Tax Lien Lawyers in Union Gap

A "lien" in Union Gap, 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 Union Gap, 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 Union Gap, 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 Union Gap, Washington

The actual process of setting up an Union Gap, Washington tax lien is normally pretty simple. The agency responsible for collecting taxes must first decide that a tax lien is warranted, normally 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 obligated to pay their taxes within 10 days.

If the back taxes are not paid before the deadline is up, the lien will normally 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 authorizes.

Nonetheless, in Union Gap, Washington, 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 certain period of time.

How Can a Union Gap, Washington Tax Lien Lawyer Help?

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

Fortunately for you, tax lawyers in Union Gap, Washington 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.