NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - Q. The credit bureaus show a major blot on my file: a $35,000 federal tax lien. I checked with the IRS, and they say I don't owe that amount. And the county courthouse has no record of it. Can I get it off my credit file?

-- J.B., Akron

A. Seek and ye shall find. But be careful what you seek: We did a public records search and discovered a tax lien with your name and Social Security number on it on file in the county where you formerly lived.

Bummer. This meets the burden of proof required by the credit agencies that the lien is valid.

Your roller-coaster ride was fueled partly by bureaucracy. You contacted the wrong county agency (the courthouse) with the record number furnished by the credit bureaus. Had you been directed to the proper county office, you'd have found the lien.

You sent us a copy of a letter from the IRS showing your current tax liability to be a few thousand bucks, a far cry from that big balance described in the lien. But that's not proof the lien never existed; it simply shows that you've been paying down the balance of your overdue taxes.

That's the good news: Once you get current, which looks to be soon, the lien can be discharged. IRS liens can confuse anyone. Taxpayers may know they owe money but may not realize a lien has been filed. And a lien's amount isn't changed once it's filed, so that huge number sits there for lenders to see, even if you owe only a fraction of what you once did.

Next step: Ask the IRS for a free transcript of all your taxpayer activity (not just your current balance). If you still aren't clear what's going on, now might be a good time to ask your attorney for help.

Got a question about money? Have a financial or red-tape nightmare? Need an advocate or some good advice? E-mail us at money_helps@moneymail.com.