5003-PC-16

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Table of contents

• What's new for 2016?
• General information
  • Nova Scotia child benefit
  • Nova Scotia affordable living tax credit
• Completing your Nova Scotia form
• Form NS428, Nova Scotia Tax and Credits
  • Step 1 – Nova Scotia non-refundable tax credits
    • Newcomers to Canada and emigrants
    • ▼Line 5804 – Basic personal amount
    • ▼Line 5808 – Age amount
    • ▼Line 5812 – Spouse or common-law partner amount
    • Line 5816 – Amount for an eligible dependant
    • Line 5820 – Amount for infirm dependants age 18 or older
    • Line 5823 – Amount for young children
    • Line 5824 – CPP or QPP contributions through employment
    • Line 5828 – CPP or QPP contributions on self-employment and other earnings
    • Line 5832 – Employment insurance premiums through employment
    • Line 5829 – Employment insurance premiums on self employment and other eligible earnings
    • ▼Line 5836 – Pension income amount
    • Line 5840 – Caregiver amount
    • ▼Line 5844 – Disability amount (for self)
    • Line 5848 – Disability amount transferred from a dependant
    • Line 5852 – Interest paid on your student loans
    • Line 5856 – Your tuition and education amounts
    • Line 5860 – Tuition and education amounts transferred from a child
    • ▼Line 5864 – Amounts transferred from your spouse or common-law partner
    • ▼Line 5868 – Medical expenses for self, spouse or common-law partner, and your dependent children born in 1999 or later
    • Line 5872 – Allowable amount of medical expenses for other dependants
    • ▼Line 5896 – Donations and gifts
  • Step 2 – Nova Scotia tax on taxable income
  • Step 3 – Nova Scotia tax
    • Line 40 – Nova Scotia tax on split income
  • Line 47 – Nova Scotia additional tax for minimum tax purposes
  • Line 49 – Provincial foreign tax credit
  • Nova Scotia research and development tax credit recapture
• ▼Nova Scotia low-income tax reduction
  • Line 58 – Basic reduction
  • Line 59 – Reduction for spouse or common-law partner
  • Line 60 – Reduction for an eligible dependant
  • Line 62 – Reduction for dependent children born in 1998 or later
• Line 71 – Nova Scotia political contribution tax credit
• Line 73 – Food bank tax credit for farmers
• Line 75 – Labour-sponsored venture capital tax credit
• Line 77 – Equity tax credit
• ▼Line 79 – Age tax credit
• Nova Scotia volunteer firefighters and ground search and rescue tax credit (line 81)
• For more information

Retired seniors: look for the symbol ▼

If you are a retired senior, the ▼symbol in this document and the General Income Tax and Benefit Guide will help you find information on the most common types of pension income, as well as deductions and credits that you may be entitled to.

If you received income or want to claim deductions or credits that are not identified with the ▼symbol, read the information for those types of income, deductions, or credits.

What's new for 2016?

There is a new non-refundable tax credit – the food bank tax credit for farmers. This credit applies to eligible donations of agricultural products by farmers or their spouses or common-law partners to eligible food banks.

The rate used to calculate the dividend tax credit for other than eligible dividends has decreased to 3.33%.

The Nova Scotia overseas employment tax credit has been eliminated.

Form NS428, Nova Scotia Tax and Credits, reflects these changes.

General information

Nova Scotia child benefit

The Nova Scotia child benefit (NSCB) is a non-taxable amount paid monthly to help low- and modest-income families with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. Benefits are combined with the Canada child benefit into a single monthly payment.

You do not need to apply separately to receive payments under the NSCB program. We will use the information from your Canada child benefits application to determine your eligibility for the NSCB.

For more information on payment amounts, see Booklet T4114, Canada Child Benefits.

File your return – To ensure timely delivery of your payments, you (and your spouse or common-law partner) need to file your 2016 income tax and benefit return(s) by April 30, 2017. The information you give on your return(s) will determine your NSCB amount starting in July 2017.

This benefit is fully funded by the Province of Nova Scotia. For more information, call the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) at 1-800-387-1193.

Nova Scotia affordable living tax credit

The Nova Scotia affordable living tax credit (NSALTC) is a non-taxable quarterly payment to make life more affordable for low- and modest-income individuals and families. This amount is combined with the federal GST/HST credit. For more information including payment amounts, go to Province of Nova Scotia.

You do not need to apply for the GST/HST credit, including the NSALTC. When you file your income tax and benefit return, the CRA will determine your eligibility and tell you if you are entitled to receive the credit.

