Certificate of Release of Federal Tax Lien
The document releasing the lien after the debt is paid. The IRS states it releases within 30 days of full payment.
Full Definition
The IRS states that paying the tax debt in full is the best way to get rid of a federal tax lien, and that it releases the lien within 30 days after the debt has been paid. Instructions for requesting the certificate are in Publication 1450. Release is distinct from withdrawal: a release reflects that the liability is satisfied, while a withdrawal removes the public notice and can in some circumstances happen while a balance is still owed. Routine release requests go to the Centralized Lien Operation.
What to do next
If the balance is paid and 30 days have passed without a release, contact the Centralized Lien Operation, which the IRS designates for routine release requests.
Sources
- Understanding a federal tax lien — Internal Revenue Service, retrieved 2026-08-20
Last reviewed 2026-08-20 by Tax Resolution Clarity editorial.
Sourced to primary IRS materials and editorially reviewed. Not reviewed by a tax professional. Not tax advice.
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Where to go next
The IRS publishes the rules this page describes. Your own notice governs your dates.