Nova Scotia
Land Transfer Tax Calculator
Looking to calculate your land transfer tax in Nova Scotia? Before you finalize your home purchase, you’ll want to ensure that you’ve put enough money aside to cover items associated with closing the deal.
Land transfer tax (LTT) is one of the largest costs associated with the closing of your home, often overlooked when calculating your total purchase amount. There may be several fees and closing costs related to transferring the property from seller to buyer. You should prepare to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
In Nova Scotia, the land transfer taxes paid by homebuyers is the Provincial & Municipal Deed Transfer Taxes.
nesto’s Land Transfer Calculator will help simplify your budgeting efforts for all the costs associated with your homebuying process.
See: Everything You Need to Know About the Land Transfer Tax
Nova Scotia Land transfer tax calculator
Nova Scotia deed transfer tax rates
The Land transfer tax (LTT), known provincially as the Provincial Deed Transfer Tax in Nova Scotia, is calculated based on the purchase price of your property and only applies to non-residents of the province.
Nova Scotia Provincial Deed Transfer Tax (PDTT)
The Provincial (non-resident) Deed Transfer Tax (PDTT) is effective for all purchase and sale agreements and other specific transfers starting 1 April 2022.
The PDTT applies to all residential properties or portions of property deemed residential with 3 dwelling units or less, including vacant land classified as residential.
The PDTT is a 5% tax levied on the purchase price or the property’s assessed value (whichever is greater).
The PDTT applies to residential properties of 3 or fewer dwelling units being transferred to 1 or more owners, where more than 50% of the ownership interest in the property is granted to non-residents of Nova Scotia.
| Property Value | Deed Transfer Tax |
| All amounts | 5% of property value |
Note: You may use our Land Transfer Calculator to estimate your required land transfer tax for Nova Scotia; however, the final value must be confirmed with your solicitor.
Provincial Deed Transfer Tax (PDTT) Rebates & Exemptions
There are many exemptions for this tax, including becoming a province resident within 6 months after the deed is transferred to your name.
If residents of Nova Scotia hold 50% or more of the ownership interest in the property, the PDTT does not apply. For example: If 2 siblings (1 resident and 1 non-resident) acquire a residential property and the ownership interest of each sibling is 50%, then the PDTT does not apply.
Ownership Interest in the Property
If a property has multiple owners, each owner’s interest is determined by whether the owners are considered joint tenants or tenants in common:
• Joint tenants have equal interests in a property.
• Tenants in common each have a property interest as stated on the property’s title document (e.g. deed) or parcel register (under the Land Registration Act). If no interest is stated on either, then equal interests are applied.
Total ownership interest in a property must not exceed 100%.
Municipal Deed Transfer Tax (MLTT)
In addition to the Provincial Deed Transfer Tax (PDTT), municipalities in Nova Scotia will require their municipal land transfer taxes, known as the Municipal Deed Transfer Tax (MDTT), ranging from 0.50% to 1.50%, to be paid through the province upon the purchase of residential property or land.
| Property Value | Deed Transfer Tax |
| All amounts | 0.5% – 1.50% (based on municipality) |
Municipal Deed Transfer Tax (MDTT) Rates are set by each Municipality and are updated when the Municipalities advise the province of any rate change. This list of rates is as current as possible; however, rate changes are at the discretion of the municipalities and may not be reported to Service Nova Scotia. You are advised to check with the Municipality to confirm the most recent rate before conducting a transaction. Municipal Deed Transfer Tax Rates
Nova Scotia & Federal Taxes, Rebates and Regulations
Nova Scotia has the most simplified and lowest land transfer taxes. Please review in detail to see if these additional taxes impact you. We have included links to the taxes and additional links if any programs exist for rebates.
The federal government announced a measure to prohibit non-Canadians from purchasing residential property in Canada for 2 years in Budget 2022. The legislation known as the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act was passed on June 23, 2022. This law will come into effect on January 1, 2023, for two years ending on December 31, 2025.
HST in Nova Scotia is 15%, made up of 5% GST and 10% PST. The amount of rebate you can receive for the GST Portion is 36% of the GST tax amount up to a maximum of $6,300. The amount of rebate you can receive for the PST Portion is 18.75% of the PST tax amount up to a maximum of $3,000. You may be able to recover some of the GST paid through the federal government’s New Housing Rebate (NHR). You may be eligible for an exemption from paying this tax if you meet certain conditions if this home is your primary residence.
Conversely, if you plan to rent out the newly built home, then you may be able to claim the GST as a legitimate business expense. As well as applying to the CRA for the second type of rebate designed for real estate investors, the New Residential Rental Property Rebate (NRRPR).
PST Rebate for Newly Built Homes provides a rebate to first-time buyers for the PST Portion is 18.75% of the PST tax amount up to a maximum of $3,000.
Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP) assists Nova Scotians who pre-qualify for an insured mortgage to purchase their first home. Eligible participants can apply to receive a loan of up to 5% of the purchase price of a home. Loans provided under this program are interest-free, repayable over 10 years, and must be used for a down payment (cannot be used for financing, closing, or other costs). The maximum loan available is $25,000. This program is limited to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have resided in Nova Scotia for at least 12 months preceding the application process and cannot provide the 5% down payment without this assistance. Household income is limited to $145,000, with property value limitations ranging from $375,000 to $500,000 based on the municipality where the property is located.
Energy Efficiency Programs introduced by the provincial government to assist homeowners and renters in upgrading their home’s energy infrastructure at no cost.
Provincial Sales Tax (PST) is not collected in Nova Scotia by your solicitor on the amount of your default (high ratio) mortgage insurance. An insured mortgage is qualified as such when your down payment is less than 20%. Therefore, you will need to purchase default (high ratio) insurance. Although this insurance is added to your mortgage, the taxes (PST) on purchasing this insurance are not. Your solicitor will collect and remit the PST on behalf of the default (high ratio) insurer (CMHC, Sagen, or Canada Guaranty) upon closing.
Nova Scotia Property Taxes
Property tax is a levy based on the property’s assessed value, payable to your municipality per their schedule.
Property taxes are calculated using values through the Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC).
PVSC is an independent agency that provides a quality property assessment system for Nova Scotia.
Click on your municipality below for more details on tax rates, payment schedules and contact information.
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