More low-income N.S. seniors will receive personal income tax refund this month

A senior is seen sitting in a chair in this file photo.

More low-income seniors in Nova Scotia will receive provincial personal income tax refunds this month through a program the government says is unique to Canada.

The province says some seniors who receive the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) are also eligible for Nova Scotia’s GIS provincial tax refund program. The province is paying out roughly $1.4 million to nearly 1,000 seniors this month – an increase from $800,000 paid to 600 seniors last year.

The province says the number of eligible seniors and the refund total have increased because the senior population has grown. Federal changes have also allowed seniors to earn more income while qualifying for GIS.

The refund payment for eligible seniors ranges from a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $10,000, depending on how much they have paid in provincial income tax.

To qualify for the refund, a person must:

- be 65 years of age or older in the taxation year

- report income on line 14600 of their T1 return in the taxation year

- have provincial income tax payable on line 42800 in the taxation year

Seniors do not have to apply for the refund, but they must file a tax return each year, according to a news release from the provincial government.

Seniors who are eligible but didn’t file a return for the 2023 taxation year can still receive the refund when they file a tax return this year.

Forty-three per cent of seniors in Nova Scotia, or about 60,000 people, receive the GIS each year.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page