subject: How To Fix An Incorrect Tax Lien Record On Your Credit Report [print this page] It's a nightmare scenario for many; you take one look at your credit report, then horrors of horrors, you discover an incorrect tax lien that you've long ago resolved still printed on it. It's an inconvenience that could affect your credit rating and, more importantly, your ability to get loans. There are many reasons why this may occur, which includes issues such as state officials filing it by mistake or paying your debt in full before the lien was even recorded.
In any case, here are the many different processes you need to follow in order to get this anomaly of a tax lien off of your credit report. More to the point, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) provides many methods to do so. Without further adieu, these are the procedures you need to follow in order to dispute an entry with the CRA (Credit Rating Agency).
*Collections Department of the Department of Revenue: First off, you need to get in touch with your respective state's Department of Revenue, particularly their collections department. Check out their website for further information regarding how to go about correcting this tax lien mistake. You must provide them evidence to back up your claim, your social security number, your contact details, your name, and an explanation concerning the error. You can also offer them other essential materials such as a duplicate of your state tax returns, a canceled check, or your court papers establishing that you've filed for bankruptcy.
*Filing an Action to Quiet Title: You can either do this or its counterpart process (filed at the state District Court) in order to help remove the erroneous tax lien that's recorded on your credit report. You'll need to first include in your complaint the supposed penalties, fess, and taxes that go with the tax lien; your explanation of why the lien is incorrect plus the documented evidence; and the place and date that the Notice of Tax Lien was filed against your property. Moreover, you need to seek the removal of the tax lien and name your state's Department of Revenue on the action to quiet title as well.
*Contact the Major Credit Bureaus: Here's another method you can follow to fix tax lien errors. By contacting the big three credit bureaus-i.e., TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax-you can dispute the lien with them. As per usual, you need to provide them with your contact details, a copy of your credit report, and a signed, notarized letter requesting the correction of the lien's recording. You'll have to send this by traditional registered mail with the return receipt requested in order to make this an official request.
