Free Iowa Online Tax Records

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 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:

• The Genealogical Benefits of Tax Records
• Using Poll Tax Records for Genealogy
• Genealogy 101: Tax Records
• Back to the Basics with Tax Records: Part 1
• Back to the Basics with Tax Records: Part 2
• Back to the Basics with Tax Records: Part 3
• United States Taxation
• The Value of Using US Tax Records in Genealogy Research

Note: Some of the 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, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

(Updated December 2022)

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

• Adair County, Old Age Assistance Tax, 1934-1936
• Adair County, Tax Deed Records, 1873-1954
• Benton County, Tax Records, 1934-1966
• Benton County, Land Records, 1847-1966
• Benton County, Tax Records, 1859-1890
• Calhoun County, Deed Indexes, 1855-1901 ; Deed Records, 1856-1947
• Calhoun County, Old Age Assistance Tax, 1934-1936
• Carroll County, Inheritance Tax and Lien Book, 1896-1941
• Carroll County, Old Age Assistance Records, 1934
• Cedar County, County Assessor’s Books, 1922-1932
• Cedar County, County Assessor’s Books, 1937
• Cedar County, Tax Records, 1897-1939
• Cerro Gordo County, Tax Roll and Assessor Indexes
• Chickasaw County, Assessor’s Book for 1871, Dresden Township
• Clayton County, Tax Records
• Delaware County, City, County, State and Federal Tax Records
• Des Moines County, Collateral Inheritance Tax and Lien Books, 1898-1944
• Franklin County, List of Taxes sent to other counties, 1858-1878
• Franklin County, Old Age Assistance Tax, 1934-1936
• Grundy County, Tax lists, 1856-1861
• Hancock County, Pension Assessment Tax List, 193
• Iowa City Assessor’s Book, 1859-1912
• Iowa, Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1866
• Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958
• Jackson County, Taxpayers, 1892
• Jasper County, 1849 Tax List
• Jefferson County, Assessors Book, 1842-1843
• Johnson County, Miscellaneous Records
• Johnson County, Assessor’s Book for Washington Township, 1896, 1898, 1900
• Johnson County, Assessor’s Book, 1840-1853
• Johnson County, Coralville Assessor’s Book, 1907
• Johnson County, Pleasant Valley Township Assessor’s Book, 1867
• Johnson County, Tax Records, 1856-1937
• Keokuk County, Old Age Assistance Tax Records, 1934-1936
• Linn County, Tax Lists
• Louisa County, Tax Books, 1847-1892
• Louisa County, Tax Lists
• New Buda Township, Decatur County, Assessor’s Book 1926 
• Osceola County, Tax Lists
• Poweshiek County, Probate and Inheritance Tax Records, 1881-1957
• Tama County, Tax Records, 1865-1939
• Tama County, Tax Records, Inheritance Tax Records and Lien Records, 1880-1939
• Union County, Old Age Assistance Tax, 1934-1937
• United States Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1875
• Van Buren County, Van Buren County, probate Records, 1883-1939
• Wapello County, Old Age Pension Tax list, 1934-1936
• Warren County, Otter Township, Old Age Pension Tax List, 1935
• Warren County, Tax Lists
• Washington County, Clay, Brighton, Marion, Franklin, Dutch Creek Townships, Tax Records, 1857
• Washington County, Old Age Pension lists, 1935-1937