Tax Lien Lawyers in Wake County

A "lien" in Wake County, North Carolina 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.

As you might have gathered, a "tax lien" is simply a lien placed on property by the IRS or Wake County, North Carolina tax authorities, to compile taxes that the property-owner has failed to pay.

Tax Liens in Wake County, North Carolina are typically only effective if the taxpayer has a significant amount of property on which a lien can be placed. However, it's important to note that practically any property, including that which is acquired after the lien is imposed, can be subject to a tax lien.

Tax Lien Procedure in Wake County, North Carolina

The actual process of setting up a Wake County, North Carolina tax lien is normally pretty simple. The agency responsible for collecting taxes must first decide that a tax lien is warranted, normally by finding that the debtor owes a significant amount of back taxes.

At this point, the taxpayer will receive a letter containing a "notice and demand," which, as the name suggests, gives notice that the recipient owes taxes, and demands quick payment. It will normally give the taxpayer about 10 days to pay the demanded amount.

If this deadline expires, and the debtor does not pay the taxes they owe, the lien will take effect automatically. When this happens, the IRS or North Carolina tax agency will have considerable rights against the taxpayer's property.

But, these rights are limited. In Wake County, North Carolina, and everywhere else in the United States, the IRS has 10 years to enforce a tax lien. If they do nothing about it within 10 years, the lien expires. This rule exists for a few reasons. First, it encourages the IRS to act as quickly and efficiently as possible, and not "sit on its rights." Additionally, it acknowledges the fact that any encumbrance on a piece of property, such as a lien, makes the property less valuable. By guaranteeing that the lien will either be satisfied or expire within 10 years, this prevents property from being withheld from the stream of commerce forever.

How Can a Wake County, North Carolina Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Therefore, if you think that any piece of property you own might become subject to a tax lien in Wake County, North Carolina, you should not delay to seek the advice of a qualified tax attorney immediately.