Kossuth County, IA tax sales
Tax Sale Atlas maps the Kossuth 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 Kossuth County, seat of Algona: 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
- County office
- (515) 295-3404
On this page
How Kossuth 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)
- Run by
- Kossuth County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual online tax sale held in June.
- Next expected
- on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
When it runs
Registration and deposit
Register and bid through Iowa Tax Auction at iowataxauction.com, which the Treasurer links as "Register And Bid For Tax Sales". The Treasurer states registration opens Monday, May 18, 2026 for the 2026 sale. The platform's process is to create an account, select the auction and apply to participate, wait for approval, then view listings and bid. The Treasurer's page also lists a W-9 and a Designation of Agent for Service, filed with the Iowa Secretary of State or the Kossuth County Recorder, among the tax sale documents.
Sale format and venue
Kossuth County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Kossuth 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.
Get the advertised list
Use Kossuth County tax sale bidder listing and notices for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.Sale day
Iowa holds no tax deed auction. Bidding runs on ZEUS; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.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 Kossuth County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Kossuth County tax sale bidder listing and notices. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
Register and bid through Iowa Tax Auction at iowataxauction.com, which the Treasurer links as "Register And Bid For Tax Sales". The Treasurer states registration opens Monday, May 18, 2026 for the 2026 sale. The platform's process is to create an account, select the auction and apply to participate, wait for approval, then view listings and bid. The Treasurer's page also lists a W-9 and a Designation of Agent for Service, filed with the Iowa Secretary of State or the Kossuth County Recorder, among the tax sale documents.
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.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
unsold certificates
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)
County notes
- Kossuth County runs its annual tax sale online through Iowa Tax Auction, the Zeus Auction Program platform linked by the Iowa State County Treasurers Association, rather than in person at the courthouse in Algona.
- The county's own treasurer page at kossuthcounty.iowa.gov carries little sale detail. It states the Treasurer "is required to conduct the annual sale of delinquent property tax liens" and links out to the Iowa State County Treasurers Association page for tax sale information, so that page is the operative source for dates and documents.
- Bidder paperwork listed by the Treasurer includes a W-9 and a Designation of Agent for Service, filed with either the Iowa Secretary of State or the Kossuth County Recorder.
- The 2026 published bidder listing, printed 5/27/2026, showed 338 parcels available for sale totaling $244,429.44 across Kossuth townships and the incorporated towns including Algona, Swea City, Titonka, Wesley and Whittemore. Much of the roster is agricultural acreage.
- The Treasurer's office is on the middle floor of the courthouse and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The general email listed is treasurer@kossuthcounty.iowa.gov.
- The Treasurer's page states that no tax payments can be accepted during the month of July.
- The Treasurer lists separate phone lines: property tax at (515) 295-3404, motor vehicle at (515) 295-7402, and driver's license at (515) 295-7724. Fax is (515) 295-3071.
Iowa rules
- 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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kossuth County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?
When is the Kossuth County tax certificate sale?
How often does Kossuth County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Kossuth County tax sale list?
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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