Beleaguered restaurants, gyms, hair salons and other small businesses in the service sector in Nova Scotia are in line for some relief.
The province has announced a $7-million initiative intended to help those operations deal with the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns.
The Small Business Real Property Tax Rebate Program provides qualified businesses a one-time rebate of a portion of their paid property taxes. Qualified businesses can choose a rebate of $1,000 or 50 per cent of the commercial real property taxes paid for the final six months of the 2020-21 tax year, according to a government news release issued Tuesday.
The province says about 3,300 businesses are eligible, including dine-in restaurants and drinking establishments, gym and fitness locations, hair salons and barbershops, spas, nail salons and body art operations.
More details, including how to apply online, are to be available in mid-March.
The government says funding for the grant will come from the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Response Council, administered by Dalhousie University.
