Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Mississippi

How tax sales work in Mississippi

Mississippi sells tax lien certificates: the buyer pays the taxes and holds a lien that earns interest, and gets the property only if the owner never redeems.

What the buyer earns. 5% damages on the taxes plus interest at 1.5% per month (18% per year) on taxes and costs from the date of sale (no interest on any overbid).

Redemption. Two years after the day of sale, through the chancery clerk..

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County tax collector (redemptions and tax deeds handled by the chancery clerk; forfeited lands by the Secretary of State).

When: Last Monday in August each year (collectors may also hold a sale on the first Monday in April); sales may run several days..

Where: Many counties now sell online (Itawamba County, for example, sells exclusively through GovEase); others still sell at the courthouse..

The list of parcels for each sale is published by the office that runs it, usually a few weeks ahead, in the county's legal newspaper and on the county or platform site. UX Search does not list tax sale parcels; these sales are run by the counties and the platforms they contract, and the links on this page go to the official sources.

Sheriff sales and foreclosure sales in Mississippi

Mississippi mortgage foreclosure is non-judicial: the trustee under the deed of trust sells at public outcry in the county where the land lies after advertising for three consecutive weeks in a county newspaper and posting notice at the courthouse (Miss. Code §89-1-55). There is no statutory right of redemption after the trustee's sale.

A tax sale and a sheriff sale are different animals even when the same office runs both. A tax sale clears unpaid property taxes and in most states wipes out junior liens; a mortgage foreclosure sale pays the lender and may leave tax liens in place. Before bidding at either, pull the title, read the judgment or the tax certificate, and know which liens survive the sale in Mississippi.

Official sources for Mississippi

• Miss. Code §27-45-3 text (2007 HB 1265, Mississippi Legislature)
• Itawamba County Tax Collector tax sale
• DeSoto County tax sale

Statute: Miss. Code §§27-41-55 through 27-41-89 (tax sales), §§27-45-1 through 27-45-27 (redemption); §89-1-55 (deed of trust sales).

Questions people ask

Does Mississippi sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Mississippi sells tax lien certificates: the buyer pays the taxes and holds a lien that earns interest, and gets the property only if the owner never redeems. Mississippi county tax collectors sell land with unpaid taxes at an annual tax sale on the last Monday of August (with an optional first-Monday-in-April sale); the buyer pays the taxes and costs and holds a tax sale lien, not title. The owner has two years from the sale to redeem through the chancery clerk by paying the taxes, 5% damages and interest of 1.5% per month; overbids earn nothing and are not refunded. If not redeemed, the purchaser may obtain a tax deed from the chancery clerk; unsold parcels are struck off to the state and handled by the Secretary of State.

How long is the redemption period after a tax sale in Mississippi?

Two years after the day of sale, through the chancery clerk.

What does the buyer earn if the owner redeems in Mississippi?

5% damages on the taxes plus interest at 1.5% per month (18% per year) on taxes and costs from the date of sale (no interest on any overbid)

Who runs tax sales in Mississippi?

County tax collector (redemptions and tax deeds handled by the chancery clerk; forfeited lands by the Secretary of State). Many counties now sell online (Itawamba County, for example, sells exclusively through GovEase); others still sell at the courthouse.

When are tax sales held in Mississippi?

Last Monday in August each year (collectors may also hold a sale on the first Monday in April); sales may run several days.

Are sheriff sales in Mississippi judicial?

Mississippi mortgage foreclosure is non-judicial: the trustee under the deed of trust sells at public outcry in the county where the land lies after advertising for three consecutive weeks in a county newspaper and posting notice at the courthouse (Miss. Code §89-1-55). There is no statutory right of redemption after the trustee's sale.

Can anyone bid at a tax sale or sheriff sale in Mississippi?

Generally yes, with registration through the office or platform that runs the sale, and often a deposit or proof of funds. Payment is usually due the same day or within a few days in certified funds, and the property is sold as is with whatever title questions come with it. Read the county's terms for the sale you are bidding in; they differ from one county to the next in the same state.

Written from the Mississippi statutes and official county pages, last checked October 27, 2026. Rules change by session and by county; the official sources above control. UX Search is independent, lists no tax sale parcels and never takes a bid.