| Share | Rate | On $750,000 |
|---|---|---|
| General rate | 0.89% | $6,698 |
| Fire protection | 0.16% | $1,199 |
| Provincial education | 0.32% | $2,367 |
| Fire hydrants | 0.15% | $1,133 |
| Transit | 0.14% | $1,050 |
| Total | 1.66% | $12,447 |
| City | Rate | On $750,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Berwick | 1.63% | $12,210 |
| Springhill-Parrsboro | 1.65% | $12,375 |
| Sydney Mines | 1.66% | $12,447 |
| Amherst | 1.67% | $12,525 |
| Clark's Harbour | 1.68% | $12,600 |
On a $750,000 building, the deed transfer tax in Sydney Mines 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 Sydney Mines, a triplex bought at $750,000 will then pay about $12,447 a year, whatever the seller's bill. Plexmeter compares the two and works out the year-2 cash flow.
Sydney Mines's rate is 1.66%. On a $750,000 plex that is $12,447 a year.
No. The assessment cap comes off at the sale: on the next roll the building is taxed on its market value.