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Town of Stellarton COVID-19 Tax Financing Program

Published: June 09 2020 15:50

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The Town of Stellarton recognizes that many citizens and businesses have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Town of Stellarton is, therefore, offering a one-time property tax financing program for owners of residential and commercial properties negatively affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

You qualify if you are the owner of:

  • A residential property that is your primary residence and you have experienced a significant reduction in income due to the State of Emergency;
  • Taxable commercial properties (shopping, office,) who have experienced financial hardship through loss of revenue related to the State of Emergency;
  • A property that is used for tourist accommodations (e.g., hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts) and you are tourism operator registered under the Tourist Accommodations Registration Act.

How does the program work?
If your application is approved, your property tax payments will be spread out over 30 months. Your first six (6) payments will be $25 per month. The remainder of your tax bill will be divided by 24 to get the monthly amount you will be expected to pay. A small amount of interest (1.35%) will be applied to your monthly payments.

Example: Mary owns her own home but lost her job due to COVID-19. She applies for the Municipal Property Tax Financing Program and her application is approved. Mary’s tax bill is $2,000. She pays $25 for the first six months. After six months her balance of 2,000 - $150=$1,850 is divided into 24 equal payments of $78.73 plus interest. Mary must pay this amount every month for 24 months. At the end of the program Mary has only had to pay $39.43 in interest.

Note: If you default in any of your monthly payments you will be taken out of the program and will be required to pay the full amount owing. Interest rates will increase to Prime plus 5% if you default on your monthly payments.

How do I apply?
Residents who believe they are eligible can apply through an online form at https://nspropertytaxprogram.ca/. The information is being collected by the Association of Municipal Administrators (AMANS) and the Federation of Nova Scotia Municipalities (NSFM) on behalf of the municipality. This information will be sent to the municipal office for review and approval. Please note:

  • The form must be fully completed for your application to be considered
  • The deadline to submit your application is June 30, 2020
  • The application must be completed by the owner(s) of the property
  • You will be asked for your Property Assessment Number which is on your Property Assessment Notice from Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC). Assessment Notice there is a link on the form which will take you to the PVSC website where you can obtain that information.

 A confirmation that your application has been received will be sent by e-mail.  The Town of Stellarton will notify you if you have been approved.