Taxation & Estate Planning

The IRS Mailing List

By Darrin Mish

Some might think it would be great to get off the IRS?s mailing list when, in fact, you actually benefit by being on its mailing list. Dropping off the mailing list may create IRS Problems for you.

Change of Address

It is very important to let the IRS know of any change in your address. Do not rely on the change of address notification you give to the post office. There is no guarantee that all of your mail will be forwarded as requested. You will need to use Form 8822 (Change of Address) to change your address with the IRS. It should be mailed to the same service center that you mail your tax return to. To guarantee that the IRS receives this information, mail it certified mail. It could take the IRS up to three months to update its records so allow for this. Keep copies of both the form and the dated postage receipt.

If you have recently become separated or divorced, it is important to notify the IRS. This will help you keep up-to-date on your IRS status. If you do not let the IRS know of your change of address, you can still be held responsible for your spouse?s tax problems. Receiving IRS correspondence will allow you to stop any IRS Problems from escalating.

IRS Mailings

The IRS mails all its correspondence to you at your last known address. It gets this address off of your last tax return filed or your change of address form depending on which is filed later. Because Americans tend to move often, it is very important to file a change of address with the IRS. Missing important notifications from the IRS because of address unknown will only increase your IRS Problems.

Most mailings from the IRS require a response within a certain timeframe. If you never receive the mailings, obviously you cannot respond to them. If the IRS receives no response, you could eventually be assessed penalties, interest, or possible asset seizure. You could miss notification that you are being audited. If this is the case, the audit will take place without you and you will be assessed whatever interest or penalties the IRS deems necessary. You could miss notification of the need for a correction on your tax return. This request could be as simple as missing information needed to complete your tax return. This can be easily taken care of if you are aware of the notification. You could miss notification that your assets are going to be seized. If it takes a lot of time for the IRS to find you, your tax debt could increase from added interest and penalties.

If your IRS Problems have increased while the IRS has been trying to track you down, we can help. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you with your dealings with the IRS and help you to resolve your IRS Problems. Contact us today.

Full post as published by IRS Problem Solver Blog on February 03, 2008 (boomark / email).