Tax Lien Lawyers in St. Augustine Beach

In St. Augustine Beach, Florida, 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.

In St. Augustine Beach, Florida, a "tax lien" is simply a lien imposed by the government to compile back taxes from a citizen or corporation, when other methods for collecting have failed.

However, a tax lien in St. Augustine Beach, Florida will be ineffective if the debtor doesn't own any valuable property to encumber with a lien. As with any debt, the creditor can't collect if the debtor doesn't have any assets. Nonetheless, a tax lien can be applied to property that the taxpayer gains after the lien goes into effect.

Tax Lien Procedure in St. Augustine Beach, Florida

The actual process of setting up a St. Augustine Beach, Florida 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.

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 normally take effect immediately, with no further action by the IRS or Florida tax agency, giving them all the rights in your property that the law authorizes.

Nonetheless, in St. Augustine Beach, Florida, and anywhere else in America, a tax lien only lasts for 10 years, and then it automatically expires. If the IRS fails to exercise the considerable rights that it has under a tax lien within that period of time, it is assumed that they never intend to do so, and the lien will cease to exist. This ensures that valuable property is only kept out of the economy for a certain period of time.

How Can a St. Augustine Beach, Florida Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you are notified by the government that you owe back taxes in Florida, and that they are going to pursue a tax lien to collect their money, things can get very difficult, extremely quickly.

Fortunately for you, tax lawyers in St. Augustine Beach, Florida are experts at dealing with matters such as these, and can make sure your rights are safeguarded, and advise you on the best way to proceed, if you are facing the prospect of a tax lien.