Does the IRS confirm your address change?

No — not if you’re an individual. The IRS updates your address in about 4–6 weeks and sends no confirmation letter. (Businesses get one; individuals don’t.) So the only receipt you’ll ever hold is your own proof of mailing — which is exactly why Certified Mail is worth the few dollars.

Individuals get nothing; businesses get a notice

When the IRS processes an individual change of address, it simply updates your “last known address” across its systems — quietly, with no letter back to you. A business that files Form 8822-B does get written confirmation: Notice CP148A (to the new address) and CP148B (to the old one). There is no individual equivalent.

How do you know it worked?

1. Check your IRS Online Account. The address on file shows in your profile once it’s updated.
2. Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 after 4–6 weeks and ask them to confirm the address on file.
3. Watch your next notice or refund. Correspondence starting to arrive at the new address is the practical sign it took.

Why does proof of mailing matter?

With no confirmation coming, the question that matters later is “can you show you notified the IRS — and when?” A Certified Mail receipt and tracking history answer that: a dated record that the IRS center received your form. If a notice later goes to the wrong address and a deadline is missed, that record is the difference between “I told them” and “prove it.” See also what happens if you don’t update your address and how long it takes.

Sources: irs.gov address-changes FAQ; CP148A (business-only confirmations); Form 8822 (Rev. 2-2021).