• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Pridgeon & Zoss, PLLC

Just another WordPress site

  • Home
  • Firm Overview
    • Review Us
  • Meet Our Attorneys
  • Tax Law Services
    • CP504 Notice in MN
  • Professional Referrals
  • Our Required Retainer Deposit & Fees
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Home / Delinquency / Tax liens and levies: Are they the same thing?
  • Home
  • Firm Overview
    • Review Us
  • Meet Our Attorneys
  • Tax Law Services
    • CP504 Notice in MN
  • Professional Referrals
  • Our Required Retainer Deposit & Fees
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Call
Contact
Blog

Tax liens and levies: Are they the same thing?

The short and unequivocal answer to the question posed in the above headline is this: No, liens and levies filed against a taxpayer’s property and assets by the Internal Revenue Service or Minnesota Department of Revenue are distinct legal instruments bringing different results.

Prior to any discussion of these potent tax agency tools, it merits mentioning that any person subject to a lien or levy has the right to secure the help of an experienced tax attorney to contest or appeal any delinquency-related matter. Having proven legal counsel on board can often materially affect the outcome of a tax case or dispute.

On a subject-specific IRS website page, the federal tax authority notes point blank that, “A lien is not a levy.” The former is the government’s legal claim against an individual’s property for failure to timely satisfy a tax obligation. A lien secures a legal interest in property rather than taking assets.

A levy, conversely, is a more dramatically exercised power. When government authorities exercise levy powers, the result is the actual taking of property to pay a debt.

Either way, the implications are clear: Both liens and levies are instruments of great government power that, when exercised, can present a formidable challenge to taxpayers trying to fulfill their tax duties.

As plenary as those powers are, they are not unbridled; government authorities must act reasonably and in accordance with duly established procedures regarding notice, the taking of property and the rights of a targeted taxpayer.

As noted, those rights include the prerogative of a challenged individual to enlist the proven services of a seasoned tax attorney. Doing so might yield a salutary result in resolving an outstanding issue or dealing with it successfully on appeal.

On Behalf of Pridgeon & Zoss, PLLC Sep 17 2014 Delinquency

Primary Sidebar

Do Not Delay Responding to a Tax Notice

Name(Required)

Practice Areas

Tax Disputes

  • Tax Litigation
  • Audits
  • Tax Appeals
    • Appealing a Levy Action

Business & Payroll Taxes

  • Trust Fund Assessments
  • Complying with Sales and Use Tax Laws

Self-Employed

  • No Taxes Withheld

Outstanding Balances

  • IRS Collections and Currently Not Collectible Status
  • Settlement Options
    • Offers in Compromise
    • Installment Agreements

Latest Blogs

The Secret to Successful Self-Employment

October 19, 2022

Things You Should Expect Being Self-Employed in Minnesota

October 13, 2022

The Importance of Source Documents

July 7, 2022

What Is a Notice of Deficiency?

June 9, 2022

What is the IRS dispute resolution process for businesses?

April 9, 2021

Footer

Edina Tax Law Office

7301 Ohms Lane, Suite 420
Edina, MN 55439

Telephone: 952-835-8320

Fax: 952-835-0201

St. Anthony Tax Law Office:

2812 Anthony Lane S, Suite 200
St. Anthony, Minnesota 55418

Telephone: 612-455-8948

Pridgeon & Zoss, PLLC provides legal counsel for clients in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin

© 2023 Pridgeon & Zoss, PLLC. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer | Site Map | Privacy Policy