Tax Lists and Records

Collection Status: Open for Transcription

Transcription Difficulty Rating: Intermediate

About the Collection

The Tax Lists and Records collection features tax records from the holdings of the State Archives of North Carolina, drawn from the General Assembly, Treasurer & Comptroller, and Secretary of State records. While most records are from the Colonial and Revolutionary War eras, some date as late as 1809. Each set of tax records varies, but common data includes:

• Names of heads of households and others subject to taxation
• References to “polls” (poll taxes on adult males, female heads of households, and slaves)
• Details on livestock, luxury goods like carriages, and sometimes enslaved people
• Acreage, valuation, and number of polls in the household (both black and white)

Records sent to the General Assembly list taxation details from various counties, with specific data on livestock and luxury goods. Tax records sent to the State Treasurer or Comptroller typically include similar information along with the settlement of accounts between local officials and the state. The Secretary of State records provide tax lists from fifteen counties, detailing households subject to taxation.

Information on Currency in North Carolina

• "Currency" by John R. deTreville and R. Neil Fulghum in NCPedia
• "The Value of Money in Colonial America" by David Walbert in NCPedia

How to Help Transcribe Documents

The transcription conventions, or “rules,” are located at the bottom of each transcription page.

For additional guidance, check out the following resources:

• Transcription Guide
• Handwriting Guide
• FromThePage Transcription Demo Video

When transcriptions are finalized and exported, they will be added to the digitized items in the North Carolina Digital Collections. Here are a few examples of completed transcriptions by TranscribeNC volunteers:

• Constitution, 1776
• Local Draft Board Records, Macon County
• Appalachian Training School

About Us

The State Archives of North Carolina collects, preserves, manages, and provides access to information that protects citizen rights, documents North Carolina history and culture, promotes transparency, and encourages stewardship of government records.

Thank you for helping us improve public access to historic documents and materials through your transcription efforts.

For more information, please visit the State Archives website.

Questions?

Contact our transcription archivist — Please ensure the subject field is filled out as specifically as possible.