published November, 2015
When the IRS thinks you owe money, the send you a letter. (Scam notes: They don’t call you on the phone and demand money without allowing you to dispute the amount—if that happens, it is probably a scam. Don’t send them money over the phone, they are NOT the IRS.)
The letter they send will go to the address they have on file for you. If you don’t respond to their letter, they’ll send another one. And a couple more. After this, they might find your bank account and take the money they think you owe—and that usually gets people’s attention. If you don’t get the letter because they don’t have your proper address, that is your fault for not letting them know how to contact you. If you use a new address on your tax return, they will update your address in their records. There’s a form (hey, it’s the IRS!).
Form 8822 for individuals, or Form 8822-B for businesses (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8822.pdf). The second page of the form tells you how to get it to them.
The California Franchise Tax Board also has Form 3533 (https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2014/14_3533.pdf). They allow you to fill this out on-line. You can also file a return with the corrected address, or send in an estimated payment, or do this on-line at “MyFTB” if you have an account.
There is a separate form if you pay payroll taxes with the Employment Development Department, Form DE24 (http://www.edd.ca.gov/pdf_pub_ctr/de24.pdf).