Nova Scotia Pledges $7-Million For Service Sector Property Tax Rebates
HALIFAX — Restaurants, gyms, hair salons, and other service sector businesses in Nova Scotia will get a break on their commercial property tax.
The money will come through a new $7-million Small Business Real Property Tax Rebate Program, which will provide a one-time rebate of a portion of businesses’ paid property taxes.
Qualified businesses can choose a rebate of $1,000, or 50 percent of their commercial property taxes, paid for the final six months of the 2020-21 tax year.
Approximately 3,300 businesses in Nova Scotia’s service sector are eligible for the rebate.
Those rebates will be funded from the Nova Scotia Covid-19 Response Council, administered by Dalhousie University.
Premier Iain Rankin today pointed out that service-sector businesses have been particularly hard-hit by government rules that have put significant restrictions on when and how they can operate.
Last week, as Covid-19 cases surged in Nova Scotia, the government tightened restrictions on bars and restaurants in the HRM, forcing them to close and stop serving food earlier.
Other businesses, like gyms, salons, and tattoo parlors, are also operating under capacity limit restrictions.
Rankin said service-sector businesses have “really stepped up” during the pandemic and that he hopes the extra cash provided by the rebate will help.
“Yes, it is based on property taxes, but it is designed to help business owners help with any aspect of their businesses, including hiring staff or paying down debt, paying utilities or ordering supplies,” he said.
He said he believes the rebates are enough to support struggling businesses when combined with other federal support programs.
Rankin also said the province is “looking at another phase” of support for the hotel and accommodation industry, which has also been particularly hard hit by the pandemic.