Keep the period and action at the center
Preserve the complete notice and identify its reference, affected tax period, amount, requested action, and stated date. Compare the relevant return and transaction information without replacing the letter with an informal account summary. If the document seems unfamiliar, use the official notice resource and appropriate verification process to clarify it before supplying private information.
Record the question the letter actually raises
Write whether the issue concerns a reported figure, a payment, or the action requested. Keep the evidence behind that question with its sources labelled. An option described elsewhere may address a different concern, so do not assume its name answers this notice. If help is proposed, ask what review and response responsibility would be included. Retain any final submission and later answer as different records. The first review organizes the task but cannot extend a deadline, determine a balance, or establish that the authority accepted an explanation.