Does Buchanan County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Buchanan County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.

When is the Buchanan County tax certificate sale?

Annual tax sale each June. The treasurer's tax sale page states: "The next Annual Online Tax Sale will be held Monday, June 21st, 2027." The county's June 2026 legal publication set the prior sale as "Monday, June 15, 2026 ... beginning at 9:00 a.m.". Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.

How often does Buchanan County hold tax deed sales?

none. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

County-verified

Buchanan County, IA tax sales

How tax lien certificate sales work in Buchanan County, seat of Independence: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state sources.

New here? Read how Iowa tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.

How Buchanan County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

SRI / ZEUS

Run by: Buchanan County Treasurer's Office
Frequency: annual
Typical timing: Annual tax sale each June. The treasurer's tax sale page states: "The next Annual Online Tax Sale will be held Monday, June 21st, 2027." The county's June 2026 legal publication set the prior sale as "Monday, June 15, 2026 ... beginning at 9:00 a.m."
Next expected: on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list: Delinquent Tax List & Notice of Tax Sale (legal publication)

Registration and deposit

Bidding is online only. The county's notice states "This is an online tax sale; all bids must be placed online" and that "Registered bidders can access the auction site by going to www.iowataxauction.com." Bidders register an account on the Iowa Tax Auction platform, then apply to the Buchanan County auction for approval before bidding. The treasurer also issues a registration packet ahead of each sale, and the June 2026 notice required bidders to "complete and submit the necessary bidder information by 11:59 p.m., Thursday, June 11, 2026," four days before that sale. Request bidder information from the treasurer's office at (319) 334-4340 or [email protected].

The sale is conducted by the Buchanan County Treasurer and runs entirely online through the Iowa Tax Auction platform. The legal notice names the Treasurer's Office on the first floor of the Buchanan County Courthouse, 210 5th Ave NE, Independence, as the sale location, but states in the same paragraph that all bids must be placed online, so no in person bidding takes place. The treasurer's page tells investors: "You will earn 2% interest on taxes purchased. You will be written a check from our office once the property owner has redeemed the tax sale certificate." Owners can stop a parcel from being sold by paying before the cutoff; for the June 2026 sale the notice set that deadline at 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 12, 2026, and required guaranteed funds for payments made on or after June 1, 2026. An adjourned sale is held "any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and parcels are still available for sale." Parcels previously advertised without a sale are offered as public bidder parcels, and if no bid is received the county takes the certificate itself. Certificate holders may pay subsequent taxes starting on the 45th day after each penalty date (May 15 and November 15); subsequent payments must reach the office by 4:30 p.m. on the last business day of the month to accrue that month's interest, and postmarks are not accepted. Failure to pay subsequent taxes puts the parcel back up for sale and ends the first holder's right to pay further subsequent amounts. Redemption runs under Iowa Code Chapter 447, after which a deed may issue. The delinquent list PDF is the county's published legal notice and is refreshed each spring, so confirm the current year's version with the treasurer before relying on it.

Source: Buchanan County Treasurer - Tax Sales· Verified Jul 29, 2026

From lien to deed

Run by: County Treasurer
Frequency: none
Typical timing: Iowa holds no tax deed auction. The treasurer makes out a treasurer's deed to the certificate holder immediately after 90 days have expired from completed service of the notice of expiration of the right of redemption, once the holder returns the certificate and pays the deed and recording fees.

There is nothing for an investor to bid on at the deed stage in Iowa. The only auction is the June certificate sale. The certificate holder must return the certificate of purchase and remit the deed and recording fees within 90 calendar days after the redemption period expires, or the treasurer cancels the certificate.

Source: Iowa Code 448.1 - Return of certificate of purchase, execution of deed, feesIowa Code 448.1· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Two routes reach parcels after the June sale. Parcels that remain unsold for want of bidders are carried to adjourned sales, which the treasurer sets at intervals of not more than two months until the next annual sale. Separately, certificates struck to the county at the public bidder sale may be assigned by the county for the total amount due on the date of assignment, or for a compromised amount, under a written agreement filed with the treasurer and a 10 dollar assignment transaction fee. Ask the county treasurer which county-held certificates are available for assignment.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Buchanan County Treasurer's Office

(319) 334-4340

Mailing: Buchanan County Treasurer's Office, PO Box 319, Independence, IA 50644. Office: Buchanan County Courthouse, 210 5th Ave NE, 1st Floor, Independence, IA 50644

Official website

Notes for Buchanan County

County seat is Independence. The treasurer's office is on the first floor of the Buchanan County Courthouse at 210 5th Ave NE.
(319) 334-4340 is the property tax line. The office also lists (319) 334-2005 for motor vehicle and (319) 334-7456 for driver's license, and a fax at (319) 334-7454.
Tax sale questions go to [email protected]; the tax deputy listed is Tammy Jones.
Property tax counter hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with a noon closing on the last working day of June and December.
Property tax payments (separate from tax sale bidding) are accepted in office, by mail, or through iowataxandtags.org.
The footer phone on every county web page, 319-332-1765, is a general county number and not the treasurer's tax line.

Iowa statewide rules

Max interest rate: 24% per year, fixed by statute (not bid down)
Minimum return: No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the share of ownership taken at the sale
Redemption: A parcel may be redeemed at any time before the right of redemption expires. After one year and nine months from the date of sale, the certificate holder may serve a notice of expiration of the right of redemption on the person in possession, the person in whose name the parcel is taxed, and every mortgagee, contract vendor, recorded lessor, and other party of record. The right of redemption then ends 90 days after that service is complete, which means the affidavit of service has been filed with the county treasurer. Three shortened tracks exist: nine months from a public bidder sale under section 446.18, and three months from an abandoned-property or public nuisance sale under section 446.19A or 446.19B. After the treasurer delivers the deed, redemption is possible only through an equitable action in district court, and only by a person who could have redeemed during the 90-day window.
Surplus proceeds: No surplus arises. The deed conveys the parcel to the certificate holder rather than selling it to the highest bidder, so there are no excess proceeds to distribute. Where the winning bid was less than 100 percent, the deed conveys only that undivided percentage interest in the parcel.
Governing statute: Iowa Code Chapter 446

A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.

See the full Iowarules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Buchanan County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?: Buchanan County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Buchanan County tax certificate sale?: Annual tax sale each June. The treasurer's tax sale page states: "The next Annual Online Tax Sale will be held Monday, June 21st, 2027." The county's June 2026 legal publication set the prior sale as "Monday, June 15, 2026 ... beginning at 9:00 a.m.". Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
How often does Buchanan County hold tax deed sales?: none. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

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.