Guides to common government letters

What each notice means, what it is asking for, and the deadlines that matter.

Government letters are hard to read on purpose — or at least, that is how it feels. The IRS identifies its notices by a code in the top right corner, and that code tells you exactly what the letter is about and how long you have. Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security send letters that look alike but work very differently: Medicaid is joint federal-state health coverage based on income and circumstances, Medicare is federal health coverage mainly for people 65 and over, and Social Security handles retirement, survivors and disability benefits. The guides below cover the specific notices each one sends, and what you actually need to do about them.

IRS notices

• IRS notice CP14

  The IRS says you owe money. Why it is a bill and not an audit, your 21 days, what to do if you cannot pay, and the notices that follow if you ignore it.

• IRS notice CP2000

  Not a bill and not an audit. A computer found a mismatch between your return and a W-2 or 1099. Your 30 days, why you should not reply with an amended return, and the 90-day letter that follows silence.

• IRS notice CP12

  Your refund is not the amount you expected. Why the IRS could change it without asking you, when no reply is needed at all, and the 60-day window you lose if you disagree and wait.

• IRS notice CP504

  It says Notice of Intent to Levy. What the IRS can actually take at this stage, why it is not the final notice despite the wording, your 30 days, and how to stop the escalation.

• IRS Letter 5071C

  The IRS will not process your return until it knows the filer was really you. How to verify, what to do if you did not file it, and why a genuine request never arrives by email.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security

• Medicaid renewal packet

  Your state is re-checking whether you still qualify. What the packet wants, the minimum 30 days you have to return it, and the 90-day window to get coverage back if you miss the deadline.

• Social Security overpayment notice

  Social Security says it paid you too much and wants it back. Your three options, the 30- and 60-day deadlines, how much comes out of your check if you do nothing, and how to ask for the debt to be waived.

• Medicare Summary Notice

  It looks like a bill, but it is not one. What the figures actually mean, what to check for, how often it now arrives, and your 120 days to appeal a denied claim.

• Medicaid request for information

  Medicaid asking you to prove something. What to send, why a written explanation is sometimes enough, your minimum 30 days, and how to keep coverage while you appeal.

Any agency

• Is this letter real, or a scam?

  How to tell a genuine notice from a fake. The six warning signs, what real agencies never do, where to report it, and what to do if you already replied.

MyPlainLetter is an independent service. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any federal or state government agency. These guides are general information — they are not legal, medical, tax, or benefits advice. For a decision about your own case, contact the relevant agency.