Tax Lien Lawyers in Shelton

A "lien" in Shelton, Washington is a type of security interest that one person or entity has in someone else's property. Usually, a lien is created by a court, to secure payment of a debt. A lien gives its holder many rights in the property that is subject to it, including the right to seize the funds if the property is sold, and priority access to the property, in front of other creditors.

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

Of course, a tax lien in Shelton, Washington 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. Nonetheless, a tax lien applies to property that the taxpayer obtains even after the lien is created. Evidently, this makes it quite a bit easier for the government to collect its taxes.

Tax Lien Procedure in Shelton, Washington

The process of imposing a tax lien on property in Shelton, Washington is normally fairly simple. The initial step is for the IRS or local tax agency to decide 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 this deadline expires, and the debtor does not pay the taxes they owe, the lien will take effect automatically. When this happens, the IRS or Washington tax agency will have considerable rights against the taxpayer's property.

But, these rights are limited. In Shelton, Washington, 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." Additionally, 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 Shelton, Washington Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

If you receive notice from the federal government, or the government of Washington that a tax lien has been imposed on your property, some pretty complex legal issues are necessarily involved.

Therefore, it's important that you retain a tax attorney in Shelton, Washington to ensure that whatever legal rights you have in this situation are defended. Your attorney will also be able to advise you on how to best deal with the situation.