how an individual can determine whether they have a tax lien against their property depends on where they live and which agency imposed that lien in most places a search via the state record office or the attorney general s office will reveal the existence of a lien against property the automated lien system of the irs can locate liens against businesses there are private third party lien searching services that can also do lien research 
the bottom linea tax lien is a claim against the assets of an individual or business who fails to pay their tax debt to the government this is related to but different from a tax levy which is the act of taking the property if the subject of a lien neglects to make arrangements to settle their debt individuals affected by tax liens can resolve them by paying off their tax debt or coming to a negotiated settlement with the agency pursuing it such as the irs 