| Share | Rate | On $750,000 |
|---|---|---|
| General rate | 0.65% | $4,905 |
| Supplementary education | 0.01% | $113 |
| Climate action | 0.02% | $120 |
| Provincial contribution | 0.3% | $2,250 |
| Total | 0.98% | $7,388 |
| City | Rate | On $750,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Kings County | 0.85% | $6,398 |
| Colchester County | 0.89% | $6,638 |
| Halifax, rural area | 0.98% | $7,388 |
| St. Mary's | 1.0% | $7,500 |
| West Hants | 1.01% | $7,592 |
On a $750,000 building, the deed transfer tax in Halifax, rural area comes to $11,250, at the 1.5% rate the municipality sets on the price paid. Each municipality sets its own, capped at 1.5% by law.
A buyer who does not live in Nova Scotia adds 10% of the higher of the price and the assessment: $75,000 more on the same triplex. A fourplex is exempt, and a buyer who becomes a resident within a year is exempt too.
In Nova Scotia, the assessment of a building with fewer than four units owned by a resident rises only with inflation: 2.6% in 2026. After years it sits far below market value, and so does the tax bill shown in the listing.
The cap comes off at the sale: on the next roll the building is taxed on its value. In Halifax, rural area, a triplex bought at $750,000 will then pay about $7,387 a year, whatever the seller's bill. Plexmeter compares the two and works out the year-2 cash flow.
Halifax, rural area's rate is 0.98%. On a $750,000 plex that is $7,387 a year.
No. The assessment cap comes off at the sale: on the next roll the building is taxed on its market value.