Free Illinois Online Tax Records

The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is January 2025)
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Another type of genealogy record that provides tremendous value is tax records. Like city directories and voting registers, they provide information for us between federal censuses. They also can go back to colonial times.

Types of Taxes

  • Income tax
  • Federal direct tax
  • Poll or head tax
  • Real property, e.g., land
  • Personal property, e.g., livestock, equipment, carriages, enslaved persons
  • Other, such as special levies for roads, schools, etc.

Types of Information

  • Date
  • Residence address; property, license, or goods; value; tax amount; possibly profession, occupation, or trade
  • Name of the taxpayer, usually white adult males
  • Town/township/city, county, and state of residence
  • Owner and/or renter of the property
  • Number of white adult males in the home
  • Type and value of property
  • Livestock owned
  • Personal property owned
  • Amount of tax owed
  • Profession, occupation, or trade
  • Number of school-aged children
  • Number of enslaved persons

Derivative information, such as birth date, death date, and date of marriage can often be estimated or determined from the presence or absence of a person in a tax list.

Good primers regarding the genealogical value of tax records and more details can be found in these articles:

Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

Listed below are links to tax records that are available for free online for the state:

Illinois Tax Records

For all Free Illinois Collection Links in 24 Genealogy Categories, go to the By Location Page, click on Illinois, and then click on the category of interest.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

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