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Tax Sale Atlas

Marion County, IA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Marion 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 Marion County, seat of Knoxville: 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
Registration is online only.
County office
(641) 828-2202
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Marion 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
Marion County Treasurer
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Third Monday in June.
Registration
Registration is online only.
Next expected
on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Marion County Treasurer tax sale page
When it runs
Third Monday in June. The Treasurer's tax sale page states: "The Annual Tax Sale is held online on the third Monday of June. This year it will be June 15, 2026." A county news post repeats the date: "The annual tax sale will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026."
Registration and deposit

Registration is online only. The Treasurer states unpaid taxes are offered "online at www.iowataxauction.com" and instructs bidders to "Register online at www.iowataxauction.com. No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted." For the 2026 sale the registration window runs Monday, May 18, 2026 through Thursday, June 11, 2026, and "All steps in the registration process must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on June 11, 2026." Bidders must complete the online W-9 form and pay a non-refundable $40.00 registration fee by ACH debit. Platform support is listed as (800) 800-9588 or support@iowataxauction.com.

Sale format and venue
The sale is conducted entirely online through iowataxauction.com, the Zeus Auction Program operated by SRI, which describes itself as a local government vendor providing tax sale services to counties in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana and Michigan since 1989. The Treasurer publishes qualifying outstanding parcels in the county's official newspaper, the Marion County Express, "one time during the last week in May each year," and tells investors they "may also view an updated listing at www.iowataxauction.com by registering to bid." On the county's tax sale page the Treasurer notes the winning bidder "pays the outstanding taxes only," that "two percent (2%) interest per month for up to three (3) years accrues on the outstanding tax sale amount," and that if a certificate is not redeemed within one year and nine months the investor may file a 90-day affidavit with the Treasurer's office to acquire a tax sale deed. The county page does not state the bidding method, so confirm the bid procedure with the Treasurer or in the platform's auction rules before the sale.
Register on SRI / ZEUS
Source: Marion County, Iowa Treasurer - Tax Sale· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Marion County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Marion 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 Marion County Treasurer tax sale page for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Registration 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 Marion County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Marion County Treasurer tax sale page. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Registration is online only. The Treasurer states unpaid taxes are offered "online at www.iowataxauction.com" and instructs bidders to "Register online at www.iowataxauction.com. No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted." For the 2026 sale the registration window runs Monday, May 18, 2026 through Thursday, June 11, 2026, and "All steps in the registration process must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on June 11, 2026." Bidders must complete the online W-9 form and pay a non-refundable $40.00 registration fee by ACH debit. Platform support is listed as (800) 800-9588 or support@iowataxauction.com.

  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)

Marion County Treasurer

(641) 828-2202

Marion County Courthouse, 214 E Main St, Second Floor, Knoxville, IA 50138

Official website

County notes

  • Marion County's certificate sale is fully online at iowataxauction.com. The Treasurer's page describes no in-person courthouse bidding option.
  • Registration closes several days before the sale. For 2026 the Treasurer set an 11:59 p.m. June 11 cutoff for a June 15 sale, so late registration is not possible.
  • The $40.00 registration fee is non-refundable and must be paid by ACH debit through the auction platform.
  • The statutory parcel list is published in print in the Marion County Express during the last week of May. The county does not post a downloadable delinquent list, so the working list for investors is the one inside the auction platform after registration.
  • The Treasurer lists tax@marioncountyiowa.gov as the tax department email and office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
  • The county's legal notices page carries individual tax sale redemption notices rather than the annual sale list.

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 Marion 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 Marion County tax certificate sale?

Third Monday in June. The Treasurer's tax sale page states: "The Annual Tax Sale is held online on the third Monday of June. This year it will be June 15, 2026." A county news post repeats the date: "The annual tax sale will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026." 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 Marion County hold tax deed sales?

Marion 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 Marion County tax sale list?

Marion County posts its tax sale list at marioncountyiowa.gov. 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 Marion County TreasurerOpen auction