Being disabled is difficult enough, but being disabled and not having a reliable source of income or assistance is even worse. That’s why our company strives to treat each client with dignity and respect, to understand the circumstances of their or a loved one’s disability, and to help them find the assistance they need. One of the best means for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to lessen the burden of a disability is with the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) through Canada Revenue Agency.

The basic question asked most often is, who is eligible for the disability tax credit? That’s a fair enough question. According to the government, a person must meet the following conditions in order to qualify for the DTC:
The person suffers from a physical or mental impairment that is prolonged, which means it’s lasted for or is expected to last 12 months or longer.
The impairment must be severe and, according to Canada Revenue Agency, “must restrict him or her all or substantially all of the time.”
The severe and prolonged impairment must be certified using Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate, by a qualified practitioner. For the purposes of the disability tax credit, a medical doctor can certify all impairments, but other medical professionals can certify a disability within their own specialty, including an optometrist, audiologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist, and speech language pathologist, among others.

Definitions for the Disability Tax Credit

There is a large list of disabilities that a person could have in order to qualify for the disability tax credit, many of which we discuss in the Disabilities List section of our website. This list is not all encompassing, as it may be subject to change by the government. Generally speaking, however, the most common disabilities that our clients suffer from include:

Difficulty getting dressed. The government considers a person disabled in this respect if he or she cannot or requires a significant amount of time dressing himself or herself, even with therapy, medication, and devices. This means the person cannot get dressed without help, or suffers pain, stiffness, or loss of dexterity when attempting to dress on a daily basis. This impairment does not “include identifying, finding, shopping for or otherwise procuring clothing,” according to Canada Revenue Agency.
Feeding. As is the case with dressing, the government considers a person disabled in this respect if he or she cannot or requires a significant amount of time feeding himself or herself, even with therapy, medication, and devices. The person is disabled in this respect if he or she requires a feeding tube, or an inordinate amount of time preparing and enjoying meals. For the purposes of a disability, an inordinate amount of time is defined as “an activity takes significantly longer than for an average person who does not have the impairment” by the government.
Disabilities affect different people in many different ways through no fault of their own, and we pride ourselves on our ability to help them find the assistance – through the disability tax credit or some other means – they need to improve the quality of life for themselves or a loved one.

Call us now at 855-752-0288 for more details on the Disability Tax Credit.