Real estate title glossary
What is tax deed?
Definition
A tax deed is the deed a government issues to the buyer of a property sold for unpaid property taxes, after any redemption period has run.
States differ: tax deed states sell the property itself, tax lien states sell a lien that can ripen into a deed. Title from a tax deed is often treated as risky until a quiet title action is completed.
How it shows up in a title search
A tax deed in the chain prompts a check of the sale notices and redemption period, and of liens the sale may not have cleared.
Guides that go deeper
- Tax Sale: How a Property Tax Sale Works, State by StateA tax sale auctions a property, or the lien on it, for unpaid property taxes. How lien sales and tax deed sales differ, redemption, notice, and title impact.
- Tax Lien: What It Is, How It Attaches, and Where It RanksA tax lien is the government's legal claim on property for unpaid taxes. How a property tax lien attaches on January 1, where it ranks, and how to find one.
- Quiet Title Action: What It Is, When It Is Used and How It WorksA quiet title action is a lawsuit that settles who owns land. When it is used (clouds, adverse claims, lost heirs), the steps, and what Florida and Arizona law say.
Related terms
Source: Legal Information Institute, Wex: tax sale. Plain-English summary of general US usage; state law varies, and this is not legal advice.