IRS Form 8822: Change of Address After Divorce
Why You Need to Notify the IRS Separately
Filing your next tax return with a new address can update the IRS's records when the return is processed, but it may not help if correspondence is sent before then. If the IRS sends a notice, audit letter, or refund check to your old address — the marital home where your ex-spouse now lives — you might never see it. A missed IRS notice can escalate into liens, penalties, and collection actions before you even know there is a problem.
IRS Form 8822 (Change of Address) is the official way to tell the IRS where to reach you. It takes about four to six weeks for the IRS to process the change, so file it as soon as you move.
How to Complete Form 8822
Download Form 8822 from irs.gov. The form is one page and straightforward:
Line 1: Your name as it appears on your tax return. If you changed your name after divorce, use your new legal name — but only after updating Social Security so the IRS can match the name to your SSN.
Line 3: Your old address (the marital home or wherever your last tax return was filed from).
Line 4: Your new address.
Line 6a: Check the box for individual return (Form 1040).
Signature and date: Sign using your current legal name.
Mail the completed form to the IRS processing center for your state. For Mississippi filers, the mailing address is the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Austin, TX 73301-0023.
Joint Returns and Prior-Year Liability
If you filed joint returns during the marriage, Form 8822 only updates the address for the person signing it. Your ex-spouse needs to file their own Form 8822 if they are also moving. If the IRS audits a prior joint return, they will send notices to both addresses on file — so making sure each spouse's address is current protects you from missing audit correspondence.
If you are concerned about joint tax liability from returns filed during the marriage, consider whether Innocent Spouse Relief (IRS Form 8857) applies. This is separate from the address change but often comes up in the same post-divorce tax transition.
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Don't Forget the State
Update your address with the Mississippi Department of Revenue separately. Mississippi does not automatically sync with IRS address changes. Visit dor.ms.gov or contact the Department of Revenue at (601) 923-7700.
File This Alongside Your Other Address Updates
Changing your address with the IRS is one step in a longer post-divorce identity and records update sequence. Our Mississippi After-Divorce Checklist covers the IRS, state tax authority, USPS mail forwarding, employer payroll, and every other institution that needs your current address.
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