(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.
New York Tax Records
Listed below are links to tax records that are available for free online for the state:
- Albany County, Tax Lists
- Barton, 1849 Assessment Roll
- Beekman, Beekman Tax Lists: Includes North Ward, Middle Ward, South Ward, Beekman, Pawling, [1738-1778]
- Broome County, Assessment Rolls for Vestal, Collesville, and Windsor Townships, 1837- 1840, 1869-1870
- Cazenovia, Assessment Roll 1805 and 1812
- Cazenovia, Madison County, Records
- Chatham Road Tax List, 1801
- Chatham Road Tax Lists
- Chatham Road Tax Lists
- Chatham Road Tax Lists
- Chatham Road Tax Lists
- Chatham Road Tax Lists
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: East District
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: East District
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: West District
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: West District
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: West District
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: West District
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: West District
- Claverack, 1779 Tax List – Claverack District: West District
- Clinton County, 1798 Tax Assessment
- Columbia County, Kinderhook Tax List, 1744
- Columbia County, Tax Lists
- DeWitt, Tax Rolls, 1835-1844
- Dutchess County, Tax Lists
- Dutchess County, Crum Elbow Tax Lists: Includes Nine Partners Precinct, Crum Elbow Precinct, Charlotte Precinct, Amenia Precinct, Clinton Precinct, Washington Precinct
- Essex County, Tax Lists
- Florida, Montgomery County, Assessment Roll, 1795-1796
- Ghent, Town of Ghent Assessments
- Ghent, 1860 Assessments
- Hudson, Tax List, 1797
- Kings County, Tax Lists
- Lafayette, List of the Taxpayers, 1827
- Lysander, Assessment Roll of 1835
- Marathon, Cortland County, Miscellaneous Records, 1839-1878
- McDonough, Chenango County, Early Records
- Minisink, House Assessment Roll 1798
- New York City – Tax List of New York City, Ca. 1793
- New York City – The City Chest of New Amsterdam
- New York City, Assessment Rolls, 1699-1734
- New York City, Statement of All the Lands Sold by the Comptroller, Payment of Taxes, Prior to the Sale of 1848
- New York City, Tax-book, 1856 & ’57
- New York Taxation
- New York, Assessment and Payment of Taxes, Prior to the Sale of 1848
- New York, Assessment Lists of the Federal Bureau of Internal Revenue, 1862-66
- New York, Taxable Income Records, 1863
- Oneida County, Owners of Land, 1814
- Ontario County, Assessment Roll, 1813, 1816, 1818-1819, 1821-1822
- Orange County, Probate Records, Case Files, 1868-2008
- Penn Yann Tax and Assessment Rolls
- Preble, Cortland County, School, Taxation, and Business Records, 1813-1871
- Putnam County, Taz Lists
- Rensselaer County, Tax L:ists
- Saratoga County, Tax Lists
- Saratoga Tax List, 1832
- Scott, Cortland County, Town and Taxation Record, 1827-1880
- Sherburne, Chenango County Assessment Lists and Military Rolls, 1851-1865
- Steuben County, 1809 Delinquent Tax List
- Thurman, Washington (now Warren) County, Assessment Roll, 1805
- United States Internal Revenue Assessment Lists, 1862-1875
- Utica, Assessment Rolls, 1835
- Virgil, Town Meetings and Taxation Records, 1824-1839
- Warren County, Tax Rolls
- Warwick, An Assessment Roll for the Eastern District, 1814
- Washington County, Cambridge District, 1779 Tax List
- Washington County, Tax Lists
- Westchester County, Estate Tax Files, 1775-1900
- Wyoming County, Estate and Transfer Tax Proceedings, 1887-1900
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!