File your return – To ensure the timely delivery of your payments, you (and your spouse or common-law partner) need to file your 2016 income tax and benefit return(s) by April 30, 2017. The information you give on your return(s) will determine your NSALTC amount starting in July 2017.

This credit is fully funded by the Province of Nova Scotia. For more information, call the CRA at 1-800-387-1193.

Completing your Nova Scotia form

You can download and print a copy of Form NS428, Nova Scotia Tax and Credits which you need to calculate your Nova Scotia tax and credits. Attach a completed copy of Form NS428 to your return.

The terms spouse and common-law partner are defined in the General Income Tax and Benefit Guide.

The term end of the year means December 31, 2016, the date you left Canada if you emigrated in 2016, or the date of death for a person who died in 2016.

Form NS428, Nova Scotia Tax and Credits

Complete Form NS428 if you were a resident of Nova Scotia at the end of the year.

If you had income from a business (including income you received as a limited or non-active partner) and the business has a permanent establishment outside Nova Scotia, complete Form T2203, Provincial and Territorial Taxes for 2016 – Multiple Jurisdictions, instead of Form NS428.

You also have to complete Form NS428 if you were a non-resident of Canada in 2016 and you earned income from employment in Nova Scotia or received income from a business with a permanent establishment only in Nova Scotia.

Step 1 – Nova Scotia non-refundable tax credits

The eligibility criteria and rules for claiming the Nova Scotia non-refundable tax credits are the same as for the federal non-refundable tax credits. However, the value and calculation of most Nova Scotia non-refundable tax credits are different from the corresponding federal credits.

Newcomers to Canada and emigrants

If you prorated any of the amounts you claimed on lines 300 to 306, 315, 316, 318, 324, and 326 of your federal Schedule 1, you have to prorate the corresponding provincial amounts on lines 5804 to 5820, 5840, 5844, 5848, 5860, and 5864.

▼Line 5804 – Basic personal amount

Claim $8,481.

▼Line 5808 – Age amount

You can claim this amount if you were 65 years of age or older on December 31, 2016, and your net income (line 236 of your return) is less than $58,435.

If your net income is:

• $30,828 or less, enter $4,141 on line 5808; or
• more than $30,828 but less than $58,435, complete the calculation for line 5808 on the Provincial Worksheet.

▼Line 5812 – Spouse or common-law partner amount

You can claim this amount if the rules are met for claiming the amount on line 303 of federal Schedule 1 and your spouse's or common-law partner's net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount that it would be if he or she filed a return) is less than $9,329.

Complete the calculation on Form NS428, and enter the amount on line 5812.

Line 5816 – Amount for an eligible dependant

You can claim this amount if the rules are met for claiming the amount on line 305 of federal Schedule 1 and your dependant's net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount that it would be if he or she filed a return) is less than $9,329.

Complete the calculation on Form NS428, and enter the amount on line 5816.

Line 5820 – Amount for infirm dependants age 18 or older

You can claim this amount if the rules are met for claiming the amount on line 306 of federal Schedule 1 and your dependant's net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount that it would be if he or she filed a return) is less than $8,481.

Complete the calculation for line 5820 on the Provincial Worksheet.

Line 5823 – Amount for young children

You can claim this amount if you were a resident of Nova Scotia at the end of the year and you had a dependent child who was less than six years of age.

You can claim $100 per month for each child, if all of the following conditions are met:

• the child was less than six years of age and living with you on the first day of the month;
• no one else claimed the amount for young children for the child for the month you are claiming;
• the child has not been claimed by you or anyone else as an eligible dependant on line 5816; and
• no one has received a special allowance under the Children's Special Allowances Act for the child for the month you are claiming.

If you had a spouse or common-law partner at the end of the year, only the person with the lower net income (including zero income) can claim this amount.

If you and your spouse or common-law partner have equal net incomes, you have to decide which one of you will claim this amount.

Complete the "Details of amount for young children" chart in Step 3 of Form NS428. Provide the details for each child you are claiming, including the number of months you are claiming for that child.

Enter the total number of months you are claiming for all children beside box 6372 of Form NS428.

Claim $100 for each month, and enter the total amount on line 5823. The maximum amount you can claim for 2016 is $1,200 for each dependent child.

Line 5824 – CPP or QPP contributions through employment

Enter on this line the amount you claimed on line 308 of your federal Schedule 1.

Line 5828 – CPP or QPP contributions on self-employment and other earnings

Enter on this line the amount you claimed on line 310 of your federal Schedule 1.

