Official letters from the United States, explained in English

In the US, many deadlines count from the date printed on the notice, not from the day it arrives — so open official mail right away. Rules often differ from state to state, so always check the dates and instructions in your letter.

Offices that write to you

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Federal tax agency. The federal tax office. It handles income tax returns, refunds and tax debts.
State Department of Revenue or Taxation — State tax agency. Your state’s tax office. Most states have their own income tax, with their own forms and deadlines.
Social Security Administration (SSA) — Social Security office. Pays retirement, disability and survivor benefits, and SSI for older or disabled people with low income. It also issues Social Security numbers.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — Immigration services. Decides on green cards, work permits, citizenship and other immigration applications.
County or State Court — Court. A court. Court papers are always important — never ignore them.
Debt collection agency — Debt collector. A company that collects debts for others, or that bought an old debt. Check that the debt is really yours before you pay.
Landlord / property management — Landlord or property manager. The owner of your home, or the company that manages it.
Utility company — Electric, gas or water company. The company that sells you electricity, gas or water.
Health insurer / Medicaid / Marketplace — Health insurance. Your health insurance company, or a public program like Medicaid or a Marketplace plan from HealthCare.gov or your state.
Department of Human Services / Social Services — Social services (food and cash help). Your state or county office for SNAP (food help), cash help and often Medicaid.
State unemployment insurance agency — Unemployment office. Your state office that pays unemployment benefits after you lose your job.
Student loan servicer — Student loan company. The company that collects your student loan payments, for the government or a private lender.
County Assessor / Tax Collector — Property tax office. Your county or city office that values homes and land and collects property tax.
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — Driver and vehicle office. Your state office for driver’s licenses, ID cards and car registration. Some states call it RMV, BMV or MVD.
Police / parking enforcement — Parking and traffic tickets. Gives out parking and traffic tickets (citations) for the city, county or state.

Common kinds of letters

Notice of intent to levy / garnishment — Enforcement notice. They plan to take money by force, or have started — for example from your bank account, wages or benefits (a levy or garnishment).
Summons and complaint — Court case against you. Someone is suing you. You must file a written answer with the court by the deadline, or you can lose automatically.
Balance due / past-due notice — Payment reminder. You owe money that was due before, for example tax or a bill. Interest, penalties or late fees can grow until you pay.
Debt validation notice — Letter from a debt collector. A debt collector says you owe money. You can dispute the debt in writing by the date in the notice — you get at least 30 days.
Proposed changes to your tax return (CP2000) — Proposed tax change. Your tax return doesn’t match what employers, banks or others reported. They propose a change to your tax. Respond by the date in the notice.
Change to your return or refund (CP11, CP12, CP49) — Changed tax return or refund. They corrected your tax return, or used your refund to pay a debt. Your refund or the tax you owe is different from what you expected.
Notice of overpayment — Request to pay money back. They say they paid you too much, for example Social Security or unemployment benefits, and want the money back.
Request for Evidence (RFE) / Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) — Request for more proof. USCIS needs more proof before it decides your case. A Notice of Intent to Deny means they plan to say no unless your answer changes their mind.
Request for information — Request for documents. They need papers or answers from you before they can decide, or to keep your benefits or coverage going.
Denial notice — Denial. Your application or claim was turned down. You can usually appeal — the letter says how and by when.
Approval notice — Approval. Your application was approved. Check that names, dates and amounts are right.
Appointment / interview notice — Appointment. They want you to come to an appointment, for example for biometrics or an interview. Missing it can delay or end your case or your benefits.
Jury summons — Jury duty. You were picked at random as a possible juror. You must answer the summons, even if you can’t serve.
Parking or traffic ticket (citation) — Ticket. A fine for breaking a parking or traffic rule. Pay it or contest it by the date on the ticket — if you do nothing, it usually costs more.
Eviction notice / notice to pay rent or quit — Eviction notice. Your landlord wants you to pay or move out. Notice periods are set by state law — for unpaid rent often only 3 to 14 days.

English office words

notice, balance due, penalty, interest, installment agreement, levy, lien, garnishment, Collection Due Process, Notice of Deficiency, Taxpayer Advocate Service, audit, adjustment, refund offset, SSN, ITIN, EIN, A-Number — see all 49 words.

Reply templates in English

Questions

How long do I have to answer an official letter in the United States?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “respond by”, “pay by”, “no later than”, “within”, “deadline” — they mark the deadline. In the US, many deadlines count from the date printed on the notice, not from the day it arrives. Some offices add a few days for mail (Social Security assumes 5 days), and court deadlines usually start on the day you were served. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“appeal”, “request for reconsideration”, “dispute”, “protest”, “hearing request”).

How does Briefly help with official letters in the United States?

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