(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:
- 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 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.
Maryland Tax Records
Listed below are links to tax records that are available for free online for the state:
- Allegany County and State Tax 1783
- Allegany County, Cumberland, Tax Records, 1833-1841
- Allegany County, Tax and Voter Records, 1798-1948
- Allegany County, Tax Records, 1798-1917
- Baltimore City, Real Estate Records
- Baltimore City, Tax Records, 1798-1808
- Baltimore County, Maryland Source Records
- Baltimore County, Tax Lists Years 1692, 1694, 1695
- Baltimore County, 1783 Tax List
- Baltimore County, 1783 Tax List
- Calvert Papers (rent Rolls or quitrents)
- Cecil County, Tax Lists
- Charles County, Tax Lists
- Dorchester County, Tax Records, 1882
- Frederick County, 1793 Tax Assessment
- Fredericktown, 1835 Tax Assessment
- Garrett County, Tax Records, 1833-1841
- Harford County, Maryland, Harford County, School Proceedings, 1830-1850
- Kent County, Tax Records, 1851-1898
- Maryland Tax Records Online
- Maryland, 1678 and 1681 Tax Lists
- Maryland, 1783 Tax Assessment
- Maryland, 18th Century Tax Lists
- Maryland, Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1866
- Maryland, Tax Lists, 1678-1682
- Maryland, Tax Lists, 1692, 1694,1695
- Maryland, 1783 Tax List
- Montgomery County, Property Tax Records, 1800-20, 1862-79
- Montgomery County, Records, 1791-1878
- Talbot County, Tax Lists
- Tax List for Counties Calvert, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot
- United States Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1874
- Washington County Taxes, 1803-1804
- Worcester County, Tax Lists
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!