Tax Lien Lawyers in Toppenish

A "lien" in Toppenish, Washington is a type of security interest that one person or entity has in someone else's property. Typically, 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 proceeds 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 secure the payment of back taxes. A tax lien in Toppenish, 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 Toppenish, 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. 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 Toppenish, Washington

The actual process of setting up a Toppenish, Washington tax lien is usually pretty simple. The agency responsible for collecting taxes must first determine that a tax lien is warranted, usually by finding that the debtor owes a significant amount of back taxes.

Then, the IRS, or state tax authorities, send a "notice and demand," informing the taxpayer that they owe back taxes, and that they are required to pay their taxes within 10 days.

If the back taxes are not paid before the deadline is up, the lien will usually take effect immediately, with no further action by the IRS or Washington tax agency, giving them all the rights in your property that the law allows.

But, under federal law, there are limits to how tax liens can be enforced in Toppenish, Washington, 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 Toppenish, Washington Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

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