The Tax Law Group provides assistance to various clients in handling the IRS liens that may become a great obstacle in a taxpayer's life.

Essentially, after most determinations of deliquency, IRS may proceed with liens and their enforcement.  The burden shifts to a taxpayer to dispute the tax liability and to remove such a lien. Normally, this objective may not be achieved without an attorney who would act on a clien's behalf.

We refer to the official public information of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service that provides the guidelines how to remove a federal fax lien, as follows:

Applying for a Discharge of a Federal Tax Lien

If you are giving up ownership of property, such as when you sell your home, you may apply for a Certificate of Discharge. Each application for a discharge of a tax lien releases the effects of the lien against one piece of property. Note that when certain conditions exist, a third party may also request a Certificate of Discharge. If you're selling your primary residence, you may apply for a taxpayer relocation expense allowance. Certain conditions and limitations apply. Refer to Publication 783 (PDF), Instructions on How to Apply for a Certificate of Discharge of Property from the Federal Tax Lien.

Making the IRS Lien Secondary to Another Lien

In some cases, a federal tax lien can be made secondary to another lien. That process is called subordination. Refer to Publication 784 (PDF), How to Prepare Application for Certificate of Subordination of Federal Tax Lien.

Withdrawing Liens

By law, a filed notice of tax lien can be withdrawn if:

The notice was filed too soon or not according to IRS procedures,

You entered into an installment agreement to pay the debt on the notice of lien (unless the agreement provides otherwise),

Withdrawal will speed collecting the tax, or

Withdrawal would be in your best interest (as determined by the Taxpayer Advocate), and in the best interest of the government.

We will give you a copy of the withdrawal, and if you write to us, we will send a copy to other institutions you name.

Lien Inquiries

If you have questions regarding basic lien inquiries such as routine lien releases and lien payoff amounts, contact the Centralized Lien Unit by calling the toll free telephone number (1-800-913-6050).

When faced with a complex lien issue, consider contacting the Collection Technical Services (TS) Advisory function.  TS Advisory is a collection compliance function that interacts with taxpayers on complex lien issues such as: Certificate of Discharge, Subordination, Subrogation, Non-Attachment, Withdrawal and other complex lien issues.  Publication 4235, Technical Services Advisory Group Addresses should be used to locate the appropriate office to contact for assistance.

Appealing the Filing of a Lien

The law requires us to notify you in writing not more than 5 business days after the filing of a lien. We may give you this notice in person, leave it at your home or your usual place of business, or send it by certified or registered mail to your last known address. You may ask an IRS manager to review your case, and you may request a Collection Due Process hearing with the Office of Appeals by filing a request for a hearing with the office listed on your notice. You must file your request by the date shown on your notice. Some of the issues you may discuss include:

You paid all you owed before we filed the lien,

We assessed the tax and filed the lien when you were in bankruptcy, and subject to the automatic stay during bankruptcy,

We made a procedural error in an assessment,

The time to collect the tax (called the statute of limitations) expired before we filed the lien,

You did not have an opportunity to dispute the assessed liability,

You wish to discuss the collection options, or

You wish to make spousal defenses.

At the conclusion of your Collection Due Process hearing, the IRS Office of Appeals will issue a determination. That determination may support the continued existence of the filed federal tax lien or it may determine that the lien should be released or withdrawn. If you disagree with Appeal's determination, there is a 30-day period starting with the date of determination, in which you may request judicial review in a court of proper jurisdiction. Refer to Publication 1660 (PDF), Collection Appeal Rights, for more information.

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=108339,00.html#apply

Internal Revenue Service Liens