(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.
Missouri Tax Records
Listed below are links to tax records that are available for free online for the state:
- Arkansas County, 1814 Territorial Tax Lists
- Arkansas County, 1816 Territorial Tax Lists
- Audrain County, Tax Records, 1838-1906
- Barry County, Taxpayers & Soldiers, 1888
- Bollinger County, Tax Records, 1865-1900
- Bollinger County, Court Records,1866-1958; Indexes, 1866-1967
- Boone County, 1821 Tax List
- Boone County, Poll Tax Book 1900
- Buchanan County, 1840 Tax Lists
- Buchanan County, 1841 Tax Lists
- Buchanan County, Tax Books, 1840, 1842, 1846
- Caldwell County, Directory Tax-payers
- California City, Assessment List for 1879
- Callaway County, Tax List of 1823
- Callaway County, Tax Records, 1829-1899
- Cape Girardeau County, 1814 Territorial Tax Lists
- Cape Girardeau County, 1815 Territorial Tax Lists
- Cape Girardeau County, 1817 Tax Lists
- Cape Girardeau County, 1840 Tax Lists
- Cape Girardeau County, Court Records, 1815-1922; Index to Court Records, 1815-1900
- Carroll County, Tax Lists, 1833-1858
- Christian County, Land Tax Records of 1876
- Christian County, Personal Property Tax Index 1879-1900
- Christian County, Personal Property Tax Index 1879-1900
- Christian County, Personal Property Tax Index, 1879-1900
- Christian County, Land Assessments, 1868-1885
- Dallas County, Tax Records, 1867-1899
- Daviess County, Tax Records, 1859-1900
- Douglas County, Land and Personal Tax Records, 1884-1900
- Franklin County, Tax Assessment Records, 1875-1876
- Gasconade County, 1828 Tax List
- Gasconade County, Miscellaneous Records, 1820-1917
- Gasconade County, Court Records, 1821-1928
- Greene County, Tax List
- Greene County, Tax Records, 1860-1899
- Henry County, Missouri 1845 Assessor’s Book
- Henry County, Tax Records, 1859-1899
- Howard County, Delinquent Taxpayers, 1826
- Howell County, Personal Property Tax List
- Jackson County, Directory of Jackson County, Complete List of All Taxpayers
- Johnson County, 1843 Delinquent Tax List
- Johnson County, Tax Records, 1860-1890
- Laclede County, 1897 Assessment List of Personal Property
- Lawrence County, 1815 Territorial Tax Lists
- Lawrence County, 1816 Territorial Tax Lists
- Lincoln County, Tax List, 1836
- Lincoln County, Tax Records, 1855-1902
- Madison County, Tax Records, 1943-1997
- Marion County, Tax List 1827
- Marion County, Delinquent Taxpayers, 1829
- McDonald County, 1861 Tax Lists
- McDonald County, Taxpayers of 1861
- Mississippi County, Court Records, 1845-1951
- Missouri, 1814-1821 Territorial Tax Lists
- Missouri, 1840-1876 Tax Lists
- Missouri, Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1866
- Missouri, Miscellaneous Records Relating to Missouri Lands, 1700s, 1800s, 1900s
- Moniteau County, Tax Records, 1868-1899
- Monroe County, 1869 Delinquent Tax List
- Montgomery County, Tax List of 1819
- Morgan County, 1865 Tax List
- New Madrid County, 1816 Territorial Tax Lists
- New Madrid County, 1818 Territorial Tax Lists
- Osage County, Tax Records, 1845-1927
- Osage County, Tax Books, 1856-1862
- Pettis County, Taxpayers’ Directory, 1901-1902
- Phelps County, Land Tax Books, V. A-B, 1885-1886
- Platte County, 1865 Pettis Township Personal Tax List
- Platte County, Personal Property Assessment List of 1839
- Polk County, 1863 Tax Assessors Boo
- Ralls County, Tax Records, 1820-1899
- Ray County, Assessors List, 1821
- Reynolds County, Land Assessment Book, 1881
- Saline County, Taxpayers of 1876
- Scotland County, Certificates of Redemption, 1861-1873
- Scott County, Tax Records, 1860-1903
- Shannon County, Court Records, 1872-1915; Index to Tax Suits, 1880-1932
- Shelby County, Land Tax Records, 1879-1900
- Shelby County, Personal Tax Records, 1882-1897
- Shelby County, School Tax Records, 1885-1898
- St. Francois Township, Cape Girardeau County, 1815 Tax List
- St. Genevieve County, 1821 Territorial Tax Lists
- St. Louis County, Miscellaneous Records, 1802-1892
- St. Louis County, Owners of Real Estate for Sale for Taxes, Year 1829
- St. Louis County, Tax Books, 1824-1831
- St. Louis County, Tax List of City Tenants, 1947-1950
- St. Louis, 1805 Tax List
- St. Louis, 1811-1812 Tax Lists
- St. Louis, Account Books of Collection of Taxes, Real & Personal Property, 1853
- St. Louis, Annual Reports, 1938-1940
- St. Louis, Assessment List, 1867-1869
- St. Louis, Board Records, 1936-1939
- St. Louis, City Book, 1869-1881
- St. Louis, Index Cards to Special Tax Books, Alleys, Streets, and Sewers Deed Books, 1853-1904
- St. Louis, Individual Tax Bills Paid, 1864-1865
- St. Louis, Merchant, Real Estate and Personal, and Special Tax Bills, 1864-1866
- St. Louis, Real Estate Tax Records, 1818-1944
- St. Louis, Special Tax Bills, 1861-1922
- St. Louis, Tax Accounts, 1849-1870
- Ste. Genevieve County, Delinquent Taxpayers, November 1834:
- Stone County, Merchants’ License Tax Book, 1895-1908
- Stone County, Tax Records, 1868-1900
- Texas County, Tax Records, 1867-1899
- United States Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1874
- Vernon County, 1907 Property Tax List For Center Twp
- Vernon County, Back Taxes Index of 1893
- Washington County, 1814 Territorial Tax Lists
- Wayne County, Tax Records, 1891-1899
- Wayne County, Court Records, 1893-1955
- Webster Groves, Real Estate Tax Records, 1897 to 1947
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!