The IRS legally seizing property or funds to collect unpaid tax.
A levy is the IRS actually taking your property — bank funds, wages, or other assets — to satisfy a tax debt. It comes after notices go unanswered, and a Final Notice of Intent to Levy triggers your right to a hearing.
“Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing.”
Main AI reads your IRS notice and explains what a term like this means for your deadlines and your options.
Analyze my document free →A lien is a claim on your property; a levy is the seizure. The Final Notice (often a CP504 or LT11) starts a 30-day clock to request a Collection Due Process hearing — the key deadline. Payment plans, an offer in compromise, or currently-not-collectible status can stop a levy.
See this in your own document: run a free analysis — findings quote the exact language.
“You have 30 days from the date of this notice to request a hearing.”
That 30-day window is the most important part — requesting a hearing in time pauses the levy and preserves your appeal rights.