Buzz
Relocation is an integral aspect of life and demands a series of steps to ensure a favorable outcome. If you're relocating, updating your address is vital to ensure seamless mail forwarding. Other motives for updating records encompass averting landlord disputes and settling utility bills.
Procedures
Amending Your Address via USPS
Update your address online. Visit the U.S. Postal Service website to complete a Change of Address (COA) form online. The comprehensive instructions will necessitate:
- Specifying whether your relocation is permanent or temporary (less than twelve months).
- Your complete name and the names of accompanying family members. A separate form is requisite for each member with a distinct last name.
- A debit or credit card for the $1.05 verification fee. The post office employs your payment card to validate your address details. You can bypass the verification fee by visiting your local post office and filling out the COA form there.
Request the form via phone. You can reach out to your local post office and ask for a 3575 form to be sent to you by mail. The USPS contact number is 1-800-275-8777. If you opt for changing your address over the phone, you'll be required to pay the $1.05 verification fee.
Complete the form in person. Drop by your nearest post office and request a 3575 form. By visiting the post office in person, you'll avoid paying the service fee associated with telephone and online transactions.
Alerting the Social Security Administration
Determine eligibility for benefits. The Social Security Administration handles federal benefits other than social security. You must be receiving one of the following in order to update your address with this agency:
- Social Security Income
- Retirement
- Survivors benefits
- Medicare
Reach out to the nearest Social Security office. Inform the Social Security Administration of your address change if you're receiving benefits from them. This is the most effective way to ensure uninterrupted receipt of your government benefits.
- If you visit their website, you can input your new zip code to locate the nearest office.
- When you visit the office, a representative will assist you in updating your address for continued benefit receipt.
Update your address online. Utilize your free account, the my Social Security account, to make online updates to any personal information. The SSA has streamlined many administrative tasks, making them easily manageable online.
Adjusting Your Address with the IRS
Maintain good standing with the IRS. It's crucial for the IRS to have your current address on file. Even if you've updated your address with the post office, this doesn't always automatically update the IRS records. Tax season can catch you off guard, so it's your responsibility to keep your records up to date.
Submit a written statement. You can download and print Form 8822 and include it along with other necessary information. Gather the required details and affix your signature. Additionally, you'll need to provide your:
- Full name
- Previous address
- New address
- Social Security number
Utilize your tax return. When filing your tax return, simply enter your new address directly onto the form. This is a straightforward way to update your information without additional paperwork.
- The IRS only accepts electronic requests for address changes if your tax return wasn't submitted by mail.
Give them a call. Find the phone number for the nearest office to you. This option is available if you prefer not to mail your Social Security Number and would like confirmation. Before making the call, ensure you have the following information ready:
- Full name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number
Assistance with Address Change
Sample Letter for Address Change to Official Organizations
Envelope Design TemplatePointers
-
Remember to update your voter registration when you relocate. Find more details at Answers.USA.gov.
-
The U.S. Post Office advises submitting a COA form 2 weeks before your moving date. It may take up to 10 days for your mail forwarding service to cease; the sooner you request the change of address, the lower the chances of mail delivery disruption.
Cautions
- Magazines and newspapers are forwarded free of charge for 60 days. After this period, they are discarded by the post office, so inform the publishers of any magazines or newspapers you subscribe to about your new address. Publications often require up to 60 days to process address changes, so notify them individually when you update your address at the post office.
- As per U.S. Postal regulations, providing false or inaccurate information on a COA request form is punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both under Sections 2, 1001, 1702, and 1708 of Title 18, United States Code (U.S.C.).
