Tax Lien Lawyers in Washington Court House

In Washington Court House, Ohio, a "lien" is defined as a property right that's granted to a creditor against a piece of property owned by a debtor, for the purpose of collecting on the debt if the debtor is unwilling or unable to pay. A lien authorizes its owner to exercise some control over the property that is the subject of the lien. This includes the right to force a sale of the property, and to seize the resulting revenue, and priority access to the property ahead of other creditors.

A "tax lien" is simply a lien placed on a piece of property by the state or local government, to secure the payment of back taxes. A tax lien in Washington Court House, Ohio can arise to secure the payment of any federal or state tax, including income tax, estate tax, or gift tax.

Tax liens in Washington Court House, Ohio are ineffective if the taxpayer doesn't have any property to place the lien on. However, virtually 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 Washington Court House, Ohio

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Washington Court House, Ohio is normally fairly simple. The first step is for the IRS or local tax agency to determine that a person really 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 some amount of money in back taxes, and that they have a small window of time (commonly 10 days or less) to pay it.

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

However, if the federal government does not seek to enforce a tax lien in Washington Court House, Ohio within 10 years of imposing it, federal law dictates that the lien automatically expires. This is effectively a statute of limitations on a tax lien, meant to encourage the federal government to collect its taxes in a reasonable period of time, and ensure that property is not encumbered by a lien forever.

How Can a Washington Court House, Ohio Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Accordingly, it's important that you retain a tax attorney in Washington Court House, Ohio 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.