Mortgage · Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia closing costs calculator.

The deed transfer tax rate is set by your municipality, not the province, and a non-resident buyer pays a second tax at 10%. Pick the rate for the property and see the cash you need on closing day.

On a $500,000 Halifax home with 20% down, the municipal deed transfer tax at 1.5% is $7,500 and cash to close is about $10,752 with typical legal, title insurance, inspection and appraisal estimates. In a municipality that charges 1.0% the tax is $5,000 and the total $8,252.

Rates read 18 October 2026Runs in your browserNo data collected

Inputs

Purchase

Purchase price

Down payment

Under 20% means the mortgage must be insured; the premium is normally added to the mortgage.

Municipal deed transfer tax rate Each municipality sets its own rate, capped at 1.5%. Check your municipality in the provincial list linked below.

A buyer is not a Nova Scotia resident (adds the 10% provincial non-resident tax)

Share of the property going to non-resident buyers

Only used when the box above is ticked.

Assessed value (for the non-resident tax)

The tax uses the greater of the price and the assessed value.

Your own estimates (not published rates)

Legal fees

Before tax. The tool adds the GST/HST for the province.

Title insurance

Home inspection

Appraisal

Other disbursements and adjustments

Prepaid property tax or utilities owed to the seller, moving, locks, and so on. Editable placeholders, not quotes and not published rates. Replace them with figures from your lawyer, inspector and lender.

Cash to close

Fill the form and press Calculate.

How Nova Scotia closing costs are built

The biggest line is the municipal deed transfer tax. Each municipality sets its own rate on the sale price, capped at 1.5%. The provincial list (July 2026) shows Halifax Regional Municipality and Cape Breton Regional Municipality at 1.5%, three municipalities at 1.25% (the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s and the Town of Berwick) and a number of others at 1.0%. The province warns that its list can lag council decisions, so confirm the rate with the municipality before closing.

The non-resident provincial tax

If any ownership interest goes to a non-resident of Nova Scotia, a separate provincial deed transfer tax of 10% applies for agreements signed after March 31, 2025. It is 10% of the non-resident ownership interest multiplied by the greater of the purchase price and the assessed value, and it is charged on top of the municipal tax. Non-resident individuals who plan to move to the province may qualify for an exemption if they move and prove residency within the time allowed: 6 months for transfers before August 6, 2026 and 12 months for transfers on or after that date.

Worked example. A $500,000 property, assessed at $450,000, bought entirely by a non-resident: municipal tax at 1.5% is $7,500 and the provincial tax is $50,000, so cash to close with the default estimates is about $60,752.

HST on legal fees

Nova Scotia’s HST has been 14% since April 1, 2025, and it applies to your lawyer’s fee. The tool adds it. Land registry fees are not modelled here: put them under other disbursements using your lawyer’s quote.

Sources and as-of dates

Service Nova Scotia: Municipal deed transfer tax rates (July 2026).
Nova Scotia: Non-resident provincial deed transfer tax (10%, formula and exemption window).
CRA: GST/HST rates (Nova Scotia 14% from April 1, 2025).
Legal fees, title insurance, inspection, appraisal and other disbursements are not published rates. The defaults ($1,800, $350, $500, $350) are TNAADO planning placeholders, October 2026; replace them with quotes.

For a municipality-by-municipality lookup use the Nova Scotia deed transfer tax calculator.

Sources, read 18 October 2026: Municipal deed transfer tax rates (July 2026); Non-resident tax; CRA: GST/HST rates by province (Nova Scotia 14% from 1 April 2025).

Frequently asked questions

How much are closing costs in Nova Scotia?

Mainly the municipal deed transfer tax plus legal fees. On a $500,000 home in Halifax the tax is $7,500 and total cash to close is about $10,752 with the default estimates.

What is the deed transfer tax rate in Halifax?

Halifax Regional Municipality charges 1.5%, the maximum a municipality can charge, according to the provincial list dated July 2026. Confirm with the municipality before closing because the list can lag a council decision.

Does Nova Scotia have a first-time buyer deed transfer tax rebate?

No. There is no first-time buyer relief against the municipal or provincial deed transfer tax, so this page has no first-time buyer box.

Who pays the 10% non-resident tax in Nova Scotia?

The buyer, when any ownership interest in the residential property goes to a non-resident of Nova Scotia. It is 10% of the non-resident interest times the greater of the price and assessed value, on top of the municipal tax, unless an exemption applies.

Is HST charged on legal fees in Nova Scotia?

Yes, at 14% since April 1, 2025. The tool adds it to the legal fee you enter.

What other costs are there at closing in Nova Scotia?

Land registry fees, a survey or title insurance, the home inspection, the appraisal your lender asks for and adjustments for prepaid property tax or fuel. Enter them in the estimate fields; they are your own figures, not published rates.

Estimate only — confirm with your lawyer or notary

This tool applies published rates to the numbers you type. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, it is not an official calculator of any government, and it does not look anything up in a land registry. Rules, exemptions and fee schedules change, and eligibility depends on facts it cannot see. Confirm every figure with your lawyer or notary and lender before closing.