Nova Scotia taxes up 17 per cent since 2012
by The Canadian Press
In a report on the province's financial condition, auditor general Michael Pickup notes that as the population ages, the amount being spent by the province on each person is also on the rise
HALIFAX—The provincial auditor general says the amount of taxes collected from Nova Scotians has increased by about $850 per capita over the past five years, or a jump of about 17 per cent since 2012.
In a report on the province’s financial condition, Michael Pickup also notes that as the population ages, the amount being spent by the province on each person is also going up.
He says in the report that expenses per capita are about $4,755 per person during the current year, an increase of about $500 since 2012.
Pickup says the province’s deficit of $11 million in the last budget was the lowest in five years.
However, the province’s overall debt levels are rising as government expenses from the departments of Health and Wellness and Education and Early Childhood Development have increased by 20 per cent over the last five years.
At March 31, 2016, the Government of Nova Scotia’s long-term debt stood at $14,300 per capita.