Line 5832 – Employment insurance premiums through employment

Enter on this line the amount you claimed on line 312 of your federal Schedule 1.

Line 5829 – Employment insurance premiums on self employment and other eligible earnings

Enter on this line the amount you claimed on line 317 of your federal Schedule 1.

▼Line 5836 – Pension income amount

You can claim this amount if you met the rules for claiming the amount on line 314 of federal Schedule 1.

The amount you can claim on line 5836 is the amount on line 314 of your federal Schedule 1 or $1,173, whichever is less.

Line 5840 – Caregiver amount

You can claim this amount if the rules are met for claiming the amount on line 315 of federal Schedule 1 and your dependant's net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount that it would be if he or she filed a return) is less than $18,575.

Complete the calculation for line 5840 on the Provincial Worksheet.

▼Line 5844 – Disability amount (for self)

You can claim this amount if you met the rules for claiming the amount on line 316 of federal Schedule 1.

If you were 18 years of age or older at the end of the year, enter $7,341 on line 5844.

If you were under 18 years of age at the end of the year, you may be eligible to claim a supplement up to a maximum of $3,449 in addition to the base amount of $7,341. Complete the calculation for line 5844 on the Provincial Worksheet.

Line 5848 – Disability amount transferred from a dependant

You can claim this amount if the rules are met for claiming the amount on line 318 of federal Schedule 1. Complete the calculation for line 5848 on the Provincial Worksheet.

Line 5852 – Interest paid on your student loans

Enter on this line the amount you claimed on line 319 of your federal Schedule 1.

Line 5856 – Your tuition and education amounts

Complete Schedule NS(S11), Provincial Tuition and Education Amounts.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later.

If you are filing a paper return, attach your completed Schedule NS(S11), but do not send your other documents. Keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later.

Transferring and carrying forward amounts

You may not need all of your 2016 tuition and education amounts to reduce your provincial income tax to zero. In this case, you can transfer all or some of the unused part to one person, either your spouse or common-law partner (who would claim it on line 5864) or your or your spouse's or common-law partner's parent or grandparent (who would claim it on line 5860).

You can only transfer an amount to your or your spouse's or common-law partner's parent or grandparent if your spouse or common-law partner does not claim an amount for you on line 5812 or 5864.

To designate who can claim the transferred amount and to specify the provincial amount this person can claim, complete the "Transfer/Carryforward of unused amount" section of Schedule NS(S11), as well as the related form:

• T2202A, Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate;
• TL11A, Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate – University Outside Canada;
• TL11B, Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate – Flying School or Club;
• TL11C, Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate – Commuter to the United States.

The transferred amount may be different from the amount calculated for the same person on your federal Schedule 11. Enter the provincial amount you are transferring on line 20 of your Schedule NS(S11).

Complete the "Transfer/Carryforward of unused amount" section of Schedule NS(S11) to calculate the amount you can carry forward to a future year. This amount corresponds to the part of your tuition and education amounts you do not need to use (and do not transfer) for the year.

Line 5860 – Tuition and education amounts transferred from a child

You can claim these amounts if the rules are met for claiming an amount on line 324 of federal Schedule 1.

Enter on line 5860 the total of all provincial amounts that each student has transferred to you as shown on his or her Form T2202A, TL11A, TL11B, or TL11C.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically or filing a paper return, do not send any documents. Keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. The student must attach Schedule NS(S11) to his or her paper return.

▼Line 5864 – Amounts transferred from your spouse or common-law partner

You can claim these amounts if the rules are met for claiming the amount on line 326 of federal Schedule 1. Complete Schedule NS(S2), Provincial Amounts Transferred From Your Spouse or Common-Law Partner, and attach a copy to your return.

▼Line 5868 – Medical expenses for self, spouse or common-law partner, and your dependent children born in 1999 or later

The medical expenses you can claim on line 5868 are the same as those you can claim on line 330 of your federal Schedule 1. They have to cover the same 12-month period ending in 2016, and no one claimed them on a 2015 return. Your total expenses have to be more than either 3% of your net income (line 236 of your return) or $1,637, whichever is less.

Line 5872 – Allowable amount of medical expenses for other dependants

In addition to the medical expenses claimed on line 5868, you can claim medical expenses for other dependants.

The medical expenses you can claim on line 5872 are the same as those you can claim on line 331 of your federal Schedule 1. They have to cover the same 12-month period ending in 2016, and no one claimed them on a 2015 return.

The total expenses for each dependant have to be more than either 3% of that dependant's net income (line 236 of his or her return) or $1,637, whichever is less.

