Tax Lien Lawyers in San Marcos

In San Marcos, California, a "lien" is a security interest placed on a piece of property, normally land or a house, to secure the payment of a debt. It typically gives a creditor the right to take ownership of any equity that exists in the property, to secure the payment of the debt. If the owner sells the property, the creditor may also be entitled to the funds of the sale, up to the amount owed. It can also give the holder of the lien a higher priority status, giving them an advantage over competing creditors, if the debtor files bankruptcy.

A "tax lien," then, is a lien held by the government to collect a tax-related debt from a private entity, such as a citizen or corporation in San Marcos, California.

Of course, a tax lien in San Marcos, California isn't worth much more than the paper it's printed on if the debtor doesn't own any property of value, on which a lien could be placed. Nonetheless, a tax lien applies to property that the taxpayer obtains even after the lien is created. Evidently, this makes it quite a bit easier for the government to collect its taxes.

Tax Lien Procedure in San Marcos, California

In San Marcos, California, the process for creating a tax lien is fairly uncomplicated. First, the tax authorities decide that a taxpayer really owes taxes that they haven't paid (that they're delinquent in their taxes).

At this point, they will send the taxpayer a written notice stating that they owe a some amount of money in back taxes, and that they have a small window of time (commonly 10 days or less) to pay it.

If the back taxes are not paid before the deadline is up, the lien will normally take effect immediately, with no further action by the IRS or California tax agency, giving them all the rights in your property that the law authorizes.

Nonetheless, if the federal government does not seek to enforce a tax lien in San Marcos, California within 10 years of imposing it, federal law dictates that the lien automatically expires. This is effectively a statute of limitations on a tax lien, meant to encourage the federal government to collect its taxes in a reasonable period of time, and guarantee that property is not encumbered by a lien forever.

How Can a San Marcos, California Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you end up having a tax lien imposed on your property in California, you will probably have to deal with some fairly hard legal issues, which might be intricate to a layperson.

Therefore, it should go without saying that if you are facing the prospect of your home or vehicle being slapped with a tax lien, you need to obtain the advice of a seasoned tax lawyer in San Marcos, California as soon as you can.