Tax Lien Lawyers in Jackson County

A "lien" in Jackson County, Missouri is a property right that a person or entity has in property owned by someone else, created by law, for the purpose of enforcing a debt. A lien gives its holder various rights in the property of another person, including the right to seize the proceeds of a sale of the property, and, if the debtor files for bankruptcy, the right to go to the front of the line among other creditors, making it more possible that the lien holder will collect something.

A "tax lien" is simply a lien placed on a piece of property by the state or local government, to acquire the payment of back taxes. A tax lien in Jackson County, Missouri can arise to secure the payment of any federal or state tax, including income tax, estate tax, or gift tax.

Tax liens in Jackson County, Missouri are ineffective if the taxpayer doesn't have any property to place the lien on. However, practically any property, including that which the taxpayer acquires after the lien goes into effect, can be affected by a tax lien.

Tax Lien Procedure in Jackson County, Missouri

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Jackson County, Missouri is usually fairly simple. The initial step is for the IRS or local tax agency to decide that a person actually owes back taxes, and that it is worth the effort to impose a lien.

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

If the deadline passes without payment, most tax liens in Missouri take effect automatically, giving the tax collectors all of the options in your property that any other lien holder would have.

But, under federal law, there are limits to how tax liens can be enforced in Jackson County, Missouri, and elsewhere. Generally, the IRS has 10 years to try and enforce a tax lien. If no effort is made to enforce a tax lien for 10 years, the lien is automatically lifted, and the lien holder loses all rights in it. This rule exists to ensure that the government collects its taxes in a reasonable time period, and it prevents valuable property (which could otherwise be contributing to the economy by being bought and sold) is not laded with a lien for an indefinite period of time.

How Can a Jackson County, Missouri Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Fortunately, Jackson County, Missouri tax attorneys can help. If you are facing the prospect of a tax lien, you should not hesitate to seek competent legal advice, to ensure that your legal rights are protected.