Moved? Form 8822 and Your IRS Mailing Address
Published November 4, 2026
The IRS mails notices to the home address it has on file for you. If that address is old, you may miss a notice. Form 8822, Change of Address, tells the IRS about a new home mailing address. IRS: About Form 8822
Why the address matters
The IRS says that if you do not give it your current mailing address, you may not get a notice of deficiency or a notice and demand for tax. Interest and penalties can still apply to an amount owed, even if you never get the notice. IRS: Form 8822
Filing Form 8822 is voluntary. Still, it is the simplest way to make sure your notices reach you.
Which form to use
Use Form 8822 for your home mailing address. Form 8822 also covers some gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns. If you changed both home and business addresses, you need a separate form for the business. IRS: About Form 8822-B
What to fill in
The form asks for your name, your Social Security number, your old address, and your new address. It also asks for any prior name, if you changed your name because of marriage or divorce. If you changed your name, also tell the Social Security Administration, so the names match. IRS: Form 8822
Include any apartment or suite number. Use a P.O. box only if the post office does not deliver to your street address. IRS: Form 8822
Signing the form
The taxpayer must sign. If your last return was a joint return, your spouse must also sign. The exception is when you are setting up a separate home, and you check the box on line 1. IRS: Form 8822
If someone signs for you, that person must attach a copy of the power of attorney. IRS: Form 8822
Where to send it
Do not attach Form 8822 to your tax return. Mail it separately. The address depends on the state of your old home address. The form has a table that lists the mailing address for each group of states. IRS: Form 8822
How long it takes
The IRS says it generally takes 4 to 6 weeks to process a change of address. Keep a copy of what you sent. IRS: Form 8822
What the form does not do
Form 8822 changes the address the IRS uses to mail to you. It does not change your name with the Social Security Administration. The form asks you to notify Social Security separately. Each IRS notice explains what to do and by when. Read the notice first.
Common mistakes
Some people attach Form 8822 to the tax return. The form says not to do this. The IRS asks you to mail it on its own. Others send it to the wrong address in the table, or forget the spouse signature on a joint return. Check the table and the signature lines before you mail it.
Do not wait for a notice to update your address. Filing the change early means notices have a better chance of reaching you.
Keep proof of the change
Keep a copy of the signed form. Keep proof of mailing too, such as a receipt from the post office. Proof helps if you later need to show when you sent the change.
Keep a copy of any letter you get back from the IRS about the address. Read each letter and note the date it arrived.
Steps to take
- Write your new home address, with any apartment number.
- Fill in your old address and any prior name.
- Sign and date the form. Get your spouse to sign if you filed jointly.
- Find the mailing address for your old state in the table on the form.
- Mail the form and keep a copy. Expect processing in 4 to 6 weeks.
General information, not advice about your return.
Sources: Sources: IRS, About Form 8822 (https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8822); IRS Form 8822 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8822.pdf); IRS, About Form 8822-B (https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8822-b) This is general information, not advice about your specific return.
