Tax Lien Lawyers in Northport

A "lien" in Northport, 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 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.

A tax lien, then, is simply a lien that is established for the particular purpose of collecting taxes from a delinquent tax payer in Northport, New York.

Tax Liens in Northport, New York are usually only effective if the taxpayer has a significant amount of property on which a lien can be placed. However, it's necessary 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 Northport, New York

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Northport, New York 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.

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

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.

Nonetheless, in Northport, New York, 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 narrow period of time.

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

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a tax lien in New York, you are going to have to wade through some substantial and complicated legal concerns.

Thus, 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 pursue the advice of a reliable tax lawyer in Northport, New York as soon as you can.