Residential Taxation
Nova Scotia Assessment classifies property into one of four classes as part of the assessment process. The classification is based on a property's use and whether it meets the requirements for the class as specified by the Assessment Act.
The four property classes are as follows:
Residential
Resource
Commercial
Business Occupancy
Effective April 1, 2008, responsibility for property assessment in Nova Scotia transferred from the Assessment Services division of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations to the Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC). As a result, when your property assessment notice is mailed to you at the end of January, it will have a new look and come from a new organization. The re-designed notice is clearer, easier to read and contains what property owners said they wanted to see on their assessment notice. Please see the attached press release from PVSC for more information on the new assessment notice.
PVSC News Release.pdf
Residential
includes single-family residences, multi-family residences, duplexes, apartments, condominiums, nursing homes, seasonal dwellings, manufactured homes, and some vacant land
the Residential Rate for the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 is $0.59 per $100 of assessment
the 2008 Taxable Residential Assessment for the Municipality was $153,227,500
Resource
includes farm property (land and building used for agricultural purposes), forest property owned by a person who owns less than fifty thousand acres, land of a municipal water utility, excluding the structure, community fisherman's service building occupied and used by boat owners who are licensed commercial fishermen and the land used in connection
the Resource Rate for the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 is $0.59 per $100 of assessment
the 2008 Taxable Resource Assessment for the Municipality was $26,179,600
Split Classification
It is possible for a property with several distinct uses to fall into more than one class. For example, commercial and residential space might be combined in one building. A property may also be a combination of residential, farm and forest land.
In these cases, Property Valuation Services Corporation determines the share of the value of the property attributable to each class.
Please access the following links to obtain more information on the following topics:
Who is the PVSC?
http://www.pvsc.ca/sub_pages/about_us/about_us_main.html
What is property assessment?
http://www.pvsc.ca/sub_pages/valuing_property_pages/valuing_property.html
What is market value?
http://www.pvsc.ca/sub_pages/valuing_property_pages/valuing_property.html
What is the CAP program?
http://www.pvsc.ca/sub_pages/assessment_topics/assessment_topics_main.html
Can I appeal my assessment?
http://www.pvsc.ca/sub_pages/appeal_process/appeal_process_main.html
How do I find out more information about assessments?
Information is available online at Property Assessment Online. If you have other questions or wish to obtain more information about your property assessment, please contact your local PVSC office.