Tax Lien Lawyers in Swarthmore

In Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, a "lien" is specified as a property right that's authorized 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 permits 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.

As you might have gathered, a "tax lien" is simply a lien placed on property by the IRS or Swarthmore, Pennsylvania tax authorities, to gather taxes that the property-owner has failed to pay.

However, a tax lien in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania will be ineffective if the debtor doesn't own any valuable property to encumber with a lien. As with any debt, the creditor can't collect if the debtor doesn't have any assets. Nonetheless, a tax lien can be applied to property that the taxpayer gains after the lien goes into effect.

Tax Lien Procedure in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

The actual process of setting up a Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 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.

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 Pennsylvania have all the options in the taxpayer's property that any other lien holder would have, containing priority over competing creditors.

Nonetheless, in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 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 Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Thankfully for you, tax lawyers in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania are experts at dealing with matters such as these, and can make sure your rights are safeguarded, and advise you on the best way to proceed, if you are facing the prospect of a tax lien.