Nova Scotia deed transfer tax calculator
Municipal deed transfer tax for every Nova Scotia municipality, plus the non-resident tax if it applies to you.
Deed transfer tax calculator
Pick the municipality the property is in and enter the price.
Rates from Service Nova Scotia's list (July 2026). Towns can have a different rate from the county around them.
Adds the provincial non-resident deed transfer tax (10%) on homes of 3 units or fewer. You may be exempt if you become a resident within the allowed time.
Deed transfer tax
$6,750
1.5% of $450,000
Breakdown
- Municipal deed transfer tax1.5% · Halifax Regional Municipality
- $6,750
- Total due on closing
- $6,750
The buyer pays deed transfer tax when the deed is registered. Your lawyer takes it from your closing funds, so it has to be paid in cash: it can't be added to your mortgage.
Estimate only, not legal or tax advice. Municipalities can change their rate at any time, so confirm it with the municipality or your lawyer before closing. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere: it clears when you leave the page.
Deed transfer tax rates by municipality
| County | Municipality | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Annapolis | Municipality of the County of Annapolis | 1.5% |
| Annapolis | Town of Annapolis Royal | 1.5% |
| Annapolis | Town of Middleton | 1.5% |
| Antigonish | Municipality of the County of Antigonish | 1% |
| Antigonish | Town of Antigonish | 1.5% |
| Cape Breton | Cape Breton Regional Municipality | 1.5% |
| Colchester | Municipality of Colchester | 1.5% |
| Colchester | Town of Stewiacke | 1% |
| Colchester | Town of Truro | 1.5% |
| Cumberland | Municipality of the County of Cumberland | 1.5% |
| Cumberland | Town of Amherst | 1.5% |
| Cumberland | Town of Oxford | 1.5% |
| Digby | Municipality of the District of Clare | 1% |
| Digby | Municipality of the District of Digby | 1% |
| Digby | Town of Digby | 1.5% |
| Guysborough | Municipality of the District of Guysborough | 1% |
| Guysborough | Municipality of the District of St. Mary's | 1.25% |
| Guysborough | Town of Mulgrave | 1.5% |
| Halifax | Halifax Regional Municipality | 1.5% |
| Hants | Municipality of the District of Hants East | 1.5% |
| Hants | West Hants Regional Municipality | 1.5% |
| Inverness | Municipality of the County of Inverness | 1.5% |
| Inverness | Town of Port Hawkesbury | 1.5% |
| Kings | Municipality of the County of Kings | 1.5% |
| Kings | Town of Berwick | 1.25% |
| Kings | Town of Kentville | 1.5% |
| Kings | Town of Wolfville | 1.5% |
| Lunenburg | Municipality of the District of Chester | 1.5% |
| Lunenburg | Municipality of the District of Lunenburg | 1.25% |
| Lunenburg | Town of Bridgewater | 1.5% |
| Lunenburg | Town of Lunenburg | 1.5% |
| Lunenburg | Town of Mahone Bay | 1.5% |
| Pictou | Municipality of the County of Pictou | 1% |
| Pictou | Town of New Glasgow | 1% |
| Pictou | Town of Pictou | 1% |
| Pictou | Town of Stellarton | 1% |
| Pictou | Town of Trenton | 1% |
| Pictou | Town of Westville | 1% |
| Queens | Region of Queens Municipality | 1.5% |
| Richmond | Municipality of the County of Richmond | 1.5% |
| Shelburne | Municipality of the District of Barrington | 1.5% |
| Shelburne | Municipality of the District of Shelburne | 1.5% |
| Shelburne | Town of Clark's Harbour | 1% |
| Shelburne | Town of Lockeport | 1.5% |
| Shelburne | Town of Shelburne | 1.5% |
| Victoria | Municipality of the County of Victoria | 1.5% |
| Yarmouth | Municipality of the District of Argyle | 1% |
| Yarmouth | Municipality of the District of Yarmouth | 1% |
| Yarmouth | Town of Yarmouth | 1% |
How this calculator works
- Each municipality sets its own deed transfer tax rate, between 1% and 1.5% of the purchase price. The rates come from Service Nova Scotia's list.
- Towns set their own rate, which can differ from the county or district around them, so check which municipality the property is actually in.
- Buyers who aren't Nova Scotia residents also pay the provincial non-resident deed transfer tax: 10% of the higher of the price or the assessed value, on homes of three units or fewer.
- Deed transfer tax is paid by the buyer, in cash, when the deed is registered. It can't be added to the mortgage.
Sources
- Service Nova Scotia: Municipal deed transfer tax rates
- Government of Nova Scotia: Changes to non-resident deed transfer tax (Aug 2026)
Rules and rates last checked October 4, 2026.
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