Free Michigan 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:

• Allegan County, Assessments Rolls, 1843-1895
• Allegan County, Lands advertised and sold for delinquent Taxes due in 1836-1855
• Allegan County, Lands with Taxes due in 1836-1897
• Allegan County, Tax Records, 1836-1858
• Alpena County, Tax Assessment Roll, 1858-1895
• Ann Arbor, Assessment Roll, 1839-1841
• Barry County, Tax Lists
• Benona Township, Assessment Rolls, 1855-1901
• Calhoun County, Tax accounts 1838-1861
• Cass County, Assessment Rolls, 1845-1880
• Charlevoix County, Tax Assessment Rolls, 1877-1895
• Cheboyan County, Tax Assessment Rolls, 1860-1889
• Chesaning, Assessment Roll of the Township 1887
• Chesaning, Assessment Roll of the Township, 1878
• Chesaning, Assessment Roll of the Township, 1882
• Chesaning, Assessment Roll of the Township, 1886
• Chippewa County, Tax Assessment Rolls, 1849-1879
• Claybanks Township, Assessment Rolls, 1855-1901
• Clinton County, Tax Assessment Rolls, 1839-1890
• Colfax Township, Assessment Rolls, 1869-1901
• Conway Township, Tax Rolls
• Crystal Township, Assessment Rolls, 1866-1901
• Dickinson County, Liquor Taxes
• Eaton County, Tax Assessment Rolls, 1844-1895
• Elbridge Township, Assessment Rolls, 1858-1901
• Emmet County, Tax Records, 1864-1897
• Ferry Township, Assessment Rolls, 1869-1901
• Genesee County, Tax Records, 1844-1877
• Gladwin County, Tax Assessment Rolls, 1875-1895
• Golden Township, Assessment Rolls, 1865-1901
• Grant Township, Assessment Rolls, 1867-1901
• Gratiot County, Tax Assessment Rolls, 1856-1895
• Green Oak Township, Tax Payers, 1844
• Greenwood Township, Assessment Rolls, 1858-1901
• Hart Township, Assessment Rolls, 1861-1901
• Highland Township, Assessment Rolls, 1851, 1859, 1863
• Ionia County, Assessment Rolls, 1840-1850
• Iosco County, Tax Assessment Rolls
• Jackson County, Assessment Rolls, 1844-1858
• Leavitt Township, Assessment Rolls, 1867-1901
• Leelanau County, Tax Assessment Roll, 1863-1895
• Macomb County, Assessment Rolls, 1838-1859
• Michigan, Internal Revenue Assessment lists,1862-1866
• Monroe County, Assessment Rolls, 1845-1853
• Muskegon County, Assessment Rolls, 1859-1895
• Newfield Township, Assessment Rolls, 1866-1901
• Oakland County, Farmington Township Tax Rolls, 1841-1897
• Oakland County, Assessment Tax Rolls, 1868-1888
• Oakland County, Delinquent Tax Roll, 1842-1870
• Oakland County, Non-resident Tax returns, v. 111 (Liber A), 1836-1838
• Ottawa County, Tax Assessment Rolls 1838-1880
• Otto Township, Assessment Rolls, 1860-1901
• Pentwater Township, Assessment Rolls, 1856-1901
• Reading, Assessment Roll
• Reading, Assessment Roll
• Schoolcraft Township, Assessment Roll, 1874
• Shelby Township, Assessment Rolls, 1862-1901
• St. Joseph County, Tax Assessments Rolls, 1831-1895
• Tecumseh Township, Tax returns, 1827-1834
• United States Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1874
• Van Buren County, Lands with unpaid Taxes due in 1837-1838
• Van Buren County, Tax Records, 1837-1868
• Wayne County, Brownstown Township, Tax Records, 1855-1857
• Weare Township, Assessment Rolls, 1860-1901
• Ypsilanti Township, Assessment Rolls, 1832, 1834-1838