If you’ve recently moved and updated your address with the United States Postal Service, it may be a good sign to see that everything is fine when your forwarded mail arrives at your new home. However, you might miss important letters and even money.

For example, if your address has changed and you are still waiting for a child tax credit check or one of stimulus check payments the reason could be that the IRS does not know your new address. Even if the USPS forwards your mail, not all post offices forward government checks. This may be the case for millions of parents who are still waiting for the September Child Tax Credit audit. Out-of-date information can mean your payments aren’t getting sent, especially if your direct deposit information is also inaccurate.

We’ll explain a few more reasons to update your address as soon as possible. And here’s what we know about the extension of the child tax credit. And here’s when you should expect your federal tax refund check and unemployment reimbursement details. This story was recently updated.

No child tax credit payment sign yet

New child tax credit payments come out every month for eligible parents until December – you can calculate your payment here. If you haven’t set up direct deposit with the IRS, your payments will likely come in the form of paper checks. And if you’re still waiting for a Child Tax Credit check and you’re eligible for the money, a wrong address could be the problem. You can track your payment or file a payment trail to see if it went to the wrong address.

However, if you’ve recently moved and haven’t updated your information with the IRS or USPS, chances are your money will end up at your old address, which could cause a delay for that you are waiting for your check to be redirected. You can now update your mailing address using the Child Tax Credit Update Portal to make sure your payments are sent to the right place.

Lack of stimulus money

The stimulation checks are still in progress because fee payments and premium payments, if the IRS owes you more than it has already paid. You can expect these payments until the end of the year. Some states send more stimulus checks and it’s easy to miss if your address isn’t updated.

Also if you are missing stimulus money, the process to claim it is linked to your tax return. If you get a tax refund this year and don’t sign up for direct deposit, you’ll receive your funds as a paper check from the US Treasury and it can go to an old address.

Whether or not you have a government registered direct deposit account, you may receive a stimulus check in the form of a paper check or EIP card. This IRS tracking tool can help you figure out how you will get your stimulus money. After the IRS processes your payment, the final say on how you receive the money goes to the IRS and the Treasury.

You’ll also want to make sure you get the Letter from IRS verifying when it sent your payment. This is important for anyone who may be eligible for a stimulus check but experiences an unexpected delay in receiving their money. This IRS notice will be your ticket to fixing any errors or submitting a claim for missing money during the 2021 tax season (filed in 2022), if it boils down to that.

Your tax refund is delayed

The tax extension deadline is fast approaching (October 15). If you’ve recently filed your taxes and expect your tax refund – and possibly missing stimulus money – to arrive by mail, make sure the information you entered when filing your tax return is correct. The deadline also gives you a few weeks to file a change of address form.

New address information can be easy to ignore, especially if you are using tax software that stores your information for easy filing. If you’ve updated your address in the tax filing system, be sure to notify the USPS as well.

Next year’s tax return and refund

If you’ve already filed your taxes this year and got your refund, but have since moved, now is a good time to update your information in the system. This will save you a step next year and prevent any mistakes or delays on your next tax refund.

If you decide to withdraw child tax credit payments this year they will be tied to your tax refund in 2022. You don’t want to miss out on a potential payment of $ 3,600 per child. Add up to an additional $ 16,000 that you can potentially claim on your taxes next year for everything child care expenses you paid this year.

How to update your address with the IRS

Once you’ve completed your change of address with USPS (see instructions below), it’s time to notify the IRS of your new address. Note that it can take four to six weeks for your change of address to be processed by the IRS. Here are your options.

Use your new address when you file your 2020 income tax return if you haven’t already. The IRS says it will update its records with your new address. If you are generally not required to file taxes and have not received your stimulus payment, you can still claim your payment as a recovery discount credit on your taxes this year.

If you’ve already filed your taxes and haven’t included your new address, you can notify the IRS of your change of address by filling out Form 8822.

Inform the IRS in writing of “the address where you last filed your return” including your full name, old and new addresses, social security number, individual tax identification number, or identification number. employer and your signature. The IRS says you can do this over the phone as well, but it may ask for additional information.

How to forward your mail with the USPS

When you move, it’s important to forward your mail so that you don’t miss any important documents, including a dunning check. Here’s how to do it.

1. Go to usps.com/move.

2. Fill out the form with your contact details, the date you want mail to start forwarding, and details of your old and new addresses. Make sure everything is correct and click Next when you’re ready to move on.

3. Then you will need to provide a payment method. It costs $ 1.05 each time you transmit your mailing address. Note that you cannot use a prepaid credit or debit card to do this. (Here’s some more information on the topic.)

4. Once you have paid, you will receive an email confirming that your change of address has been made.

5. At your new address, look for a USPS confirmation notification letter and welcome kit in the mail. USPS says it can take anywhere from three business days to two weeks before you start receiving your forwarded mail.

For more information, here is who qualifies for the new child tax credit. Also, here’s how you could get $ 10,200 tax relief from the IRS and what you need to know about $ 300 weekly unemployment benefit.