Free Iowa Online Tax Records – The Ancestor Hunt

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
July 2024)
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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.

Iowa Tax Records

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

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

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

Iowa Tax Records

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