tax deed
Wisconsin tax deed guide
Wisconsin counties sell land acquired through tax-deed proceedings. Dane County’s public program is an example of county-owned property disposition, rather than a private certificate auction.
Source review applies to the named instrument and scope in the worked example below. It does not cover every county procedure or transaction in Wisconsin.
When does the clock start?
County acquisition precedes the later sale to an investor. Local notice and former-owner procedures need to be resolved in that sequence.
How and when is a return earned?
No statutory investor interest accrues daily, monthly or annually on this completed deed purchase.
What amount earns a return?
The purchase price is a real-estate acquisition cost, not an interest-bearing certificate balance or guaranteed redemption principal.
What happens at redemption?
Dane County describes a former-owner purchase preference following notice; that local provision is not a statewide investor interest period.
When does earning end?
The county sells its acquired property interest under the published terms, with surplus proceeds handled separately.
Does property use change the rules?
Classification sources checked 2026-09-15. Review applies to the procedures described below; calculator support is stated separately.
Single-family, owner-occupied property has a specific former-owner repurchase protection: §75.35(3), as amended by 2023 Act 207, requires counties to provide an ordinance for that right, including eligible heirs and beneficiaries. Counties may extend the procedure to other property.
Property type and county population also affect the timetable for advertising county-owned tax-deeded land under §75.69. Vacant lots, some occupied rental housing and certain distressed properties in the largest-county category have special treatment. These county-stage rules do not create investor accrual.
What to verify before bidding
Check owner occupancy and single-family status at foreclosure, county acquisition date, local repurchase ordinance, notices and whether a special disposition category applies.
What this calculator covers
The example begins after the county’s applicable former-owner and sale procedures. It does not decide repurchase eligibility or implement every county’s disposition timetable.
Try the rules
What this deed purchase earns
Wisconsin — completed county tax-deeded land purchase. A private buyer purchases county-owned tax-deeded property after the applicable local sale and former-owner procedures. Excludes outstanding municipal certificates, former-owner preference or sale-back, pending proceedings and title or federal claims.
The purchase price is a real-estate acquisition cost, not an interest-bearing certificate balance or guaranteed redemption principal.
The prefilled amounts and any collector conventions below are illustrative assumptions. Confirm those facts for an actual holding.
Holding the property
No statutory interest over time.
The flat line shows no statutory investor interest. Your purchase price is not a repayable lien balance; property value and resale proceeds are separate.
Statutory investor interest is not applicable to this completed property purchase. There is no guaranteed repayment of the purchase price or interest.
View values at each change
| Date | Statutory interest |
|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 | $0.00 |
| Jan 1, 2027 | $0.00 |
No statutory investor interest accrues daily, monthly or annually on this completed deed purchase. Values use the inputs above and the same calculator as the worked example.
No statutory interest for this instrument. Statutory investor interest is not applicable to this completed property purchase. There is no guaranteed repayment of the purchase price or interest.
- A private buyer purchases county-owned tax-deeded property after the applicable local sale and former-owner procedures.
- The county acquires the property before selling it to the investor. Dane County’s former-owner purchase preference expires sixty days after delivery of its notice; that local procedure is not investor accrual.
- The holding date does not start an investor interest clock. A $25,000 deed purchase still has no statutory interest entitlement after one day, six months or one year; this does not value the property at $25,000 or promise its repayment.
- Track rental income, actual sale proceeds, ownership expenses and gains or losses separately. Taxpayer delinquency charges and interest payable by a financed buyer are not investor earnings.
- Excludes outstanding municipal certificates, former-owner preference or sale-back, pending proceedings and title or federal claims.
Illustrative statutory components only, not investment profit. Nonrefundable overbids and fees can produce a loss even when interest is earned. Cash receipts, property value, sale proceeds and booked income are separate.
Before you bid
What to watch for
- Do not present every county’s land-sale terms as a statewide redemption-rate rule.
- Calculator scope: A private buyer purchases county-owned tax-deeded property after the applicable local sale and former-owner procedures. Excludes outstanding municipal certificates, former-owner preference or sale-back, pending proceedings and title or federal claims.
Read the rules
Official sources
Use the governing law and the county’s sale terms to confirm the rules for your certificate or deed.
Keep reading
Related guides
Compare nearby states, then return to the full library or the product page that matches this instrument.