- Does Mississippi sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Mississippi sells at a tax lien sale. The county tax collector sells the land of each delinquent taxpayer on the last Monday of August, and the buyer holds a tax-sale purchase that the owner can redeem for two years. There is no separate tax deed auction. If nobody redeems, the chancery clerk executes a conveyance to the purchaser.
- What interest rate does a Mississippi tax sale pay?
- One and one-half percent per month, or any fractional part of a month, on the taxes and costs from the date of sale. That is 18 percent per year simple. Because a fraction of a month counts as a whole month, even an immediate redemption pays one month of interest.
- Does the investor keep the 5 percent damages a Mississippi redeemer pays?
- No. The redeemer pays 5 percent damages on the taxes for which the land was sold, but Miss. Code Ann. 27-45-1 tells the chancery clerk to pay those damages to the county and only the balance to the purchaser. Plan a Mississippi return around the 1.5 percent per month interest, not the damages.
- What happens to an overbid at a Mississippi tax sale?
- It is not part of your return. The tax collector reports any amount bid above the taxes and costs to the chancery clerk and it goes into the county treasury. The redeemer pays the statutory amount regardless of the winning bid, and if the land is redeemed the county keeps the excess. Only a former owner whose land is never redeemed can claim it, and only within two years after the redemption period ends.
- How long is the redemption period in Mississippi?
- Two years from the day of the sale. The owner, anyone acting with the owner's consent, or any person interested in the land may redeem in that window. Minors who inherit or acquire land by will and persons of unsound mind get two years after reaching full age or being restored to sanity.
- When are Mississippi tax sales held?
- On the last Monday of August each year, advertised for two weeks in a county newspaper after August 5. A tax collector may also elect a second sale on the first Monday of April, advertised after February 15. A county whose board of supervisors has ratified an agreement with an online provider may run the sale online.
- Can you buy Mississippi tax-sale property over the counter?
- Not from the county. A tract nobody bids on is struck off to the state, and if it is still unredeemed after two years the chancery clerk certifies it to the Secretary of State. Anyone may then apply in writing to the Secretary of State's Public Lands Division to buy the parcel, and the office may also sell state-forfeited land by sealed bid or online auction.
- What notice does a Mississippi tax-sale purchaser have to pay for?
- The chancery clerk, not the purchaser, issues the notice, but the purchaser bears the cost when the land is not redeemed. The clerk must notify the record owner within 180 days and not less than 60 days before the redemption period ends, serve a resident owner through the sheriff or a constable, mail the notice, publish it at least 45 days out, and notify recorded lienors. Those fees are taxed against the owner on redemption and against the purchaser if the land is not redeemed.
Verified Aug 6, 2026 against Mississippi 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.