The Nova Scotia government is raising taxes to balance its books. Today’s budget includes a series of revenue measures that will add $271.4 million to the provincial treasury in the coming year.
In addition to partly rescinding its 10% personal income tax cut and increasing user fees, the Conservative government is increasing both the large corporation tax and the capital tax on financial institutions.
Almost all of the additional revenue will go to fund the provinces health-care system.
There will also be increased spending on public education, universities, colleges, community services and roads.
The province is projecting a surplus of $2.1 million on a total budget of $5.6 billion.
The budget released further details of the government’s plan to partially claw back its income tax cut, which only came into effect on January 1.
Anyone earning less than $29,590 a year will not be affected by the clawback.
Those taking home between $29,590 and $59,180 will lose a portion of the tax break, while anyone with income above that threshold will lose the benefit entirely.
The Conservatives have also introduced a new high tax category at the upper end of the scale for people earning over $93,000 a year.
The changes are retroactive to the beginning of the year.