Help removing a State Tax Lien

[PayYouNever]

I've been reading in the forums that people have been able to get state tax liens removed before the 7 year mark by paying the lien and then contact the County Recorders office with a GW letter.

In my case, California filed a tax lien against me but it was for an excessive amount of tax that I owed. I was late in filing two years of state returns because of missing tax information from K-1 (yeah, I should have filed amended returns but didn't), so the state filed for $1178 in back taxes, but by the time I filed the late returns I only owed $438 -- which I promptly paid.

At the moment the lien is listed as Paid/Released on my CBRs, but I want it deleted.

Would asking the State Tax people to remove the lien because they have the incorrect value of the lien listed be appropriate? Or should I just ask them to remove it via a GW letter?

[Anonymous]

I also have a released state tax lien and called my accountant about getting it off - HIGHLY UNLIKELY and VERY EXPENSIVE either way (requires an attorney).  Since it has been released, his advice was to live with it.  As it ages it hurts less and less....

I too would like it off - but have accepted that only time will be my friend in this instance.

[PayYouNever]

As I figured, the only thing is it's being reported wrong. They filed incorrect information and the lien was actually inappropriately filed due to negligence on their part.

I know it's going two years since it was taken care off and now that I think about it, it was listed as being paid in 01/06, but it was really 07/05 -- again another error.

[Anonymous]

That you can fix by disputing with the CRAs and including a copy of the release...