Many debtors in California file chapter 7 bankruptcy with a home that has an IRS tax lien on it. What happens in these cases? If the IRS has a federal tax lien on real property in California prior to a bankruptcy being filed, then that lien will survive bankruptcy. In other words, debtors cannot use bankruptcy to escape an existing federal tax lien on a California property, despite the fact that California bankruptcy law allows chapter 7 filers to take up to $678,000 in equity in a primary residence through bankruptcy. Read more »
June 14, 2023
Tax Liens
Top Five Reasons to Hire a Tax Lawyer in Alameda County
You received an audit notice from the IRS. Or maybe you’ve already been audited and hate the result. Or you ignored audit notices, and now the IRS has put a lien on your house and levied your accounts. Here’s the top five reasons to hire a tax attorney, rather than handle a tax problem on your own. Read more>>
February 10, 2023
How To Lose A California House with An IRS Tax Lien in Bankruptcy
California increased the home equity people going through bankruptcy could keep in 2020: from $175,000 to $600,000, specifically so debtors wouldn’t lose their house in bankruptcy. It mostly works. Except with houses that have IRS tax liens on them. Read more>>
August 10, 2022
What Happens to Tax Liens In Bankruptcy?
Debtor’s often have Notice of Federal Tax Lien outstanding at the time they file bankruptcy. How are these handled? Broadly, a properly-noticed lien survives bankruptcy. It continues to attach to any property Read more »
January 11, 2022
Tax Liens versus Levies
What’s a tax lien? A tax levy? The short answer: it’s how the IRS forces non-taxpayers to become taxpayers. What’s the difference between them? Read more >>
August 6, 2019
Asset Protection Gone Horribly Wrong
“Asset Protection” means taking steps to keep people who are suing you for money owed, from taking your money or house. I had a house-flipper client who successfully protected a house a while ago, only to have the IRS come after it recently. Read more >>
July 30, 2019