what every lawyer should know about delinquent tax suits

by Orin Pagac V 10 min read

The taxing entities sue for a financial judgment including: 1) the amount of the original delinquent taxes; 2) all subsequent penalties and interest; 3) the law firm collection fees; and 4) all court costs, abstract fees, and attorney fees. At the conclusion of the suit, the court will award a judgment in favor of the taxing entity or entities and will order a sale of the property in order to satisfy the judgment amount. Only the taxes that are delinquent (including interest, penalties and fees), on the date of the judgment, may be included in the amount recoverable under the judgment by the taxing entities. Any subsequent taxes oramounts owed will remain as valid liens on the property. For example, when a lawsuit for delinquent property taxes takes two years to complete, the property may then have two additional years of property taxes due that were not part of the lawsuit. Subsequent year taxes are not eliminated by the act of a foreclosure.

Full Answer

Can a person be sued personally for delinquent property taxes?

the plaintiff shall recover attorney fees if suit is filed and the delinquent taxes are not paid before July 1. The taxing jurisdiction and its counsel may set the attorney fee, but the fee cannot exceed 20% of the total of the delinquent tax, penalties, and interest. TAX CODE §6.30(c).

What are the delinquent taxes?

Texas. Delinquent tax suit. My parents passed away in 1998 a month apart. Their will stipulated that everything went to my sister and that no other provisions were made for myself and two brothers. Taxes on property owned by my parents was not put in sisters name. She borrowed against said property yet has not paid taxes on the two pieces of land.

When do you have to pay interest on a delinquent tax?

Sep 08, 2017 · The citation should include a petition signed by the taxing authorities' lawyer. Call them and ask for a payoff amount and a two-year payment arrangement. Do not expect them to negotiate because your property is in the pipeline from you to them and only $$$ can stop it. More Undo VoteHelpfulUndoUnhelpfulUndo 0comments Finis E. Cowan III

What happens if someone sues you for not paying taxes?

Tax Court - Live Stream. Rules for JUDGE ELIZABETH LOCKETT.pdf AAL Affidavit Template Tax Court Protocol What Every Lawyer Should Know About Delinquent Tax Suits Petition for Excess Proceeds (SAMPLE) Notice for Excess Proceeds (SAMPLE) Order on Excess Proceeds (SAMPLE) Door Notice (SAMPLE) Tax Court Policy Concerning Application for Excess Proceeds

How are settlements taxed?

2. Taxes Depend on the “Origin of the Claim”. Settlements and judgments are taxed according to the matter for which the plaintiff was seeking recovery (the origin of the claim). If you are suing a competing business for lost profits, a settlement or judgment will be considered lost profits taxed as ordinary income.

What are the rules for settlements?

Here are 10 rules lawyers and clients should know about the taxation of settlements. 1. Settlements and Judgments Are Taxed the Same. The same tax rules apply whether you are paid to settle a case (even if your dispute only reached the letter-writing phase) or win a judgment.

Is a slip and fall a compensatory damages?

If you sue for personal physical injuries resulting from, for example, a slip and fall or car accident, your compensatory damages should be tax-free. That may seem odd if, because if you could not work after your injuries, you are seeking lost wages. However, a specific section of the tax code—section 104—shields damages for personal physical injuries and physical sickness.

What is the tax rate for long term capital gains?

Long-term capital gain is taxed at a lower rate (15 percent or 20 percent , plus the 3.8% Obamacare tax, not 39.6 percent) and is therefore much better than ordinary income. Apart from the tax-rate preference, your tax basis may be relevant as well.

Is personal injury tax free?

Before 1996, “ personal” injury damages included emotional distress, defamation, and many other legal injuries and were tax-free. Since 1996, however, your injury also must be “physical” to give rise to tax-free money. Unfortunately, neither the IRS nor Congress has made clear what that means.

Is medical expense tax free?

At that point, you will not have a choice about reporting the payments on your tax return. 5. Medical Expenses Are Tax-Free. Even if your injuries are purely emotional, payments for medical expenses are tax-free, and what constitutes “medical expenses” is surprisingly liberal.

Is a suit for physical injury considered income?

