Behind on Property Taxes in Mississippi?

Back Taxes in Mississippi: Your Options

This page explains what happens in Mississippi when property taxes on land go unpaid. It covers the due date, the county tax sale, the two-year redemption period through the chancery clerk, and what happens if the land is not redeemed.

After a Mississippi tax sale you are still the legal owner during the redemption period. You can redeem or sell the land until the period ends. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your own parcel, ask your county tax collector or chancery clerk.

When Mississippi property taxes are due

Taxes on real estate are due on or before February 1 for property assessed the year before (Mississippi DOR property tax FAQ). Pay the county tax collector.

The tax sale

If taxes stay unpaid, the land can be sold at the county tax sale. Tax sales can be held on the first Monday in April and the last Monday in August (Mississippi DOR property tax FAQ).

Only registered tax buyers can bid. Paying someone else's delinquent taxes does not make that person the owner (Harrison County Chancery Clerk). Some land is sold to the state. For land sold to the state, the DOR refers owners to the Secretary of State (Mississippi DOR property tax FAQ).

Redemption

You can redeem up to two years from the date of the tax sale through the chancery clerk. You pay the taxes for which the land was sold, any other years owed, interest at 1.5 percent a month, and the fees and penalties required by law. During those two years you remain the legal owner (Harrison County Chancery Clerk).

In the final year, called the maturity year, the chancery clerk runs a title search and notifies people with an interest in the land that the redemption period is about to end (Harrison County Chancery Clerk).

If the land is not redeemed

If the taxes are still unpaid when the two years end, the property matures into a tax deed and passes to the tax buyer, who then owns it (Harrison County Chancery Clerk). Ask the chancery clerk the exact maturity date for your parcel.

Your options if you are behind

Your best choice depends on the land, the amount owed and the maturity date.

• Pay the full amount owed, with penalties, interest and costs, before the next step in the process.
• Ask the tax office whether it offers a payment plan, and get the terms in writing.
• Sell the land before the deadline. The back taxes are paid from the sale at closing.
• If the land was inherited, gather the death certificate and any will or probate papers early, because a sale needs someone with authority to sign.
• If the numbers are large or a deadline is close, talk to a real estate attorney.

Selling land with back taxes in Mississippi

You can sell land after a tax sale while the redemption period is open. At closing, the closing attorney gets a redemption figure from the chancery clerk and pays it from the sale price. The redemption clears the tax sale and the buyer gets clear title.

EasyLotBuyer buys vacant land in Mississippi for cash, including lots with back taxes, liens, title issues or no road access, and land from heirs and estates. We make a cash offer within 24 hours, charge no fees or commissions, and pay the closing costs. We can close in as few as 7 days. Back taxes are paid at closing from the sale.

Where to check your tax status

Current and unpaid taxes: your county tax collector. Land already sold at a tax sale: your county chancery clerk. The Mississippi Department of Revenue property tax FAQ explains due dates and sale dates.