Nova Scotia Deed Transfer Tax Calculator 2026
The deed transfer tax a buyer pays in Nova Scotia, at the 2026 rates.
In Nova Scotia, the deed transfer tax on a $750,000 home is $11,250 in 2026, 1.50% of the price. Nova Scotia has no first-time buyer rebate. On the average home in Nova Scotia, $463,312 in September 2026, it comes to $6,950.
Work out yours
Halifax = 1.5% · Other municipalities = 1.0%–1.5%
Land transfer tax
$11,250.00
Effective rate: 1.50% of purchase price
Provincial
$11,250
Nova Scotia deed transfer tax is set by each municipality, from 1.0% to 1.5% (Halifax 1.5%).
Estimates only. Rates and thresholds change; always confirm with your lawyer at closing. Non-resident buyer taxes (NRST, FBT) are not included.
Nova Scotia deed transfer tax rates, 2026
Each municipality sets its own rate, from 1% to 1.5% of the price, on the whole price rather than in brackets. Halifax Regional Municipality charges 1.5%, and the figures on this page use that rate; change it in the calculator for another municipality.
The deed transfer tax at common prices
| Home price | Tax | Share of price |
|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $4,500 | 1.50% |
| $500,000 | $7,500 | 1.50% |
| $750,000 | $11,250 | 1.50% |
| $1,000,000 | $15,000 | 1.50% |
| $1,500,000 | $22,500 | 1.50% |
| $2,000,000 | $30,000 | 1.50% |
| $3,000,000 | $45,000 | 1.50% |
At Halifax's 1.5%. A municipality charging 1% pays two thirds of these figures.
On a typical home in Nova Scotia
| Market | Price | Tax | Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Scotia | $463,312 average price | $6,950 | September 2026 |
| Halifax-Dartmouth | $585,650 average price | $8,785 | September 2026 |
Prices are from our monthly reports, linked in the table. For the down payment, the other closing costs and the income needed to buy one, see the cost to buy in Nova Scotia and the cost to buy in Halifax-Dartmouth.
First-time buyers
Nova Scotia has no first-time buyer rebate on its deed transfer tax: a first-time buyer pays the full amount.
The other help for first-time buyers in Nova Scotia, from the federal savings accounts to provincial loans and rebates, is in our guide to first-time home buyer programs by province.
About the deed transfer tax in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's deed transfer tax is a municipal tax, set by each town and county within the 1.5% ceiling the province allows and paid by the buyer when the deed is recorded, through your lawyer at closing. Halifax, Cape Breton Regional Municipality and most of the larger municipalities charge the full 1.5%; some rural municipalities charge 1% or less.
Buyers who do not live in Nova Scotia also pay the provincial Non-Resident Deed Transfer Tax of 10% of the price, raised from 5% on April 1, 2025, unless they move to the province within six months. It is not included here. There is no first-time buyer rebate.
Deed Transfer Tax in Nova Scotia: Quick Answers
How much is the deed transfer tax in Nova Scotia?
Each municipality sets its own rate, from 1% to 1.5% of the price, on the whole price rather than in brackets. Halifax Regional Municipality charges 1.5%, and the figures on this page use that rate; change it in the calculator for another municipality. That is $7,500 on a $500,000 home, $11,250 on $750,000 and $15,000 on $1,000,000.
Do first-time buyers pay deed transfer tax in Nova Scotia?
Yes, in full: Nova Scotia has no first-time buyer rebate. A first-time buyer pays the same $7,500 on a $500,000 home as anyone else.
What is the deed transfer tax on a typical home in Nova Scotia?
The average price in Nova Scotia was $463,312 in September 2026, so the tax on it is $6,950.
Who pays the deed transfer tax, and when?
The buyer, on closing day: your lawyer collects it with the other closing costs and pays it when the transfer is registered. It cannot be negotiated, deferred or added to the mortgage, so it must be in cash on top of the down payment.
Other provinces and cities
Sources
- Halifax Regional Municipality, Taxes in Halifax (deed transfer tax)
- Government of Nova Scotia, Non-Resident Provincial Deed Transfer Tax
Rates checked October 2026. They change with budgets and by-laws, and your lawyer confirms the amount at closing. Taxes on non-resident buyers are left out.
Related guides & tools
Once you own the home, the yearly tax is on our Nova Scotia property tax rates page.
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