Quick answer
Two offices hold the lists. The Tax Collector publishes every unpaid parcel each May, before its tax certificate sale.
The Clerk of Court lists the properties that are actually going to auction, sold online every Thursday.
Hillsborough’s tax year
Florida sells tax certificates first and the property only years later. Where a parcel sits on this calendar decides what you can do.
November 1
Tax bills go out
Property taxes for the year become due.
You: Nothing to find yet.
April 1
Unpaid taxes turn delinquent
The county adds 3% interest plus advertising costs. Partial payments are no longer accepted.
You: The tax record now shows the bill as delinquent.
May
The Tax Collector advertises the list
Every parcel still unpaid is published ahead of the sale. This is the full delinquent list for the county.
You: Pull the list. It is the biggest lead list of the year.
Last Saturday of May
The tax certificate sale
An online auction on LienHub. Investors pay the taxes and bid the interest rate down from 18%. The owner keeps the property.
You: The owner still owns it and can still sell to you.
Two years after April 1
A tax deed can be requested
The certificate holder can apply to the Tax Collector to force a sale. A certificate that sits unused for seven years expires.
You: An application means the owner is running out of time.
Any Thursday, 10 a.m.
The tax deed auction
The Clerk sells the property online. The owner can still pay off the debt until the tax deed is issued.
You: Bid with cash, or reach the owner before the sale date.
If nobody bids
Lands available for taxes
The parcel goes on the Clerk’s lands available list. After 90 days, anyone can buy it for the opening bid plus interest, taxes, and fees.
You: Check this list for leftovers.
The owner still owns it: your window to buy directly
Where the lists are
All four are official county sources. The auctions themselves run on vendor sites (LienHub and RealTaxDeed), but the county runs the sales.
Hillsborough County sources
- Advertised delinquent listTax Collector. Posted each May, linked from the tax certificate page.
- County-held tax certificatesTax Collector. Certificates nobody bought at the May sale, for sale year round on LienHub.
- Upcoming tax deed salesClerk of Court. The Thursday auction calendar, with every property listed.
- Tax deed case files and lands availableClerk of Court. Each property’s tax deed file, plus parcels nobody bid on.
Upcoming deed sales are also printed under “Notices of Sale” in local legal newspapers. To bid on certificates, register on LienHub before the May sale.
What the 2025 sale tells you
The Tax Collector posts the results of every certificate sale. Here is the latest one.
| Certificates offered | 17,491 |
|---|---|
| Certificates sold | 16,898 |
| Taxes paid by bidders | $75.5 million |
| Winning bidders | 133 |
| Average winning rate | 3.40% |
| Certificates sold at 0.25% | 8,759 |
Source: Tax Collector sale summary. The 2026 results are not posted yet.
Why would anyone bid 0.25%? Florida law guarantees certificate holders at least 5% when the owner pays, unless the bid was zero (section 197.472). So bidders push the rate to almost nothing and still collect 5% on most certificates.
Check one property
Every parcel on the list has a folio number. Use it in each of these searches.
Look up the owner
The Property Appraiser search shows the owner, the mailing address, and any homestead exemption. A mailing address outside Florida often means the owner lives elsewhere.
See what is owed
The tax record search shows each unpaid year and whether a certificate was sold on it.
Check for other debts
Search the Clerk’s official records for a mortgage, liens, or a lis pendens. A lis pendens means a lawsuit, often a foreclosure, is already underway.
See if a sale is set
Search the tax deed files by parcel. An open case means a deed application is in, and a sale date is coming.
New to tax delinquent deals? The main tax delinquent guide covers the three ways to buy and a checklist for each property.
Get Hillsborough alerts by email
The advertised list comes out once a year, but owners fall behind and pay off all year. eFormative checks tax delinquent records monthly and emails you the ones that fit your buy box.
To set it up, send an email like this one.
Send me tax delinquent properties in Hillsborough County, FL.
New here? Start free first, then send it.
Questions
Where is the Hillsborough County tax delinquent list?
The Tax Collector advertises it each May before the tax certificate sale. Find it on the tax certificate page at hillstaxfl.gov, which links to the list on LienHub.
When is the next tax certificate sale?
Hillsborough holds it online on the last Saturday of May. The 2026 sale was on May 30. Check the sale schedule on LienHub for the exact date each year.
Does buying a tax certificate give me the property?
No. A certificate is a lien, not ownership. You earn interest when the owner pays. Only if the taxes stay unpaid for two years can you apply for a tax deed, which sends the property to auction.
How much do I need to bid at a tax deed auction?
A deposit of 5% of your bid or $200, whichever is more, paid during the sale. The rest is due by 10 a.m. the next business day.
Can I buy a tax delinquent property in Hillsborough before the auction?
Yes, from the owner. The owner can sell at any point before the tax deed is issued, and the back taxes are paid from the sale at closing.