File Form 8822 yourself — the free route, fully mapped

Form 8822 is a free IRS form, and you can do this whole errand yourself. Here’s the complete map — including the parts people trip on (the per-state mailing address and the spouse-signature rule).

The five steps

1. Fill in Form 8822. Use the official IRS PDF, or our free guided filler with a live preview — it asks plain-English questions and handles the checkbox rules.
2. Print and sign it. Sign in ink (joint return: both spouses). If you used our filler, your on-screen signature is already printed on the form — ink over it if you prefer.
3. Address the envelope. The destination depends on your OLD state: Kansas City MO, Austin TX, or Ogden UT. Our state lookup or page 2 of the form gives the exact lines.
4. Mail it — ideally Certified. About $5–6 extra at the counter buys a dated receipt and tracking. The IRS sends no confirmation, so this is the only dated proof of delivery you will have.
5. Verify in 4–6 weeks. Check the address in your IRS Online Account profile or call the IRS. Keep the receipt with your tax records.

Your two free fill-in options

• The official PDF — irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8822.pdf. Our plain-English line guide decodes it.
• Our free filler — answer questions, watch the official form fill in live, sign on screen, download the finished PDF with the right IRS address shown. No payment, no account. Start filling.

Counter tips (the $6 that’s usually worth it)

Ask for Certified Mail. Keep the green-stamped receipt; photograph it. Track at usps.com until you see the delivery scan at the IRS facility, then file the receipt with your tax papers. Skip the return-receipt add-on — tracking shows delivery without the extra ~$3.

Sources: About Form 8822, Topic 157 (irs.gov).