The Canadian Ecological Gifts Program (Ecogifts) offers significant tax incentives for gifts of ecologically important land that are donated to qualified organizations, like the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. 

You can make an Ecogift by donating your land, selling it at a reduced price (part donation/part sale), or donating a conservation easement (protecting the land but retaining ownership).  

Protecting your land brings immense rewards—from the joy of leaving a natural legacy that will last forever, to knowing you are saving Nova Scotia’s irreplaceable biodiversity for generations to come. And there are valuable tax-saving rewards too.

• Tax credit. You receive a charitable tax receipt for the full value of your gift. You can claim tax credits for the full gift amount. Corporate donors can deduct the gift amount directly from taxable income.

• No tax deduction limits. With most charitable gifts you can only claim tax credits up to 75% (or less) of your net income. But with Ecogifts, you can claim 100%. 

• Ten-year carry-forward. You can carry forward your tax deductions for 10 years – offsetting 100% of your income tax for up to 11 years!

• Provincial and federal benefit. You can reduce both your federal and Nova Scotia tax.

• No capital gains tax. Some gifts of property are subject to capital gains tax. But Ecogifts are exempt, so you pay no capital gains tax even if your land’s value has grown significantly.

To learn more, visit the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program website.

Questions? Contact Keith Spafford, Land Outreach Lead.