Hillsborough County · Back Taxes · Tax Deed
Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Plant City and the rest of the county run on the same Florida timeline. Here’s how the clock actually works, from the Tax Collector’s own rules.
The short answer
Yes. In Florida you remain the owner until a tax deed is issued, and the Hillsborough Tax Collector says an owner can redeem any time before the property is sold at auction. A sale that pays the taxes before the auction works the same way — the back taxes are paid from the proceeds.
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From the Hillsborough County Tax Collector:
Florida Statutes §197.472 lets a person redeem a tax certificate any time after it’s issued and before a tax deed is issued. The Hillsborough Tax Collector’s own rule for owners is to redeem any time before the property is sold at public auction — so treat the sale date as your real deadline. When the taxes are paid off, the applicant is reimbursed and the sale process stops.
One more detail: if the property is your homestead, the opening bid at a Florida tax deed auction includes an extra amount equal to half the home’s assessed value (§197.502(6)(c)). The Tax Collector also notes that filing bankruptcy may stop a tax deed sale — that’s a question for a bankruptcy attorney, not us.
We buy houses across Hillsborough County for our own account, pay the back taxes at closing, and close in 7–21 days or on your date. You get a written offer, usually within 24 hours of the walkthrough, with the tax payoff shown in the math. AL calls you himself — usually the same day.
In Pinellas instead? Read the Pinellas County version of this guide. Upcoming dates: fall 2026 tax deed auctions.
Hillsborough property taxes are due November 1 and become delinquent if not paid by April 1 of the following year, when 3% interest and advertising costs are added.
A tax certificate is sold on or before June 1 after the taxes go delinquent. If the taxes stay unpaid for two years from the delinquency date, the certificate holder can apply for a tax deed, and the Clerk then schedules a public auction. The process after the application can take months.
Yes. The Hillsborough Tax Collector says the owner can redeem any time before the property is sold at public auction, which stops the sale. Selling the house and paying the taxes from the proceeds before the auction works the same way.
Online at hillsborough.realtaxdeed.com, run by the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court. As of September 2026 the calendar showed sales on most Thursdays at 10:00 AM ET.
AL Cakici · Owner, HomeSellerCashOffer (Tampete Homes LLC)
AL buys houses in Pinellas and Hillsborough for his own account and has personally purchased and assisted with 100+ transactions over 10+ years across the country. He is not an attorney; this page is general information drawn from the sources linked below, not legal advice. Facts checked against those sources on October 8, 2026.
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Straight answers first. If selling isn’t your best move, he’ll say so.
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