The IRS MUST issue a certificate of Release of Lien within 30 days after you pay your taxes in full or satisfied your tax liability through an Offer in Compromise or if the lien has become unenforceable because the statute of limitations has ran out (usually 10 years)

It is common for IRS NOT to remove tax liens in a timely manner.  You have a couple of choices.  If 30 days have passed and No Release has been issued:  You can write the Chief of Special Procedures at the IRS office where the lien was filed.  Include the date of your request, your name social security number Employer Identification Number if you have one address, telephone and the best time to reach you and Why the lien should be released.  Explain when the taxes were paid how much was paid and for what tax years.  Include a copy of the tax lien you want IRS to release.  Also include the receipt IRS provided to you when you paid the taxes plus a copy of the check or Money Order that you used to pay IRS.

OR you can contact your Tax professional.  Contacting your Tax professional would be the best action if you have a financial emergency and need a Tax Lien removed ASAP in order to close a deal on a home or investment property.  Should this be the case, you would want to pay IRS with a certified check, cashiers check or a Money Order.

Remember that most levy notices issued by the IRS are computer-generated.  So sometimes these notices may be in error. If the Tax lien is a mistake, contact your Tax professional ASAP, a photocopy of the Release of the Lien should be mailed to the three credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.

This article was written by C. Ingraham is a basic tax instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area and can be found at http://www.taxeswilltravel.com  For legal explanation of the above article, visit: http://www.irs.gov  keywords; tax lien, release tax lien