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Online Resources

 * 0000-0000 - [URL HERE NAME OF COLLECTION] at NAME OF WEBSITE (Free /$)

Why Use Tax Records
By studying several consecutive years of tax records you may determine when a young men came of age, when individuals moved in and out of a home, or when they died leaving heirs. Authorities determined wealth (real estate, or income) to be taxed. Taxes can be for polls, real and personal estate, or schools.

Tax record content varies and may include the name and residence of the taxpayer, description of the real estate, name of original purchaser, description of personal property, number of males over 21, number of school children, slaves, and farm animals. Tax records usually are arranged by date and locality and are not normally indexed. Tax records can be used in place of missing land and census records to locate a person’s residence.

State Level
The 1771 lists have been published in:
 * 1771 The Massachusetts tax valuation list of 1771 Pruitt, Bettye Hobbs, ed. The Massachusetts Tax Valuation List of 1771. Boston, Massachusetts: G.K. Hall, 1978. (Besides Salt Lake click on WorldCat for other locations)

A federal 1798 direct tax census and surname index is:
 * 1798 Massachusetts and Maine Direct Tax Census of 1798 United States, Secretary of the Treasury. Massachusetts and Maine Direct Tax Census of 1798. Cambridge, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1978. (Besides Salt Lake, click on WorldCat for other Locations)

''The original 1798 tax records are at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. These are described in: ''
 * 1798 An Index and Guide to the Microfilm Edition of the Massachusetts and Maine Direct Tax Census of 1798 Gorn, Michael H., ed. An Index and Guide to the Microfilm Edition of the Massachusetts and Maine Direct Tax Census of 1798. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1979. (Besides Salt Lake, click on WorldCat for other Locations)

Boston Public Library Boston tax lists of the 1800s are at: 700 Boylston St. Boston MA 02116 Phone: (617) 536–5400 E-mail: [mailto:info@bpl.org info@bpl.org ]

England Historic Genealogical Society Address:101 Newbury Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116-3007 Phone: 617-536-5740; Library 617-226-1231



Tax Laws
Abraham Lincoln instituted the income tax in 1862, and on July 1, 1862, Congress passed the Internal Revenue Act, creating the Bureau of Internal Revenue (later renamed to the Internal Revenue Service). This act was intended to “provide Internal Revenue to support the Government and to pay interest on the Public Debt.” Instituted in the height of the Civil War, the “Public Debt” at the time primarily consisted of war expenses. For the Southern States that were part of the Confederate side of the Civil War, once Union troops took over parts of the Southern States, income tax were instituted on them.


 * To learn more about this Collection click here


 * To learn more about the Civil War taxes click here

Websites:

 * Amherst 1918 Poll Tax