Tax Lien Lawyers in Baldwinsville

A "lien" in Baldwinsville, New York 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 numerous 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.

In Baldwinsville, New York, 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.

Tax liens in Baldwinsville, New York are ineffective if the taxpayer doesn't have any property to place the lien on. However, basically any property, including that which the taxpayer acquires after the lien goes into effect, can be affected by a tax lien.

Tax Lien Procedure in Baldwinsville, New York

The actual process of setting up a Baldwinsville, New York tax lien is typically pretty simple. The agency responsible for collecting taxes must first decide that a tax lien is warranted, typically by finding that the debtor owes a significant amount of back taxes.

At this point, the taxpayer will receive a letter containing a "notice and demand," which, as the name suggests, gives notice that the recipient owes taxes, and demands quick payment. It will typically give the taxpayer about 10 days to pay the demanded amount.

If this 10-day period expires without payment, the tax lien arises automatically. Once this happens, the tax authorities in New York have all the options in the taxpayer's property that any other lien holder would have, containing priority over competing creditors.

But, these rights are limited. In Baldwinsville, New York, and everywhere else in the United States, the IRS has 10 years to enforce a tax lien. If they do nothing about it within 10 years, the lien expires. This rule exists for a few reasons. First, it encourages the IRS to act as quickly and efficiently as possible, and not "sit on its rights." Also, it acknowledges the fact that any encumbrance on a piece of property, such as a lien, makes the property less valuable. By guaranteeing that the lien will either be satisfied or expire within 10 years, this prevents property from being withheld from the stream of commerce forever.

How Can a Baldwinsville, New York Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

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