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Nova Scotia’s sales tax is a single 14% HST. That’s 5% federal GST plus a 9% provincial part, and it’s been 14% since April 1, 2025, when the province cut it from 15%.
How much is the Nova Scotia HST on a purchase?
You pay it once, as one line on the receipt. Nobody adds a separate provincial tax at the till. Here are a few prices and what 14% does to them, using our calculator.
| Price before tax | HST at 14% | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $50.00 | $7.00 | $57.00 |
| $200.00 | $28.00 | $228.00 |
| $1,000.00 | $140.00 | $1,140.00 |
| $2,000.00 | $280.00 | $2,280.00 |
For a quick check in your head, take 10% of the price, then add four tenths of that amount. On $200 that’s $20 plus $8, so $28.
Take a $600 TV in Dartmouth. The HST is $84, so you pay $684. Under the old 15% rate it would have been $90 of tax and $690 at the till. Six dollars on a TV isn’t much, but across a year of takeout, clothes and repairs, the one point adds up to a few hundred bucks for a busy household.
What changed on April 1, 2025?
The province lowered its part of the HST from 10% to 9%. The federal 5% stayed put, so the total went from 15% to 14%. Both the Government of Nova Scotia and the CRA say so, and the CRA’s page on charging and collecting the GST/HST gives the Nova Scotia rate as 14%.
The switch didn’t happen on a single receipt date, and that’s where old bills get confusing. Under the CRA’s transitional rules for goods and services, the rate turns on when the amount became due or was paid. Invoiced before April 1, 2025, and the 15% rate applies, even if the money arrived later. Invoiced on or after that date, 14%. If someone paid in advance before an invoice existed, that early payment was taxed at 15%.
Refunds follow the same logic. Returning something bought before the change gets the 15% back, not 14%.
Here’s how that plays out. A $3,000 appliance invoiced on March 20, 2025 and paid on April 10 carries 15% HST, which is $450. The same invoice dated April 10 would carry 14%, which is $420. The difference is $30.
Is Nova Scotia’s sales tax higher than Ontario’s?
By one point, yes. Ontario charges 13% HST, so the same $1,000 costs $130 there and $140 here. New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island stay at 15%. Alberta charges only the 5% GST.
The GST/HST calculator lets you switch provinces and see the difference on your own price.
How do you take the HST out of a total?
Businesses do this constantly, since the till shows one number. You divide the total by 1.14, not by subtracting 14%. A $1,150 total comes to $1,008.77 before tax and $141.23 of HST. The reverse HST calculator does the arithmetic if you have a pile of receipts.
Buying a new home is a separate matter. The new home GST/HST rebate calculator covers the federal rebates and Ontario’s, but it doesn’t model any Nova Scotia rebate. Ask the seller and check the CRA’s page for real property.
What mistakes do people make with the HST here?
Using 15% on anything dated after March 2025 is the most common one, usually from an old spreadsheet or a template in your accounting software. Check the rate in your system.
The reverse error is charging 14% on an invoice that was issued before April 1, 2025 for work finished later. The transitional rules say that invoice stays at 15%.
A few other traps:
- Housing and land follow separate transitional rules. The CRA has its own notice for real property, and it isn’t the same as the one for goods and services.
- Small businesses under the small supplier limit don’t have to register or charge HST. We read that limit as $30,000, but we couldn’t confirm it on the CRA page itself, so verify it before you rely on it.
- If you charge HST, you also claim back the HST you paid on business costs, so keep the invoices.
Not sure whether something is taxable at all? Some goods and services are zero-rated or exempt, and we don’t cover the full list here. The CRA’s GST/HST pages do.
Does the lower rate show up on everything you buy?
Only on items that carried HST in the first place. Basic groceries are zero-rated across the country, so your milk and bread didn’t get cheaper in April 2025 because they weren’t taxed before either. The savings land on things like restaurant meals, clothing, haircuts and car repairs.
Where the numbers come from
The 14% rate and the April 1, 2025 change come from the Canada Revenue Agency and the Government of Nova Scotia. The transitional rules come from the CRA’s notice on the Nova Scotia HST decrease. All were read in September 2026. This is an independent guide, separate from any government body.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sales tax rate in Nova Scotia?
14% HST, made up of 5% federal GST and a 9% provincial part. It has applied since April 1, 2025.
When did Nova Scotia lower its HST?
On April 1, 2025, when the provincial part fell from 10% to 9% and the total from 15% to 14%.
Which rate applies to an invoice dated before April 1, 2025?
The CRA's transitional rules say 15% applies if the amount became due or was paid before April 1, 2025. On or after that date it is 14%.
Is there a separate provincial sales tax in Nova Scotia?
No. The province uses the HST, so you see one tax line, not GST and PST separately.
How do I remove HST from a total?
Divide the total by 1.14. For example, $1,150 is $1,008.77 before tax plus $141.23 of HST.
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