Mailing in Your Federal Tax Return? Here’s Where It Should Go

The 2022 tax filing deadline is upon us, which means anyone who hasn't filed their taxes or requested an extension need to act sooner than later. While most people opt to file their taxes electronically using tax preparation companies like TurboTax and H&R Block, others prefer the traditional method of mailing it in. If you want to mail in your federal tax return, here’s where to send it.

If you intend to mail in your federal income tax return to the IRS, you’ll want to refer to the IRS website, which will tell you exactly where it will need to go. First, you need to select the state in which you reside if you will be filing Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040ES, 1040V, an amended return, or an extension.

After selecting your state, you’ll be redirected to another page on the IRS website that will tell you where to mail your tax forms. Pay close attention since the addresses are different based on the type of form you’re filing as well as whether you’ll be including a payment.

For example, if you live in Florida and you're mailing in a Form 1040 with a payment to satisfy your tax liabilities, it would need to go to the following address:

Internal Revenue Service

P.O. Box 1214

Charlotte, NC 28201-1214

However, if you aren't enclosing payment with your Form 1040, then it would need to go to this address:

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service

Austin, TX 73301-0002

If you won’t be filing Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040ES, 1040V, an amended return, or an extension, then your tax forms may need to be mailed to a different IRS mailing address.

To help you determine where your return needs to be mailed, you can refer to the page "Where to File Tax Returns - Addresses Listed by Return Type" on the IRS website, which will direct you to the correct mailing address. Once on the page, you’ll need to choose what number your return begins with before being directed to the page containing the mailing address you’ll need to use.

If you aren't able to find the mailing address for the type of form you have, you should contact the IRS directly since you don't want to mail your tax forms to the wrong location.

Your federal tax return contains sensitive information, so you need to be sure you’re safeguarding it from being intercepted by the wrong party. When mailing out your return, be sure to request a tracking number so that you can monitor its progress. If you plan on mailing your return via USPS, you can also purchase a Certificate of Mailing at the post office.

A Certificate of Mailing acts as proof that you mailed your tax return on a specific date. This can be especially helpful if you're trying to meet the tax filing deadline (which is April 18, 2022) or are attempting to meet a different deadline the IRS has set for you.