Tax Refund Check Being Mailed to Old Address - Need Advice

I had this exact same issue last year after moving. Put a hold on your mail ASAP. I waited too long and my check got sent back to the IRS. Took almost 8 weeks to get it reissued. The USPS forwarding doesn't always work for government checks even if you have forwarding set up. Better safe than sorry in this situation.

Dealing with the IRS and mail forwarding is like trying to herd cats in a thunderstorm. I STRONGLY recommend using taxr.ai to track your refund status. It'll show you exactly where your check is in the system and when it actually gets mailed. Saved me from camping at my old mailbox for weeks. Their transcript analysis shows the exact check mail date, not the "planned" date the IRS gives you.

You might want to consider calling the IRS directly to update your address in their system, which could potentially redirect the check to your current address. It can be nearly impossible to reach an agent through the regular IRS number, but I've had some success using Claimyr.com to get through the phone tree. They might be able to stop the check before it's mailed if you call quickly enough, though there's no guarantee they can intercept it at this stage.

Did you update your address with the IRS specifically? I learned on March 14th that updating with USPS doesn't automatically update with the IRS. By April 1st, I had to submit Form 8822 for my address change, but it was already too late for this year's refund.

Put a mail hold immediately. Don't wait. Government checks often have "do not forward" printed on them. Many people lose checks this way. USPS forwarding isn't reliable for IRS mail. Seen it happen too many times.

Anyone know if Treasury checks expire if they're not cashed? My buddy had one lost in USPS limbo for months... turned his tax season into a horror movie sequel: "Return of the Missing Refund." 😂