Expecting your stimulus check but you've moved since you've filed your taxes? There are a few things you need to do to make sure you get your stimulus payment.
According to rumors on the internet, the post office is not supposed to forward mail from the IRS. However I have yet to find an authoritative source that supports this.
If you've moved since filing your return, you should put in a change of address with the post office? You can change your address online. Apparently, not all post offices forward government checks. That's because the envelopes are stamped with a do not forward message.
If you know the people at your old address you may want to check there. You might get lucky and find the new residents haven't returned the check yet.
However if the check has been returned to the IRS, it may take many weeks or months for the IRS to track down your new address. To change your address with the IRS, you should file Form 8822 – Address Change Request.
How to Contact the IRS
- By Phone
You can contact the IRS by phone. You should be prepared to wait. The IRS is swamped with calls regarding the stimulus package. If you want to contact the IRS, here are the phone numbers:Description Number IRS stimulus payment (rebate) questions 1-866-234-2942 IRS refund questions 1-800-829-1954 Main IRS Assistance Phone Number Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. 1-800-829-1040 - In Person
You'll have better luck going to the IRS office yourself. You can find your local IRS office on the IRS.gov "Contact My Local Office" page.
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Comments
11 Comments so far
Hey, I recently sent the IRS a check for what I owed, it wasn't much, about $75. Well the same day I dropped that in the mail I got my stimulus check minus the $75 I owed. What should I do about that? Should I stop the check or what? Got any ideas, thanks before hand.
Neal,
You could contact the IRS. I suspect that since you've paid them now that you wont' get the money back. However, you can probably claim that money as a tax credit on your 2008 taxes. That's just a guess though, the IRS will know for sure.
Good Luck!
We have not received our stimulus check. We moved in June and put in a change of address with the PO and also filed form 8822 with the IRS. How long will it take?
Mary W.
It could take 12 weeks or longer. If the IRS sent your check before it received the change of address, your check will have to be returned before the IRS can issue a new one.
If your curious contact the IRS and ask them to trace your check.
Thats a long time. I moved and still have not gotten mine. I lived at an apartment complex. Is there any way someone can cash that check?
Josh,
You mean fraud? Sure someone could fraudulently cash a check. You'll have to talk to the IRS to get a trace put on it.
I have a situation kinda like this. I receive my mail at a P.O. box, but my payment was sent to my home address. Well, my mailbox got knocked down, so if anything was to come here, well, it would probably get sent back. My check was scheduled to be mailed out July 11th & just in case, I put a change of address in on Monday, the 13th. I was afraid that it could've came that Monday before I put my new address in, so I called the IRS twice since then. It hasn't been sent back & I haven't gotten anything, not even a letter telling me about it. What should I do? They told me if I don't receive it by August 11th, they'll put a trace on it.
Karen,
You're only recourse is to wait until August 11th.
Good Luck.
I filed my taxes on 3 /2/ 09 I was suppose to get my refund on about april the 5th but my address was wrong so I changed it .how long does it take to resend ?
I have been waiting for several months to get my first time home buyers stimulus check but have not received it yet. I would like to know why it takes so long and why the Government didn't bother to mention that in the first place??????
i moved and had a change of address i was wondering would my tax refund get forward also with my other mail or do i have to go to the post office were my p o box is and could they hold it for me if they dont forward it unstead of sending it back to the irs