Course Catalog / BMU 070 / Lesson 3 of 5

BMU 070

Halfway review

1. What should you do before you fill out a form?

See the answer

Read the instructions.

2. Where should your Social Security card stay?

See the answer

In a safe place at home, not in your wallet.

Why this matters

A letter from the tax office, a benefits office, or a court can feel scary. Many people put it in a drawer. But most letters have a deadline. If you miss it, you may lose a choice you had.

In this lesson you learn five steps to answer an official letter on time. You practice with a made up letter.

Start with what you already do

You already know how to read a bill. You look for how much and when it is due.

Common belief: If you do not open a letter, it will go away.

What is actually true: The IRS says to read a letter carefully, keep it, and act by the due date if it asks you to. A letter does not go away when you ignore it.

Key words

notice

An official letter that tells you something or asks you to act.

deadline

The last day to do what the letter asks.

respond

To answer a letter.

proof

Something that shows you did it, like a copy or a receipt.

Short explanation

Open it. Find the deadline. Find what it asks. Check that it is real. Answer with copies and keep proof. These steps come from the IRS and USCIS.

Step 1: Open it and read it

The IRS says to read a letter carefully and keep it. Open every official letter the day it comes. Read it slowly. Read it two times if you need to.

Step 2: Find the deadline

Look for words like due date, respond by, or reply by. The IRS says to act by the due date. Write the date on your calendar. Then pick a day a week before it to start.

Step 3: Find what it asks

Some letters only tell you something. The IRS says if you agree and it does not ask you to reply, you may not need to. Other letters ask you to send a paper, pay, or call. Circle what it asks you to do.

Step 4: Check that it is real

Scammers send fake letters too. The FTC says government agencies will never call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information. To check a letter, get the phone number from the agency's real website, not from the letter. The IRS says you can look up the letter number on its site or call 800 829 1040.

Step 5: Answer with copies and keep proof

If the letter asks for papers, send copies. USCIS says not to send your originals unless they ask for them. Make a copy of your whole answer before you send it. Keep the tracking number or mail receipt. If you cannot pay all you owe, the IRS says to pay what you can by the due date.

Text version of this figure

• 1. Open it: Read it the day it comes.
• 2. Deadline: Put it on a calendar.
• 3. Check it: Use the agency's real number.
• 4. Answer: Send copies. Keep proof.

Worked example: Answer a made up letter

Ben is a made up renter. He gets a letter from a made up state benefits office.

Part	Model	Why it works
Read	The letter says: We need proof of your address.	He reads it two times.
Deadline	Respond by Nov 30.	He writes Nov 30 on his calendar and starts Nov 23.
What it asks	Send a copy of your lease or a utility bill.	He circles it.
Check it	He finds the office number on the state's real website and calls.	The office says the letter is real.
Answer	He mails a copy of his lease, keeps the original, and keeps a copy of his answer and the mail receipt.	He has proof.

Practice: What would you do?

A made up letter says: Send a copy of your ID by Dec 5. Lou wants to mail his real ID card. What should he send instead, and what should he keep?

Check your practice: feedback

Send a copy of his ID. He should keep the real card.

He should also keep a copy of what he sends and proof that he mailed it.

Common mistakes

• Putting the letter in a drawer. Open it the day it comes. Find the deadline.
• Calling the number in a letter you are not sure about. Get the number from the agency's real website.
• Sending your only original paper. Send a copy unless they ask for the original. Keep proof.

Check your understanding

Take it as many times as you like. Pick an answer, then open the feedback.

1. A letter says respond by Nov 30. What should you do first?

1. Put it on your calendar.
2. Wait until the week it is due.
3. Wait for a second letter.

See the answer and feedback

A is correct. Right. Then start a week early.

B: Waiting leaves no time to fix problems. Put the date on your calendar now. Review Step 2.

C: Act by the due date. Review Step 2.

2. You are not sure a letter is real. Where should you get the phone number?

1. From the letter.
2. From a text message.
3. From the agency's real website.

See the answer and feedback

C is correct. Right. Then call and ask.

A: A fake letter can have a fake number. Review Step 4.

B: Texts can be fake too. Review Step 4.

3. A letter asks for a copy of your lease. What do you send?

1. Your only original lease.
2. A copy of the lease.
3. A photo of just the signature page.

See the answer and feedback

B is correct. Right. Keep the original.

A: USCIS says not to send originals unless asked. Review Step 5.

C: They asked for the lease, so send a copy of the whole lease. Review Step 3.

Next up

Next you will check a lease for five key things before you sign. Go to Lesson 4: Before you sign. BMU 070 is free. There is no paywall and no fee.

Stuck or have a question? Ask BMU Learner Support.

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