Tax Lien Lawyers in Rutherford County

In Rutherford County, Tennessee, a "lien" is specified as a property right that's authorized to a creditor against a piece of property owned by a debtor, for the purpose of collecting on the debt if the debtor is unwilling or unable to pay. A lien allows its owner to exercise some control over the property that is the subject of the lien. This includes the right to force a sale of the property, and to seize the resulting revenue, and priority access to the property ahead of other creditors.

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 Rutherford County, Tennessee.

Tax liens in Rutherford County, Tennessee are ineffective if the taxpayer doesn't have any property to place the lien on. However, basically 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 Rutherford County, Tennessee

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

Then, the IRS, or state tax authorities, send a "notice and demand," informing the taxpayer that they owe back taxes, and that they are obligated to pay their taxes within 10 days.

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

But, these rights are limited. In Rutherford County, Tennessee, 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." Also, 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 Rutherford County, Tennessee Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you receive notice from the federal government, or the government of Tennessee that a tax lien has been imposed on your property, some pretty complicated legal issues are necessarily involved.

So, 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 seek the advice of a reputable tax lawyer in Rutherford County, Tennessee as soon as you can.