Complete the calculation for line 5872 on the Provincial Worksheet.

▼Line 5896 – Donations and gifts

Enter the amounts from lines 16 and 17 of your federal Schedule 9 and multiply them by the rates at lines 27 and 28 on Form NS428.

Step 2 – Nova Scotia tax on taxable income

Enter on line 31 your taxable income from line 260 of your return. Complete the appropriate column depending on the amount entered.

Step 3 – Nova Scotia tax

Line 40 – Nova Scotia tax on split income

If you have to pay federal tax on split income on line 424 of your federal Schedule 1, complete Part 2 of Form T1206, Tax on Split Income, to calculate the Nova Scotia tax that applies to this income.

Form T1206 also contains a special rule that applies to the amount you enter on line 428 of your return. For more information on tax on split income, see the General Income Tax and Benefit Guide.

Line 47 – Nova Scotia additional tax for minimum tax purposes

If you have to pay federal minimum tax as calculated on Form T691, Alternative Minimum Tax, you will also have to determine your Nova Scotia additional tax for minimum tax purposes.

To do this, complete the calculation on line 47 of Form NS428. For more information on minimum tax, see the General Income Tax and Benefit Guide.

Line 49 – Provincial foreign tax credit

If your federal foreign tax credit on non-business income is less than the related tax you paid to a foreign country, you may be eligible to claim a provincial foreign tax credit.

To claim the credit, complete Form T2036, Provincial or Territorial Foreign Tax Credit.

Enter, on line 49 of Form NS428, the tax credit calculated on line 5 of Form T2036.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your Form T2036.

Nova Scotia research and development tax credit recapture

If a partnership of which you are a member, or a trust of which you are a beneficiary, acquired property from a corporation in a non-arm's length transaction and, in 2016, converted the property to commercial use or disposed of it, you may have to include in your Nova Scotia tax payable all or part of the Nova Scotia research and development tax credit previously claimed by the corporation for the property.

For more information on the Nova Scotia research and development tax credit recapture, including instructions on how to calculate and report this amount, contact us.

▼Nova Scotia low-income tax reduction

You can claim this tax reduction if you were a resident of Nova Scotia on December 31, 2016, and any of the following conditions applied to you:

• you were 19 years of age or older;
• you had a spouse or common-law partner; or
• you were a parent.

If you had a spouse or common-law partner on December 31, 2016, you and your spouse or common-law partner must decide who will claim this low-income tax reduction. Only one of you can make this claim for your family.

You cannot claim the tax reduction if on December 31, 2016, you were confined to a prison or a similar institution and had been there for a total of more than six months during 2016.

If you are preparing a return for a resident of Nova Scotia who died in 2016, the tax reduction can be claimed on the deceased person's final return. If the deceased person had a spouse or common-law partner, the tax reduction can be claimed on either the deceased person's final return or the return of the spouse or common-law partner.

Adjusted family income

When you calculate your adjusted family income (lines 51 to 56 of Form NS428), complete columns 1 and 2 using the information from your and your spouse's or common-law partner's returns for the year.

Line 58 – Basic reduction

Claim $300 for yourself.

Line 59 – Reduction for spouse or common-law partner

Claim $300 if you had a spouse or common-law partner on December 31, 2016. If your spouse or common-law partner died in 2015, you can claim this amount.

Line 60 – Reduction for an eligible dependant

Claim $300 if you claimed an amount for an eligible dependant on line 5816 of Form NS428. You cannot claim this amount if you have claimed an amount on line 59.

Line 62 – Reduction for dependent children born in 1998 or later

Enter beside box 6099 the number of dependent children you have who were born in 1998 or later.

Do not include a child for whom you claimed the reduction for an eligible dependant on line 60 of Form NS428.

Claim $165 for each of these dependants.

Only one person can claim the tax reduction for a child.

Who is a dependent child?

A dependent child is one who, on December 31, 2016, met all of the following conditions:

• was 18 years of age or younger;
• did not have a spouse or common-law partner;
• was not a parent; and
• either lived with you, or was claimed as a dependant only by you or your spouse or common-law partner.

Line 71 – Nova Scotia political contribution tax credit

You can claim a credit equal to 75% of the contributions you made in 2016 to recognized Nova Scotia political parties or to candidates seeking election in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.

On line 71 of Form NS428, calculate and enter your credit to a maximum of $750.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, for each contribution, attach the official receipt signed by an official agent of the candidate or political party.

