Nurses Can Now Certify Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate
One of the lesser known hurdles of the Disability Tax Credit application process in Canada is liaising with your medical practitioner to complete the compulsory Part B section of Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit certificate.
Having your family physician fill out the necessary paperwork for your DTC refund seems simple enough, right? It has to be easier than brain surgery. But, it’s actually one of the significant barriers that impede Canadians with disabilities and medical conditions from claiming their entitled Disability Tax Credit amount.
This can be for a number of reasons. When it comes to retroactive Disability Tax Credits, which can be claimed up to 10 years since you were diagnosed with a qualifying condition, you’ll need your original physician that determined the diagnosis. You may have moved, he or she may have moved, or you could’ve switched physicians in that time frame, making it difficult to track him or her down to fill out your Form T2201.
The scarce information about the Disability Tax Credit application process not only affects Canadians, but doctors, too. These are medical professionals, not tax professionals, meaning they’re prone to human error in completing Disability Tax Credit forms. Whether it’s a lack of specific information that the CRA deems essential to a claim or incomplete sections, many Disability Tax Credit applications crumble at the back-and-forth between doctor and patient.
Fortunately, the Canadian government has recognized this significant problem, now allowing nurses in Canada to certify Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate.
Improved Disability Tax Credit Accessibility
By opening up the Disability Tax Credit process to include nurses, more Canadians have more options to apply for the Disability Tax Credit. This small change makes the DTC program easier and more accessible than ever, which has been a longstanding problem (and why we started The National Benefit Authority!) for Canadians who qualify for disability benefits.
Canada currently has over 4,500 nurse practitioners who can now certify patients for the Disability Tax Credit, which should help the nearly 500,000 disabled Canadians that don’t claim their full disability benefits from the CRA. Nurse practitioners can be the first point of contact in some areas, like Canada’s North, making for a very beneficial change for Canada’s disability community.
What is the Disability Tax Credit?
The Canadian Disability Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit that assists people living with disabilities or their family members and caregivers by reducing the income tax they have to pay. Disability Tax Credit eligibility is determined by how a medical condition affects your quality of life, and not the classification of the condition itself.
One of the most important Canadian disability benefits, the DTC opens the door for Canadians to access other disability programs such as the Registered Disability Savings Plan and the Canada child benefit.
Learn more about the Disability Tax Credit and if you should apply here.
If you need help completing Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit certificate, our Benefits Specialists are experienced, professional, and always on call. As a known entity in the disability tax credit community, we’ve probably already spoken to your doctor about the DTC before!
We do all the work for our clients, including liaising with doctors (or nurses!) on completing Form T2201 correctly so they’re in the best position for a successful Disability Tax Credit claim.
Call us today to get started on your application!
