Credit card processing and merchant services in Halifax, NS
Halifax businesses have charged 14% HST since April 2025, and tourism accommodations add a 3% marketing levy. We help you check your tax settings and cut what you pay to take cards.
If a Halifax invoice template or card terminal still shows 15% HST, it's out of date. Nova Scotia's rate has been 14% since April 1, 2025. CRA's transition rule is about timing: 14% applies to any amount that becomes due, or is paid without having become due, on or after that date. If you invoice for services, CRA's own example is work done in March 2025 with payment due on April 15, 2025, and the answer is 14%. Recurring billing plans and invoice templates set up before the change are where the old 15% tends to hide, so open them and check.
If you run a hotel, inn or short-term rental, the Halifax Regional Municipality requires tourism accommodations to collect a marketing levy of 3% of revenues per night. The levy is payable at the time the room is purchased and remitted to the municipality monthly. Give it its own line in your booking system, separate from the HST.
Surcharging credit cards is legal in Nova Scotia, within the 2.4% or cost-of-acceptance cap, with 30 days' notice and clear disclosure. Whether you should do it depends on your margins and your customers, and we'll give you a straight answer either way.
The Halifax census metropolitan area grew 9.1% between 2016 and 2021, to 465,703 people, and we work with businesses across it remotely, each with a dedicated rep. Send a recent statement for a free statement review, and see the Nova Scotia page for the rules that apply across the province.
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Common questions
What HST rate do Halifax businesses charge?
14%, the Nova Scotia rate since April 1, 2025. It's made up of the 5% federal part and a 9% provincial part. Books, children's clothing and footwear, and children's diapers get a point-of-sale rebate of the provincial part, so set those up with their own tax code.
I did the work in March 2025 but the invoice was due in April. Which rate applies?
14%. CRA's transition example covers exactly this: services provided in March 2025 with payment due on April 15, 2025 carry HST at 14%, because the consideration became due and was paid on or after April 1, 2025. If a customer paid you before April 1, 2025, talk to your accountant.
Do Halifax hotels and short-term rentals charge a marketing levy?
Yes. The Halifax Regional Municipality requires tourism accommodations operating in the municipality to collect a marketing levy of 3% of revenues per night, payable at the time of purchase and remitted monthly. Set it up as its own line in your booking and payment systems.
Can I surcharge credit cards at my Halifax business?
Yes. Nova Scotia has no surcharge ban, so you can add up to 2.4% or your cost of acceptance, whichever is lower, to Visa and Mastercard credit card payments. Give 30 days' notice and disclose the fee at the entrance, the till and on the receipt. Debit and prepaid cards can't be surcharged. Our surcharging page explains the setup.
Disclaimer: general information, not professional advice
This page is general educational information, not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Rules and rates vary by place and change, so confirm them with the official source and a qualified professional before you act. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.
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