Tax Lien Lawyers in Portsmouth

A "lien" in Portsmouth, Ohio 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.

A tax lien, then, is simply a lien that is appointed for the specific purpose of collecting taxes from a delinquent tax payer in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Of course, a tax lien in Portsmouth, Ohio 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. However, a tax lien applies to property that the taxpayer obtains even after the lien is created. Obviously, this makes it quite a bit easier for the government to collect its taxes.

Tax Lien Procedure in Portsmouth, Ohio

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Portsmouth, Ohio is usually fairly simple. The first step is for the IRS or local tax agency to determine that a person actually owes back taxes, and that it is worth the effort to impose a lien.

At this point, they will send the taxpayer a written notice stating that they owe a certain amount of money in back taxes, and that they have a small window of time (often 10 days or less) to pay it.

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

But, under federal law, there are limits to how tax liens can be enforced in Portsmouth, Ohio, and elsewhere. Generally, 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 Portsmouth, Ohio Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Accordingly, if you think that any piece of property you own might become subject to a tax lien in Portsmouth, Ohio, you should not hesitate to seek the advice of a competent tax attorney immediately.