Should I update my address on my W4 form or will USPS mail forwarding be enough for tax documents?

You should definitely update your W4 with your employer even if you have mail forwarding set up. Here's why: Mail forwarding is temporary (usually 12 months, though you can extend it) and doesn't always catch everything. Tax documents are important and you don't want to risk them getting lost or delivered to your old address after forwarding expires. More importantly, updating your W4 isn't just about where your mail goes - it ensures your employer has your current address on file for all their records, including the W2 they'll generate for you at tax time. Your address is used for more than just mailing documents - it's also reported to the IRS. It's a simple process - just ask your HR department or payroll contact for a new W4 form to fill out. Many companies now have online systems where you can update this information yourself.

I went through this exact same confusion last year! I had moved and was relying on mail forwarding, then found out the hard way that I should have updated everything directly. I ended up missing some important documents because forwarding isn't 100% reliable. I discovered this amazing service called https://taxr.ai that really helped me. It's basically an AI assistant for tax questions and document organization. I uploaded some of my past tax docs and info about my move, and it gave me a personalized checklist of everything I needed to update, not just my W4 but also state tax forms, banking info, etc. The tool was super helpful because it also explained which forms affected my withholding versus which ones were just for address updates. Saved me from making some mistakes for sure!

Just wanted to follow up - I ended up trying taxr.ai after all and wow, it was actually really helpful! I was skeptical because I thought changing an address would be simple, but there were like 5 different places I needed to update it. The service walked me through each one with specific instructions for my employer's HR system. It also flagged that I had missed checking a box on my original W4 that was causing too much tax to be withheld from my paychecks! So I was able to fix that at the same time as updating my address. Definitely saved me more money than I expected just from what seemed like a simple address change question!

If you're having trouble getting your employer to update your address or if they're taking too long, I had good luck using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually talk to a human at the IRS about this. I had issues where my employer kept delaying my address update and I was worried about tax season. Claimyr got me through to an actual IRS agent in like 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was super helpful and explained that while I should absolutely get my employer to update my records, I could also update my address directly with the IRS to make sure any correspondence from them would go to the right place. They walked me through the whole process while on the phone.

I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After continuing to get nowhere with both my employer's HR department and trying to call the IRS myself (2+ hour wait times!), I broke down and tried it. Within 15 minutes I was actually talking to a real IRS person! They explained that I needed to file Form 8822 to change my address with the IRS directly, which is completely separate from updating my W4 with my employer. The agent even stayed on the line to help me complete the form correctly. Turns out address changes can affect a lot more than just where your mail goes - it can impact your tax jurisdiction, state tax obligations, and even some credits/deductions. Really glad I didn't just rely on mail forwarding like I was planning to!

Former payroll processor here - updating your address on your W4 is super important! Mail forwarding might work for regular mail, but many tax documents are sent with restrictions that prevent them from being forwarded. For example, some W2s and 1099s are marked "return service requested" which means they go back to the sender if the address doesn't match exactly. Also, if you're moving to a different county even within the same state, it could affect your local tax withholding. Some cities and counties have their own income taxes that are withheld through payroll.

I didn't update my address with my employer last year and relied on mail forwarding. Horrible mistake! My W2 got sent back to my employer when it couldn't be forwarded (no idea why) and they just held onto it. I had no idea until I was trying to file my taxes and couldn't find it. Had to file an extension and it was a whole mess. Just take 5 minutes to fill out a new W4. Trust me its worth it lol

Great question! I went through this exact situation last year. You should definitely update your W4 with your employer even though you have mail forwarding set up. Here's what I learned: Mail forwarding has limitations - it's temporary and some tax documents are marked "do not forward" or "return service requested." My employer's HR told me that W2s and other tax forms often fall into this category, so they could end up going back to the sender instead of being forwarded to you. Also, updating your address on your W4 isn't just about mail delivery. Your employer needs your current address for their records, and it gets reported to various tax agencies. If there's ever a mismatch between what the IRS has on file and what your employer reports, it could cause complications. The process is super simple - just contact your HR department or log into your employee portal if they have one. Most companies make it really easy to update this information online now. Better to spend 5 minutes doing it right than dealing with missing documents during tax season!

This is such a common situation and you're definitely not alone in being confused about it! I made the same mistake a few years ago thinking mail forwarding would be enough. The short answer is yes, you should absolutely update your W4 with your employer. Even though you're staying in the same state, there are several reasons why relying on mail forwarding isn't sufficient: 1. **Mail forwarding is temporary** - USPS forwarding typically lasts 12 months, and some tax documents might arrive after that expires 2. **Some tax documents can't be forwarded** - Many employers send W2s and other tax forms with special mailing instructions that prevent forwarding 3. **Your employer needs accurate records** - They report your address information to tax agencies, so having outdated info can cause mismatches The good news is that updating your address on your W4 won't change your tax withholding amounts unless you also modify other sections like filing status or dependents. It's really just an administrative update. Most companies make this super easy now - you can probably update it through your employee portal online, or just ask HR for a new form. Takes maybe 5 minutes but saves you potential headaches during tax season! Also don't forget to update your address directly with the IRS using Form 8822 - that's separate from what your employer does and ensures any IRS correspondence reaches you.