Tax Lien Lawyers in Mount Sterling

In Mount Sterling, Kentucky, 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," 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 Mount Sterling, Kentucky.

Of course, a tax lien in Mount Sterling, Kentucky isn't worth much more than the paper it's printed on if the debtor doesn't own any property of value, on which a lien could be placed. Nonetheless, a tax lien applies to property that the taxpayer obtains even after the lien is created. Evidently, this makes it quite a bit easier for the government to collect its taxes.

Tax Lien Procedure in Mount Sterling, Kentucky

The actual process of setting up a Mount Sterling, Kentucky 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 Kentucky tax agency, giving them all the rights in your property that the law authorizes.

But, under federal law, there are limits to how tax liens can be enforced in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, and elsewhere. Typically, the IRS has 10 years to try and enforce a tax lien. If no effort is made to enforce a tax lien for 10 years, the lien is automatically lifted, and the lien holder loses all rights in it. This rule exists to ensure that the government collects its taxes in a reasonable time period, and it prevents valuable property (which could otherwise be contributing to the economy by being bought and sold) is not laded with a lien for an indefinite period of time.

How Can a Mount Sterling, Kentucky Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Therefore, it's important that you retain a tax attorney in Mount Sterling, Kentucky 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.