| Share | Rate | On $750,000 |
|---|---|---|
| General rate | 1.0% | $7,500 |
| Total | 1.0% | $7,500 |
| City | Rate | On $750,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Annapolis County | 1.02% | $7,687 |
On a $750,000 building, the deed transfer tax in St. Mary's comes to $9,375, at the 1.25% 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 St. Mary's, a triplex bought at $750,000 will then pay about $7,500 a year, whatever the seller's bill. Plexmeter compares the two and works out the year-2 cash flow.
St. Mary's's rate is 1.0%. On a $750,000 plex that is $7,500 a year.
No. The assessment cap comes off at the sale: on the next roll the building is taxed on its market value.