Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for the years 1934-1946. These records were created on the county level for Iowa. The old age tax assistance records start in 1934, but some counties may have records as late as 1952. The records can be used as substitute birth records in some counties, which can be especially significant as it applies to Iowa settlers who may not appear in regular birth records.
 * These records may be in a card or register format.
 * The records are for the people who paid the tax, not the people who received the pension.
 * The old-age assistance program was a mandatory program in Iowa beginning in 1934.
 * The law for this record was passed in March 1934 in the 45th Iowa General Assembly.
 * The purpose of the old age assistance was to provide for those over 65 years of age who did not have any responsible relative capable of caring for them.
 * To create the fund, a head tax of $1.00 the first year and $2.00 annually thereafter was to be collected from all persons over 21 years of age.
 * The law provided that each assessor, at the time of listing property for assessment, was to prepare a list and return it to the county auditor with the names subject to the new tax.
 * Eligibility was based on applications filled out and returned to the Old Age Assistance boards.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Old age tax records may contain the following information:
 * Name
 * Place of birth
 * Date of birth
 * Father's name
 * Mother's maiden name
 * County of residence
 * Post Office address
 * Township or Street Address

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your relative
 * The place where your relative lived

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the ages listed to determine approximate birth dates and find the family in census records
 * Search for vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"Iowa, Old Age Assistance Records, 1934-1946". Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing various recorder, auditor, clerk county offices. State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines. Gibson Memorial Library, Creston.
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