Outside the realm of suits for physical injuries or physical sickness, just about everything is income; however, that does not answer the question of how it will be taxed. If your suit is about damage to your house or your factory, the resulting settlement may be treated as capital gain. Long-term capital gain is taxed at a lower rate (15 percent or 20 percent, plus the 3.8% Obamacare tax, not 39.6 percent) and is therefore much better than ordinary income.

Can a plaintiff deduct punitive damages?

A defendant paying a settlement or judgment will always want to deduct it. If the defendant is engaged in a trade or business, doing so rarely will be questioned, given that litigation is a cost of doing business. Even punitive damages are tax deductible by businesses. Only certain government fines cannot be deducted, and even then defendants can sometimes find a way if the fine is in some way compensatory.

Is a car accident punitive interest taxable?

Punitive damages and interest are always taxable, even if your injuries are 100 percent physical. Suppose you are injured in a car crash and receive $50,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The $50,000 is tax-free, but the $5 million is fully taxable. Moreover, you might have trouble deducting your attorney’s fees (see rule 8).

Is medical expense tax free?

Even if your injuries are purely emotional, payments for medical expenses are tax-free, and what constitutes “medical expenses” is surprisingly liberal. For example, payments to a psychiatrist or counselor qualify, as do payments to a chiropractor or physical therapist. Many nontraditional treatments count as well.

Is a suit for physical injury considered income?

Outside the realm of suits for physical injuries or physical sickness, just about everything is income; however, that does not answer the question of how it will be taxed. If your suit is about damage to your house or your factory, the resulting settlement may be treated as capital gain. Long-term capital gain is taxed at a lower rate (15 percent or 20 percent, plus the 3.8% Obamacare tax, not 39.6 percent) and is therefore much better than ordinary income.

Do you pay an attorney on a contingent fee?

If you are the plaintiff and use a contingent-fee lawyer, you usually will be treated (for tax purposes) as receiving 100 percent of the money recovered by you and your attorney. This is so even if the defendant pays your lawyer the contingent fee directly.

Is a slip and fall a compensatory damages?

If you sue for personal physical injuries resulting from, for example, a slip and fall or car accident, your compensatory damages should be tax-free. That may seem odd if, because if you could not work after your injuries, you are seeking lost wages. However, a specific section of the tax code—section 104—shields damages for personal physical injuries and physical sickness.

What is a delinquent tax?

The delinquent taxes include those under the split payment option, installment payments for over 65 or disabled persons, or taxes on late mailed bills that have a later delinquency date than Feb. 1. The penalty attaches the first day of the first month that begins at least 21 days after the date a notice of delinquency and penalty is sent to ...

When are home taxes due?

1. With this payment, the homeowner indicates that taxes are being paid in installments. The remaining payments are due before April 1, June 1 and Aug. 1 – without any penalty and interest. If the person misses an installment payment, a 6 percent penalty and also interest ...

Does not receiving a tax bill affect the validity of the tax?

No. State law provides that failing to send or receive a tax bill does not affect the validity of the tax, penalty or interest due by an individual, the tax’s delinquency date, the existence of a tax lien or any procedure the taxing unit institutes to collect the tax. Property owners know that property taxes are due each year ...

What is a deferral on property taxes?

The deferral is for all delinquent property taxes owed taxing units that tax the home. A tax deferral only postpones paying taxes. It doesn’t cancel them. Interest is added at the rate of 8 percent a year. Once the owner no longer owns the home or lives in it, past taxes and interest become due.

What happens if you delinquent on taxes?

If taxes go delinquent, the tax collector adds a 6 percent penalty and 1 percent interest in February. Penalty continues to accrue at 1 percent per month until July 1. On July 1, the penalty is 12 percent. Interest continues to accrue at 1 percent per month until paid. For example, on July 1, unpaid taxes would have accrued a total ...

How long can you pay delinquent property taxes?

Some tax collectors allow delinquent property owners to pay delinquent taxes in installments for up to 36 months . A tax collector isn’t required to offer this option. Before signing an installment agreement, you should know that the law considers the taxpayer’s signature an irrevocable admission that you owe all the taxes covered by the agreement.

When can you accept half of your taxes?

State law allows taxing units, at their option, to authorize tax collectors to accept one-half of a taxpayer’s taxes by Nov. 30 and the remainder by June 30 without paying penalty and interest. Not all taxing units offer this option.