Canada Nova Scotia drops Harmonized Sales Tax increase

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia has dropped its plans to reduce its sales tax, Harmonised Sales Tax, from 15% to 14% as planned on 1 July 2014

At 15%, Nova Scotia has the second highest consumption tax rate in Canada. Most of the big provinces are now around 13%. Nova Scotia budgeted in 2013 to reduce its HST eventually to 13% by 1 July 2015.

However, the new state government withdrew the tax cuts as part of its election manifesto. The formal news of the scrapping of the plan has long been expected since the region’s deficit has now hit $279m.