My Disability Doesn’t Qualify For The Disability Tax Credit |The NBA
Disability Tax Credit Eligibility – What does it take to get approved?
“I have ____ and I’m not eligible, bogus!”
“You have to be in a vegetative state to get this!”
“My _____ isn’t considered a disability”
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about the Disability Tax Credit and its eligibility requirements. Many people think that eligibility is based around the definition of a ‘disability’ and the type of ‘disability’ they have.
In fact, the eligibility requirements do not look at that at all.
The Canada Revenue Agency determines your eligibility based on the effects of your ‘disability’ or medical conditions on your daily life. You also must have the support of a qualified medical practitioner to sign your T2201 (Disability Tax Credit certificate). Let’s take a look at eligibility.
Eligibility
Basic activities of daily living (BADLs) are broken down into these categories:
- Walking
- Feeding
- Speaking
- Vision
- Dressing
- Hearing
- Eliminating or bowel/bladder functions
- Mental functions
- Life-sustaining therapy
Your condition in one of the categories above must be marked or restricted:
- Lasting for at least 12 months continuously and takes 3-times longer than normal to perform the task OR
- More than 1 restriction in the categories above that is affected 90% of the time (ex. Walking and Dressing)
This means that the CRA isn’t judging your application by the type of ‘disability’ or medical condition you have. Simply saying ‘I have diabetes’, ‘I have had 4 surgeries and back pain’, or ‘I can’t work because I’m sick’ isn’t enough to get you qualified.
Your medical practitioner must support you and describe in-depth how your multiple surgeries are affecting you in, say, a Walking restriction.
If you think you’re eligible, you can think about claiming the tax credit on your own. Now, being eligible for the Disability Tax Credit and claiming the credit are two different things. You can be eligible, but not able to claim. If you find yourself wondering about this next step, read our article here.
