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The Daily Insight

Can you refinance a home loan with a tax lien?

Author

Andrew Ramirez

Published Mar 20, 2026

If there is a federal tax lien on your home, you must satisfy the lien before you can sell or refinance your home. Taxpayers or lenders also can ask that a federal tax lien be made secondary to the lending institution’s lien to allow for the refinancing or restructuring of a mortgage.

Can I get a home equity loan with a tax lien?

Will you be able to get a loan? If there is a federal tax lien on your home, you may have trouble getting a loan. However, taxpayers or lenders also can ask that a federal tax lien be made secondary to the lending institution’s lien to allow for the refinancing or restructuring of a mortgage.

Can I refinance with tax debt?

You don’t have to clear your tax debt before buying or refinancing a home. However, you do have to meet a couple of criteria: The lender must document that you have an approved IRS installment agreement in place. It must indicate the terms of repayment, including the monthly payment amount and total amount due.

Can a lien stop a refinance?

You can’t legally sell a property with a lien against it. Although you’re not strictly prohibited from refinancing, it can be extremely difficult to refinance your home under these condiions. In addition to these restrictions, you could also be restricted from getting approved for a mortgage in the future.

What kind of mortgage can you get with a tax lien?

The second type of residential home loans are FHA loans. Borrowers with an outstanding tax lien can qualify for an FHA Loan with a written payment agreement and three months of payments to the IRS.

Can you get a conventional loan with a tax lien?

With conventional loans, borrowers with tax liens and/or outstanding tax debts can qualify for conventional loans with a written payment agreement and one month of payment to the IRS. This holds true on VA Loans.

Can you refinance with a tax lien on your property?

A tax lien on your property makes tax lien refinancing complicated at best, and often unattainable at all. The tax lien must be resolved and removed, or a request for the lien to be made secondary to the loan on the property may be submitted to the IRS.

Can you get a FHA loan with a judgment and tax lien?

FHA allows borrowers with judgments and tax liens to qualify for FHA Loans as long as the written payment agreement is in force and borrowers have made at least three payments and can provide bank statements and/or canceled checks. Borrowers cannot pre-pay the three months of payments upfront.