Canada

The real estate tax in Nova Scotia has been abolished

The Nova Scotia government will not, after all, move forward with its controversial non-resident property tax.

Prime Minister Tim Houston announced on Thursday that his government was removing the property tax on all non-residents who own residential property in Nova Scotia.

The announcement comes just two days after Houston said it would cut a property tax that was passed last month as a way to alleviate the province’s housing crisis.

“My intention all along was to improve the accessibility of the home, not to oppose our core value of being a hospitable province,” Houston said in a press release.

“For months, I’ve heard people from Nova Scotia who are concerned about housing affordability and want to be able to buy their first home. I’m committed to finding a tool to make it more affordable for first-time buyers.”

However, the tax on the transfer of documents for a non-resident will continue as planned.

Both measures were introduced in the spring budget.

This is an evolving story. It will be updated.