IRS Form 8822

After moving to a new abode, you should notify the IRS of the change of postal address. Otherwise, the IRS employees will continue to send you correspondence concerning your tax payments to the address where you used to live before moving. So you run the risk of missing letters, especially if they are important. Form 8822 exists to inform the IRS of a new mail address that will now be listed on your personal tax return. Read our brief overview to learn how to fill out the form without errors and submit an application to the right office.

When to use this form?

• A taxpayer can notify the IRS of a new postal address in two ways. The first one is that the IRS can replace your new address in the tax return automatically. This occurs if you pay tax after moving and file a tax return with a new address. The IRS employee will see the new address and update it in your documents. However, if you file taxes electronically, your previous mail address might be copied, and there will be no changes in the tax return. You can track changes in your tax return or use a more reliable way and notify the IRS of the new postal address yourself.
• It is better to use Form 8822 to make sure that the IRS has up-to-date information about your place of residence. You can notify the tax service about the change of your child’s and spouse’s mailing address through the Form. Please note that the Form contains fields related only to the filler and their spouse. Thus, in case of notification of the child’s current address, you need to fill out a separate form for each minor person.
• Use Form 8822 if you are waiting for a response letter from the IRS. Since the processing of this Form takes from 4 to 6 weeks, it is advisable to submit it as early as possible immediately after moving. If you change the address of a business company, use Form 8822-B. This form is submitted by the owner or responsible person of the company.
• Although buying a property and moving in requires a number of documents to be filled out, take some time to file Form 8822. Given that this is one of the shortest and simplest IRS forms, it does not require much effort. The filler must enter the most general data that does not need to be searched in other documents. After you read our short guide, it becomes quite simple. Stay on the page for tips on filling the form out.

Structure of IRS Form 8822

Form 8822 consists of two parts. The first one contains information about your taxes and personal data, including your previous and current address, while the second one only requires a phone number for feedback and signature. We remind you that you can fill out the form both in writing and online and include your electronic signature, which legally corresponds with the handwritten one. Use our online form-building tools to fill the Form in.

The IRS provides instructions for filling out the form that explains the purpose and content of its sections. The official guide takes up one page that follows the Form. We highlighted the key points of the rules for using the document. The corresponding screenshots make navigation through the document more clear for the user. You can find the tips in the next section of our review.

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How to Fill Out Form 8822

Fill out the tax return information.

At the beginning of the first part, you mainly need to check the box. Mark the item in line 1 if the change of address affects your personal income tax return. The Forms that regulate this are listed in this line and in the IRS instructions. If you began to live separately from the spouse with whom you previously had a common tax return, check the box on the right side.

Mark line 2 if the move involves a change in the status of items such as gifts or inherited real estate. Enter the deceased’s name and social security number where required.

Enter personal data.

In lines 3a – 4b, input your name and your spouse’s full names, as well as the social security number of both persons. In lines 5a and 5b, specify the names if it was changed after marriage. For example, you changed your last name.

Provide address information.

Enter your previous address and fill in all the sections that are specified. Do the same for your spouse, that is, specify the same address if you had a common place of residence or a different one if you have just moved in together.

Please note that there are different lines for those who have had a residence in the US and for those who are moving to the US. If you are moving from another country, fill in the lines where “Foreign province/county” is indicated.

Finally, fill in the current address lines, both for yourself and your spouse. If you are moving abroad in the United States, also enter a foreign address.

Put your signature.

Let’s go to the last part of the paper. Here you must sign the document. Have your spouse sign it if you have a joint tax return. Also, put the signature of the representative or other person in the right corner of the sheet, if necessary.

Input the date of filling out the Form.

File the application.

The IRS instruction specifies the addresses of public services that accept Form 8822 from taxpayers. The address to submit the Form depends on the very first part of the document. If you ticked the second item (gifts, estate, etc.), you should send the documents to the Department of the Treasury.

If you did not check the second box, select the address of the IRS office, depending on the previous state of residence. A list of the corresponding addresses can be found in the table in the instructions.