Line 73 – Food bank tax credit for farmers

You can claim this credit if you meet all of the following conditions:

• you were a resident of Nova Scotia at the end of the year;
• you or your spouse or common-law partner was a farmer;
• you made a qualifying donation to an eligible food bank in the year; and
• you have claimed the qualifying donation on line 340 of your federal Schedule 9 and on line 29 of Form NS428 as a charitable donation or gift for the year.

A qualifying donation is a donation of one or more agricultural products produced in Nova Scotia and donated to an eligible food bank in Nova Scotia on or after January 1, 2016.

An eligible food bank is a registered charity under the Income Tax Act that distributes food to the public without charge in Nova Scotia and does so mainly to provide relief to the poor.

The amount of qualifying donations can be split between spouses or common-law partners; however, the total amount of qualifying donations that can be claimed by spouses or common-law partners cannot be more than the total of the qualifying donations made in the tax year.

If you are preparing a return for a person who died in 2016, you can claim this credit on the deceased person’s final return.

If you were bankrupt in 2016, claim your food bank tax credit for farmers on either the pre- or post-bankruptcy return you file for the tax year ending December 31, 2016, depending on when the qualifying donations were made. If qualifying donations are claimed on more than one return, the total amount of donations that can be claimed on all returns filed for the year cannot be more than the total qualifying donations made.

How to claim

Enter beside box 6098 the amount of donations you have included on line 340 of your federal Schedule 9 that are qualifying donations for the food bank tax credit for farmers. Then enter 25% of this amount on line 73 of Form NS428.

Line 75 – Labour-sponsored venture capital tax credit

You can claim a credit equal to 20% of your investment in eligible shares you acquired in 2016 (that you did not claim on your 2015 return) or in the first 60 days of 2017.

If an RRSP for spouse or common-law partner became the first registered holder of the share, either the RRSP contributor or the annuitant may claim this credit for that share.

Enter on Form NS428 the cost of your shares shown on Form NSLSV, Nova Scotia Labour-Sponsored Venture Capital Tax Credit, issued by the relevant labour-sponsored venture capital corporation.

On line 75 of Form NS428, calculate and enter your credit to a maximum of $2,000.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your Form NSLSV.

Line 77 – Equity tax credit

You can claim this credit for investments in eligible shares you acquired in 2016 (that you did not claim on your 2015 return) or in the first 60 days of 2017.

To claim the credit, complete Form T1285, Nova Scotia Equity Tax Credit.

Enter on line 77 of Form NS428 the tax credit calculated on line 6 of Form T1285.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your Form T1285 along with your NSETC-1 receipt, Nova Scotia Equity Tax Credit.

▼Line 79 – Age tax credit

You can claim this credit if you met all of the following conditions:

• you were a resident of Nova Scotia on December 31, 2016;
• you were 65 years of age or older on or before December 31, 2016; and
• your taxable income from line 260 of your return was less than $24,000.

If you qualify for this credit, enter $1,000 on line 79 of Form NS428.

If you are preparing a return for a resident of Nova Scotia who died in 2016, you can claim this credit on the deceased person’s final return if he or she was 65 years of age or older on the day of death and his or her taxable income was less than $24,000.

Nova Scotia volunteer firefighters and ground search and rescue tax credit (line 81)

You can claim this credit if you meet all of the following conditions:

• you were a resident of Nova Scotia on December 31, 2016;
• you were a volunteer firefighter or a ground search and rescue volunteer for a minimum of six months during the period of January 1 to December 31, 2016;
• you did not receive salary, wages, or compensation, other than reasonable reimbursement or allowance for expenses; and
• for a volunteer firefighter, you were listed as a volunteer firefighter on the report filed by the fire chief of the volunteer fire department.

If you qualify for this credit, enter $500 on line 81 of Form NS428.

If you are preparing a return for a person who died in 2016, you can claim this credit on the deceased person's final return if he or she was a resident of Nova Scotia on the day of death and met all of the conditions.

For more information

If you have questions about Nova Scotia tax and credits, visit the CRA Web site or call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281.

To get forms, go to Forms and publications.

If you have specific questions about the equity tax credit, the labour-sponsored venture capital tax credit, or the volunteer firefighters and ground search and rescue tax credit, contact:

Department of Finance and Treasury Board
Government of Nova Scotia
P.O. Box 187
Halifax NS B3J 2N3

You can also go to Nova Scotia Department of Finance and Treasury Board Web site.

If you have questions about the Nova Scotia political contribution tax credit, contact:

Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
Government of Nova Scotia
P.O. Box 2246
Halifax NS B3J 3C8