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Change of address

Telling the Postal Service, the IRS and everyone else who writes to you that you've moved, so mail is forwarded and official records follow you.

What It Means

A change of address is the notice you give that you've moved. With the U.S. Postal Service it starts mail forwarding from your old address to your new one for a set period. The IRS, your employer, banks and other senders keep their own records, so each needs to hear from you separately; for the IRS, that's Form 8822.

Try It: Track Who Has Your New Address

Tick each place as you update it. USPS forwarding covers the gap while the rest catch up.

Updated0
Out of7
Months of forwarding12

How People Say It

  • "Did you put in the forwarding with the post office?"
  • "I'm still getting mail for the last tenant."
  • "I sent the IRS a change of address before tax season."

The Breakdown

Worked example. The Garcias move on June 1 (an example date). Here's how the paperwork falls.

StepWhenWhat it does
USPS change of address online2 weeks before the move, Buhata's suggestionForwards mail for 12 months, to the following June
Optional paid extensionBefore the 12 months endAdds 6, 12 or 18 more months
IRS Form 8822After the moveThe IRS says processing generally takes 4 to 6 weeks
Employer, bank, insurer and othersFirst weeks after the moveTheir own records, separate from USPS

What the result means. Forwarding buys time, and it ends. Anyone still writing to the old address after the forwarding period runs out won't reach you, so use the year to update each sender directly.

Doing it with USPS. Online, USPS charges a $1.25 identity verification fee (checked October 1, 2026). You verify with a code or link sent to your cell phone, or with a card whose billing address matches your old or new address. Go to a Post Office in person if you're moving outside the United States, filing for someone else, or can't verify online.

Good to Know

Start from usps.com. In a 2014 news release, the Postal Service warned customers about bogus change-of-address websites. For federal taxes, IRS Form 8822 changes your home address on IRS records, and the IRS says a change generally takes 4 to 6 weeks to process. Your state's motor vehicle agency sets its own rules for updating a license and registration, so check its website after you move.

FAQ

How much does a USPS change of address cost?

Online, USPS charges a $1.25 identity verification fee, checked October 1, 2026. Extending forwarding past the first 12 months costs extra.

How long does mail forwarding last?

Twelve months from USPS, and you can pay to extend it by 6, 12 or 18 more months.

How do I change my address with the IRS?

Send Form 8822 to the address shown on the form. The IRS says a change generally takes 4 to 6 weeks to process.

Do It in Buhata

Tasks, Reminders, Countdown

Make a Task for each place on the list in Buhata, set a Countdown to moving day, and add a Reminder for a month before USPS forwarding ends.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Moving checklist

    A list of jobs to finish before, during and after a move, from checking the mover's registration to forwarding mail, so nothing important is missed.

  • Security deposit

    Money a tenant pays a landlord at the start of a lease, held to cover unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear and tear and returned, minus listed charges, after move-out.

  • Tenant rights

    The legal protections renters have, from federal fair housing and tenant screening rules to state and local laws on matters such as security deposits.

  • Life admin

    The everyday paperwork and planning that keeps a life and a household running, such as bills, taxes, forms, renewals and appointments.

  • Renters insurance

    A policy for tenants that pays to repair or replace their belongings, covers liability for harm they cause others, and pays extra living costs after a covered loss.

  • W-4 form

    The IRS form you give your employer so it knows how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck, officially the Employee's Withholding Certificate.

Planning and life admin

Sources

USPS, "Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address"; USPS FAQ, "Change of Address - The Basics"; USPS, "Official USPS Change-of-Address Form"; USPS news release, "Postal Service Alerts Customers About Bogus Change of Address Websites"; IRS, "About Form 8822, Change of Address"; IRS, "Topic no. 157, Change your address"

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