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Tax Sale Atlas

Buchanan County, IA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Buchanan County, IA tax sale, one of 2,553 counties in 30 states. Iowa sells tax lien certificates paying up to 24%. Sale office, calendar and list locations read from the county’s own official pages on Jul 29, 2026.

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

New to tax sales? Read how Iowa tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
Iowa holds no tax deed auction.
Format
ZEUS
Registration
Bidding is online only.
County office
(319) 334-4340
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Buchanan County sells delinquent taxes

From lien to deed

Iowa holds no separate tax deed auction. The county treasurer makes out a deed for each parcel sold and unredeemed immediately after 90 days have expired from the date of completed service of the notice of expiration of the right of redemption, once the holder returns the certificate of purchase and pays the deed and recording fees.

Tax certificate sale (lien)

SRI / ZEUS
Run by
Buchanan County Treasurer's Office
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Annual tax sale each June.
Registration
Bidding is online only.
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)
When it runs
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 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 bc_treasurer@co.buchanan.ia.us.

Sale format and venue
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.
Register on SRI / ZEUS
Source: Buchanan County Treasurer - Tax Sales· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Buchanan County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Buchanan County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Delinquent Tax List & Notice of Tax Sale (legal publication) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Bidding is online only. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Iowa holds no tax deed auction. Bidding runs on ZEUS; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use County Treasurer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Buchanan County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Delinquent Tax List & Notice of Tax Sale (legal publication). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm 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 bc_treasurer@co.buchanan.ia.us.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Iowa due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

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. Every state has its own name for what goes unsold, so check what Iowa calls its leftover tax-sale inventory.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

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

County notes

  • 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 bc_treasurer@co.buchanan.ia.us; 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 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?

Tax lien certificates. In Iowa investors buy the lien, not the property; the County Treasurer runs the sale.

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 County Treasurer before the sale.

How often does Buchanan County hold tax deed sales?

Buchanan County holds its tax deed sale none. Iowa holds no tax deed auction. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Iowa's redemption rule: 1 year 9 months from the sale before the notice of expiration can be served, then 90 days after service is complete. Call the County Treasurer as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Buchanan County tax sale list?

Buchanan County posts its tax sale list at cms4files1.revize.com. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

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

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.

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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

Iowa tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Buchanan County Treasurer's OfficeOpen auction