How to Check Credit History for Tax Liens

Tax liens are filed against people who owe federal or state taxes and don't pay those taxes on time. Tax liens are reported to the credit bureaus and can remain on your credit record for 15 years if unpaid and seven years if you pay them.



Finding tax liens on your credit report is the first step in resolving the debt. You may opt to pay the tax debt so that it disappears from your credit report after seven years. Outstanding tax liens can hurt your credit score and thus your ability to obtain credit.

Instructions

1

Gather the information you'll need to access your credit file. You will need your full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, your addresses for the past two years and the name of your current employer. You may also have to answer security questions regarding information that appears in your credit file.

2

Decide how you're going to obtain your credit report. You can access your credit report by mail, phone or Internet. Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, you are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months. You can contact each individual credit bureau or visit AnnualCreditReport.com (see Resources).

3

Search the public records section of your credit report. Any federal or state tax liens will be listed there. The notation submitted by the government taxing entity will state the status of the tax lien, when it was filed and how much you owe.