Tax Lien Lawyers in Thomaston

In Thomaston, Georgia, a "lien" is a security interest placed on a piece of property, typically land or a house, to secure the payment of a debt. It usually 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 Thomaston, Georgia, a "tax lien" is simply a lien imposed by the government to gather back taxes from a citizen or corporation, when other methods for collecting have failed.

However, like any other debt-collection method, a tax lien is worthless if the debtor has no substantial property on which a lien can be imposed. To get around this limitation, most tax liens in Thomaston, Georgia apply to after-acquired property (property acquired after the lien was created). Most other liens only apply to particular pieces of property, or property that the debtor owned at the time the lien went into effect.

Tax Lien Procedure in Thomaston, Georgia

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Thomaston, Georgia is typically fairly simple. The initial step is for the IRS or local tax agency to decide that a person truly owes back taxes, and that it is worth the effort to impose a lien.

Then, the taxpayer is sent a letter with a "notice and demand," which informs the taxpayer that the IRS has decided that they owe back taxes, and that they have a short period of time (typically 10 days) to pay them without incurring a penalty.

If that time period expires, and the debtor still hasn't paid, the Georgia tax lien will go into effect automatically, with no additional action required.

Nonetheless, if the federal government does not seek to enforce a tax lien in Thomaston, Georgia within 10 years of imposing it, federal law dictates that the lien automatically expires. This is effectively a statute of limitations on a tax lien, meant to encourage the federal government to collect its taxes in a reasonable period of time, and guarantee that property is not encumbered by a lien forever.

How Can a Thomaston, Georgia Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Therefore, it's important that you contact a tax attorney in Thomaston, Georgia to ensure that whatever legal rights you have in this situation are defended. Your attorney will also be able to advise you on how to best deal with the situation.