A lien or encumbrance upon all of a taxpayer's real property located in the county where the lien is filed.Tax liens may be for unpaid income taxes, or for the 100 percent penalty assessed against controlling shareholders when their small corporations do not pay withholding taxes for employees. Lenders who foreclose on real estate must send notices to the IRS regarding
impending foreclosures,or the property will still be subject to the tax lien after the foreclosure, even if the lien was filed after the mortgage and would ordinarily be destroyed by the foreclosure. (For more information,go to the IRS Web site,www.irs.gov,and search on “IRC 7425 notice.”)