Tax Lien Lawyers in Paxton

In Paxton, Illinois, a "lien" is a type of property right, which is created by a court to acquire payment of a lawful debt. Typically, a valid lien gives its holder the right to seize the property subject to it, or at least some of the property's equity, to satisfy the debt. If the owner sells a piece of property that's subject to a lien, the creditor who owns the lien may be entitled to the proceeds, up to the amount you owe them. It can further put them "first in line" compared to other creditors, if the debtor files for bankruptcy.

A "tax lien" is simply a lien placed on a piece of property by the state or local government, to acquire the payment of back taxes. A tax lien in Paxton, Illinois can arise to secure the payment of any federal or state tax, including income tax, estate tax, or gift tax.

However, a tax lien in Paxton, Illinois 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 Paxton, Illinois

The actual process of setting up a Paxton, Illinois 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.

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 specific period of time (normally 10 days) to pay what they owe.

If the deadline passes without payment, most tax liens in Illinois take effect automatically, giving the tax collectors all of the options in your property that any other lien holder would have.

Nonetheless, in Paxton, Illinois, 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 Paxton, Illinois Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Therefore, 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 obtain the advice of a seasoned tax lawyer in Paxton, Illinois as soon as you can.