Tax Lien Lawyers in Tampa
In Tampa, Florida, a "lien" is a security interest placed on a piece of property, usually land or a house, to secure the payment of a debt. It generally 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 Tampa, Florida, a "tax lien" is simply a lien imposed by the government to collect back taxes from a citizen or corporation, when other methods for collecting have failed.
However, a tax lien in Tampa, 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 Tampa, Florida
The actual process of setting up a Tampa, Florida 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.
They will then mail a document called a "notice and demand," which lets the taxpayer know that they owe money on their taxes, and that they have a certain period of time (usually 10 days) to pay what they owe.
If this 10-day period expires without payment, the tax lien arises automatically. Once this happens, the tax authorities in Florida have all the options in the taxpayer's property that any other lien holder would have, containing priority over competing creditors.
Nonetheless, in Tampa, 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 limited period of time.
How Can a Tampa, 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 perplexing, very quickly.
Therefore, if you think that any piece of property you own might become subject to a tax lien in Tampa, Florida, you should not delay to seek the advice of a competent tax attorney immediately.