
Notifying the IRS doesn’t update your state records. If your state has an income tax, contact its department of revenue on its own terms; many have their own change-of-address forms or online portals. A missed state notice creates the same kind of deadline and penalty exposure a missed federal notice does.