If you’re living with a medical disability you can receive up to $40,000 in tax credits from the Canadian government. In order to start receiving any money, however, the first step, of course, is completing a form… As with everything, yes there’s paperwork.
Where do I find the Disability Tax Credit Form?
The Disability Tax Credit Form that you need to complete can be downloaded online from this direct link and is called the “Disability Tax Credit Certificate”. There are two full pages of instructions to help you through and if you need additional assistance you can also call their 1-800 number for assistance. Specifically, you are looking for Form T2201, which is called t2201-12e.pdf on their website; if you’re having trouble finding it just do a simple Google search for “Canada disability tax credit t2201 form”. It is available in E-text, Braille and large print versions as well. If you prefer, you can order printed copies.
How to complete the Disability Tax Credit Form (T2201)?
The form has two parts: an application and a certification, both of which you must complete and submit to the Canada Revenue Agency. The form has to be approved, of course, and you will be notified how much you have been approved for. If approved, the amount can be used to lower the amount of income tax you owe.
Before completing the form, it’s a good idea to complete the self-assessment questionnaire that is included in this download. You have to be able to answer yes to question 1, and yes to at least one of questions 2-5 in order to qualify.
Part A
If you feel you qualify, complete Part A of the form. The form will ask you for your basic personal information such as name, address, date of birth, and social insurance number. If you are filling out the form for someone else, there will be some questions specific to you as well.
It is a short one-page form: sign at the bottom and continue to Part B.
Part B
Part B is the lengthier portion of the form but it must be completed by a qualified practitioner so you won’t actually be completing the form yourself.
The practitioner will be asked to certify your medical state in several areas, including:
- Vision
- Speaking
- Hearing
- Walking
- Bowel or bladder functions
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Mental functions
This encompasses pages 3-6 of the form and must be filled out by the correct practitioner. For example, the vision section must be certified by a medical doctor or optometrist while the hearing section must be completed and certified by a medical doctor or audiologist. Having a regular medical doctor that can certify all of these functions for you will save you quite a bit of running around. Otherwise, an occupational therapist can fill out several of the sections for you as well.
Page 7 only needs to be completed if you are on a form of life-sustaining therapy and must be completed by a medical doctor. Page 8 is on the cumulative effects of restrictions to your daily living (such as walking or eyesight) and may be completed by your medical doctor or an occupational therapist (with some restrictions).
What if I am denied?
If you are denied disability tax credit, you may file a formal objection to appeal within 90 days. Your form will then be re-evaluated by the Appeals Branch.
We can save your time and help you with your disability tax credit form. Read our 2017 Disability Tax Credit Guide.
