Tax Lien Lawyers in Guilford County

A "lien" in Guilford County, North Carolina is a property right that a person or entity has in property owned by someone else, created by law, for the purpose of enforcing a debt. A lien gives its holder various rights in the property of another person, including the right to seize the proceeds of a sale of the property, and, if the debtor files for bankruptcy, the right to go to the front of the line among other creditors, making it more possible that the lien holder will collect something.

As you might have gathered, a "tax lien" is simply a lien placed on property by the IRS or Guilford County, North Carolina tax authorities, to gather taxes that the property-owner has failed to pay.

Tax Liens in Guilford County, North Carolina are usually only effective if the taxpayer has a significant amount of property on which a lien can be placed. However, it's critical to note that practically any property, including that which is acquired after the lien is imposed, can be subject to a tax lien.

Tax Lien Procedure in Guilford County, North Carolina

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Guilford County, North Carolina 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.

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 given period of time (typically 10 days) to pay what they owe.

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

Nonetheless, there are limits to how and when a tax lien can be enforced, at least under federal law. The IRS has 10 years to enforce a tax lien in Guilford County, North Carolina or anywhere else in the U.S. If it never bothers to take action to seize property that's subject to a tax lien, the lien simply ceases to exist after 10 years. This rule is in place to ensure that the government does not sit on its rights, and to keep potentially-valuable property from being encumbered forever. Essentially, it creates a measure of certainty for both parties.

How Can a Guilford County, North Carolina Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you end up having a tax lien imposed on your property in North Carolina, you will probably have to deal with some fairly challenging legal issues, which might be intricate to a layperson.

Therefore, if you think that any piece of property you own might become subject to a tax lien in Guilford County, North Carolina, you should not delay to seek the advice of a skilled tax attorney immediately.