Tax Lien Lawyers in Los Lunas

A "lien" in Los Lunas, New Mexico 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 several 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 likely that the lien holder will collect something.

In Los Lunas, New Mexico, a "tax lien" is simply a lien imposed by the government to collect back taxes from a person or corporation, when other methods for collecting have failed.

Tax liens in Los Lunas, New Mexico are ineffective if the taxpayer doesn't have any property to place the lien on. However, essentially any property, including that which the taxpayer obtains after the lien goes into effect, can be affected by a tax lien.

Tax Lien Procedure in Los Lunas, New Mexico

In Los Lunas, New Mexico, the procedure for imposing a tax lien is relatively simple. First, the IRS makes a determination that a person is delinquent in their tax obligation.

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

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

However, 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 Los Lunas, New Mexico 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 prevent potentially-valuable property from being encumbered indefinitely. Basically, it creates a measure of certainty for both parties.

How Can a Los Lunas, New Mexico Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Accordingly, it's important that you hire a tax attorney in Los Lunas, New Mexico to ensure that whatever legal rights you have in this situation are protected. Your attorney will also be able to advise you on how to best deal with the situation.