Halifax Property Tax Calculator 2022
The Halifax Regional Council is contemplating a property tax increase of 8% for 2023. More than 82% of the municipality’s revenue comes from property taxes. Under the current scenario of high costs due to inflation and high-interest rates, the municipality has hardly any choices other than increasing tax rates or decreasing the level of services.
Mayor Mike Savage is looking to explore other options to bring the number down from 8% before the budget is finalized in April. He said, “I’m not convinced it needs to be eight percent. I’d like to see some options because I think right now there’s people who are struggling, and we don’t want to add to their burden.”
The City of Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia located within the ancestral lands of the Mi'kmaq indigenous people and is home to over 439K residents. The population of Halifax increased by 9.1% from 2016 to 2021. Halifax real estate prices increased by 7.3% from August 2021 to August 2022 and the average price of a home in Halifax is $472,473. The number of sales decreased by 29.7% in the same period. Halifax home prices rose by a steep 30.7% between January 2021 and January 2022, which made its cost of housing too high for some locals.
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Halifax Property Taxes
Property tax is a tax based on the assessed value of a property. If you own a property or parcel of land, you will have to pay property tax. It is used to pay for city services such as police, the fire department, and public transit as well as elementary and secondary education.
| Residential Property Tax Rate for Halifax from 2010 to 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Municipal Rate | Educational Rate | Final Tax Rate |
| 2022 | 0.626000% | 0.019000% | 1.084000% |
| 2021 | 0.667000% | 0.022000% | 1.189000% |
| 2020 | 0.670000% | 0.305000% | 1.038000% |
| 2019 | 0.673000% | Not Available | 1.205500% |
| 2018 | 0.667000% | Not Available | 1.198000% |
| 2017 | 0.813000% | 0.307000% | 1.210000% |
| 2016 | 0.669000% | 0.302000% | 1.210000% |
| 2015 | 0.658000% | 0.302000% | 1.210000% |
| 2014 | 0.668000% | 0.299000% | 1.210000% |
| 2013 | 0.661000% | 0.294000% | 1.240000% |
| 2012 | 0.708800% | 0.295000% | 1.280000% |
| 2011 | 0.714000% | 0.306000% | 1.310000% |
| 2010 | 0.702000% | 0.312000% | 1.290000% |
Halifax Property Tax Department Information
For any questions or inquiries about your property tax rate or property tax bill, you can reach out to the city of Halifax's property tax department through the following methods:
Halifax Property Tax Department Information
For any questions or inquiries about your property tax rate or property tax bill, you can reach out to the city of Halifax's property tax department through the following methods:
| Halifax at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| Settled Year | 1605 |
| Established Year | 1749 |
| Incorporated Year | 1996 |
| Population | 403131 |
| City Area | 5,490.35 km 2 (2,119.84 sq mi) |
Property Taxes in Atlantic Canada for a $500K Assessed Value Home*
Property Assessments in Atlantic Canada
Properties in Atlantic Canada are assessed by different organizations for each province.
Nova Scotia
For Nova Scotia, properties are assessed by the Property Valuation Services Corporation which mails out property assessment notices every year in January.
New Brunswick
For New Brunswick, properties are assessed by the province through Service New Brunswick (SNB) which mails out property assessment notices every year in October.
Prince Edward Island (PEI)
For PEI, properties are assessed by the province which mails out property assessment notices along with the property tax bill every year in May.
Newfoundland and Labrador
For Newfoundland and Labrador, properties are assessed by the Municipal Assessment Agency which mails out property assessment notices every year before September.
Most properties are assessed using a market value-based approach. There are three ways that uses to determine a property’s market value:
- Direct Comparison Approach
- Cost Approach
- Income Approach
Residential properties are valued under this approach. This compares the sales of similar properties in the assessment year to determine a valuation for the property. The assessed value may not equal the actual market value or sale value of a property.
Unique and rarely traded properties are valued under this approach. This uses the cost of the property if someone were to rebuild it to determine a valuation for the property minus depreciation due to age or other factors. This includes the price of the land and the price of all improvements (e.g. buildings) on top of it. While this takes into account the market value of the land, it does not consider the market value of the property as a whole.
For properties that are dedicated to generating income like rental properties or offices, an income-based approach is used. This approach uses the income generated by the property as well as the sales price to determine its assessed value.
Property Tax of Other Cities in Atlantic Canada
Halifax homeowners looking to save money are switching to mortgages with lower interest rates. This can decrease your monthly mortgage payments, so you keep more money in your pocket. Learn more about low-interest Halifax mortgages today!