Disability Tax Credit
Disability Tax Credit Help in Ottawa
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a non-refundable federal tax credit for people with a severe and prolonged impairment, or for a supporting family member. Once the CRA approves your application, the credit can be claimed each year, and it can often be applied retroactively for up to 10 years, which can mean a meaningful refund of tax already paid.
Nour & Daniels Tax helps Ottawa individuals and families understand whether they may qualify, prepare the application accurately, and recover the retroactive years that so many people leave unclaimed.
Get In Touch ›
Who May Qualify
Who the DTC is for
The DTC is for people with a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions, where the effects have lasted, or are expected to last, at least 12 months. Eligibility is certified by a medical practitioner, not by us, but the impairment does not have to be visible or widely known to qualify. The credit covers a wide range of situations, including:
- Mobility and physical function: Conditions that markedly restrict walking, dressing, or feeding, among others.
- Vision and hearing: Significant, lasting impairment certified by a practitioner.
- Mental functions: Conditions affecting memory, problem-solving, attention, or daily decision-making.
- Life-sustaining therapy: People who need ongoing therapy to support a vital function, such as certain treatments for type 1 diabetes.
- Cumulative effects: Situations where two or more limitations together have a significant effect, even if no single one does on its own.
If you are unsure whether a condition qualifies, that uncertainty is exactly why a review is worth it. Many eligible people never apply because they assume they would not qualify.
How the credit works
The DTC reduces the income tax you or a supporting family member may owe, and it can reach back years. Three features make it especially valuable.
- Up to 10 years retroactive: If you qualified in past years but never claimed, the CRA can adjust prior returns, up to 10 years back, which can produce a substantial one-time refund.
- Transferable to a supporting person: If the person with the disability does not need the full credit to reduce their own tax, the unused amount can be transferred to a supporting spouse, parent, or other eligible family member.
- Opens other doors: DTC approval can be the key that unlocks related programs, such as the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and certain other credits and benefits.
A parent in Ottawa learns their adult child has qualified for the DTC for several years but never applied. Once the CRA approves Form T2201, the prior returns are adjusted back over the eligible years, and because the child had little tax of their own, much of the unused credit is transferred to the parent who supported them. The retroactive adjustment produces a single, sizable refund, money the family was entitled to all along.
How We Help
From application to refund
Eligibility conversation
We talk through the situation and the impairment honestly, and tell you whether an application is worth pursuing. We do not decide medical eligibility, but we know what the CRA looks for.
Prepare Form T2201
The application has two parts: your part and the part your medical practitioner completes. We help you assemble it correctly so it is not delayed or denied over a technicality.
Claim the current and retroactive years
Once the CRA approves, we claim the credit on the current return and request adjustments for the prior years you were eligible, up to 10 years back.
Optimize the transfer
We calculate whether some or all of the credit should be transferred to a supporting family member for the best overall result, and we keep it claimed correctly each year going forward.
Be Prepared
What helps us get started
You do not need everything to begin. Bring what you have and we will guide the rest.
- Details of the impairment and roughly when it began
- The name of the treating medical practitioner
- Recent tax returns and notices of assessment
- Any prior DTC correspondence from the CRA
- Information on who supports the person financially
- Any existing Form T2201, if one was started
Help Centre
Disability Tax Credit questions
How do I apply for the Disability Tax Credit?
You apply using Form T2201, the Disability Tax Credit Certificate. It has two parts: one you complete, and one a medical practitioner completes to certify the impairment. The form can be submitted digitally or on paper. We help you assemble both parts correctly so it is processed smoothly. (Source: CRA: how to apply for the DTC.)
Can I claim the Disability Tax Credit for past years?
Yes. If you were eligible in earlier years but did not claim, the CRA can adjust your returns retroactively, up to 10 years back, once Form T2201 is approved. For many people this retroactive adjustment is the largest part of the benefit. (Source: CRA: Disability tax credit.)
Who decides if I am eligible?
A medical practitioner certifies the impairment on Form T2201, and the CRA makes the final approval decision. We do not determine medical eligibility. What we do is assess whether an application is worth pursuing, prepare it properly, and make sure that once approved, you claim every year you are entitled to.
Can the credit be transferred to a family member?
Yes. If the person with the disability does not need the full credit to reduce their own income tax, the unused portion can be transferred to a supporting spouse, common-law partner, parent, or other eligible family member who provided support. We calculate the most effective way to split or transfer it.
Does the impairment have to be physical or visible?
No. The DTC covers severe and prolonged impairments in mental functions as well as physical ones, and many qualifying conditions are not visible to others. Conditions affecting memory, attention, or daily decision-making, and those requiring life-sustaining therapy, can all qualify when certified. Do not rule yourself out because the impairment is not obvious.
What does the DTC unlock besides a tax reduction?
Approval for the DTC can open access to related programs, including the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and certain other credits and benefits tied to disability status. That is part of why applying is worthwhile even in years when the tax reduction itself is modest.
Find out what you may be owed
If you or a family member lives with a lasting impairment, a short conversation can tell you whether the DTC is worth pursuing, including the retroactive years.
Get In Touch ›