How the clock works
The standard period is one year after the date of the treasurer's tax sale. Several tracks run 120 days instead: a certificate bought at the county executive's certificate sale, a lien the county executive holds that was never sold on, a sale to a purchasing agency qualified under IC 36-7-17 or IC 36-7-17.1, a certificate the county executive assigns to another political subdivision, and a parcel that was not offered at the tax sale at all. Property on the county auditor's vacant and abandoned list carries no right of redemption after its sale. A county treasurer may also extend redemption by agreement with the owner, in which case the extended period ends one year after the date of that agreement.
Who can redeem
Any person may redeem, by paying the county treasurer the amount required under IC 6-1.1-25-2. A person who took title during the redemption period must also satisfy IC 32-21-8-7.
What the owner pays to redeem
110 percent of the minimum bid if redeemed within six months of the sale, or 115 percent if redeemed after six months and within one year, plus 5 percent per year on the amount the purchase price exceeded the minimum bid, plus all taxes and special assessments the buyer paid after the sale with 5 percent per year on them, plus certified attorney fees and notice costs and title search costs, plus any taxes and penalties that went delinquent after the sale. On a certificate bought at the county executive's certificate sale the payoff is instead the last minimum bid, 10 percent of the price paid for the certificate, notice and title costs, post-sale taxes with 10 percent per year, and the county's costs of that sale.
How your interest accrues
The return is a flat penalty, not accruing interest. Redemption within six months of the sale pays 110 percent of the minimum bid; redemption after six months and within one year pays 115 percent. The penalty steps rather than prorating, so a certificate redeemed in month two and one redeemed in month five both pay 10 percent. Separately, 5 percent per year accrues on the amount by which the purchase price exceeded the minimum bid and on any taxes and special assessments the buyer pays after the sale.
How the bidding works
Indiana bids up, not down. The treasurer sells to the highest bidder at public auction, and no parcel may sell for less than the statutory minimum bid, which is the delinquent taxes and special assessments, the taxes due in the year of sale, all penalties, the county's cost of sale, unpaid costs from a prior sale, and reasonable collection expenses. Anything paid above that minimum is the overbid, and the overbid earns only 5 percent per year, so a large premium dilutes the return.
What happens when it ends
Indiana holds no general public tax deed auction. Once the redemption period runs out, the certificate holder files a verified petition in the same court that entered the judgment of sale, and the court directs the county auditor to issue the deed. That petition must be filed no later than three months after the redemption period expires, or the purchaser's lien terminates. One narrow exception exists: real property a county, city, or town executive has certified as vacant or abandoned is auctioned separately, and there the county auditor deeds fee simple title straight to the highest bidder with no right of redemption.
A redeemed certificate, plus your accrued interest, is what makes the wait profitable; see how redemption periods work across states. An unredeemed certificate is instead your path to the property through a tax deed sale, which still does not convey marketable title on its own, so budget for a quiet title action.
Verified Jul 29, 2026 against Indiana statutes.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.