Form T2201, section by section

Three ways to send it

Pick one. CRA asks you not to apply twice.

1. Online. Fill in Part A in CRA's My Account. You get a reference number, and your practitioner uses it to fill in Part B through CRA's digital form.
2. By phone. Call CRA to do Part A, then give your practitioner the reference number for Part B.
3. On paper. Print the form, fill in Part A, have your practitioner fill in Part B, and mail both parts together to your tax centre. Keep a copy.

You can send the form at any time of year. If you already qualify, you only send a new one when your approval period ends or CRA asks for it.

Part A: the four sections you fill in

Section 1: the person with the disability

The details of the person the form is about. If that's a child under 18, a parent or legal guardian fills in Part A for them.

Section 2: the person who will claim the credit

Leave this blank if the person with the disability will claim it on their own return. Fill it in if a spouse, partner or supporting family member will claim some or all of it instead, which helps when the person with the disability owes little or no tax.

To claim it as a supporting family member, you must provide some or all of the basics of life, such as food, shelter and clothing, on a regular and consistent basis, and the person must actually rely on that support. If a second family member also wants part of the credit, they can attach a signed sheet with their name, SIN and the support they give. They can also send CRA a letter after CRA acknowledges the form.

Section 3: previous tax return adjustments

This is the box that gets past years paid. Tick it, and once the credit is approved CRA adjusts the returns of the person with the disability for every year that applies, federal and provincial. It's free: CRA does the reassessing itself.

Some cases need Form T1-ADJ or a letter instead: claiming for a spouse or partner, claiming for a dependant 18 or older, or splitting the credit between two or more supporters. You can send those with the T2201 or later. Quebec residents file their provincial claim separately with Revenu Québec.

See what the past years could be worth.

Section 4: your signature

The person with the disability, or their legal representative, signs. Signing lets CRA contact the practitioner if it needs more information, and lets it adjust past returns if you ticked section 3. Check every section of Part A before you sign.

Part B: what your practitioner fills in

Only certain practitioners can fill in Part B, and each can only speak to the categories in their field.

The tests the practitioner answers

• Prolonged: the impairment has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months in a row.
• Marked restriction: even with therapy, devices and medication, the person can't do the activity, or takes an inordinate amount of time. That's generally at least 3 times as long as someone of the same age without the impairment.
• All or substantially all of the time: generally at least 90% of the time.
• Vision has its own test: both eyes, even with corrective lenses, have visual acuity of 20/200 or worse, or a field of vision of 20 degrees or less.
• Cumulative effect: significant limits in two or more categories that together equal a marked restriction in one, at least 90% of the time.
• Life-sustaining therapy: therapy for a vital function, at least 2 times a week and at least 14 hours a week on average. People with type 1 diabetes are deemed to meet it.

The practitioner also records when the impairment began. That year matters, because CRA can only adjust past returns back to when it started, and never more than 10 years.

How to help your practitioner fill in Part B

CRA decides from what the practitioner writes, and practitioners only see you for a few minutes. Before the appointment:

• Write down specific everyday examples for the category, and how long each task takes you compared with other people.
• List the devices, therapy and medication you use, and what's still hard even with them.
• Note roughly when the problems started.
• Bring the form, or the reference number if you applied online or by phone.

Describe your usual days accurately, not your best or worst. The tests are about what happens nearly all of the time.

Practitioners may charge a fee for the form. You pay it, but you can usually claim it as a medical expense on line 33099 or 33199 of your tax return.

After you send it

CRA reviews every application and may contact you or the practitioner for more detail. It then mails a notice of determination.

• Approved: the notice shows which years you qualify for. You don't send a new form each year unless CRA asks or the approval period ends. Tell CRA if your condition improves and you no longer meet the criteria.
• Denied: the notice explains why. Compare it with your copy of the form. You can ask your tax centre to look again with medical information you didn't send before, or file a formal objection within 90 days of the date the notice was mailed. Work out your deadline.

What approval opens up

The tax credit is also the key to other help:

• The Canada Disability Benefit, for ages 18 to 64, up to $204.20 a month from July 2026.
• A Registered Disability Savings Plan, with government grants and bonds.
• The Child Disability Benefit, paid with the Canada Child Benefit, for children under 18.

Questions people ask

Who can fill out Part B of Form T2201?

A medical doctor or nurse practitioner can certify any category. Optometrists can certify vision, audiologists hearing, speech-language pathologists speaking, psychologists mental functions, physiotherapists walking, and occupational therapists walking, feeding and dressing.

Does it cost anything to apply for the Disability Tax Credit?

No. Applying to CRA is free. A practitioner may charge for filling in Part B, and you can usually claim that fee as a medical expense. Companies that help you apply can't charge more than a legal maximum, set at $100 per request in 2021 and adjusted for inflation.

How do I get my past years adjusted?

Tick section 3 of Part A. When the credit is approved, CRA adjusts the past returns of the person with the disability for every year that applies, back to when the impairment began and up to 10 years.

What if my application is denied?

Read the reasons on the notice of determination. You can ask your tax centre to review it with new medical information, or file a formal objection within 90 days of the date the notice was mailed.

Do I need to send Form T2201 every year?

No. Once approved, you only send a new one when your approval period ends or CRA asks for it.

Sources

Checked against these on September 28, 2026. Amounts change every January or July; we recheck them each year.

• CRA Guide RC4064, Disability-Related Information 2025 for Parts A and B, the categories, the tests and what happens after
• CRA: Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate
• CRA: Disability tax credit
• CRA: Lines 33099 and 33199, eligible medical expenses
• CRA Income Tax Folio S1-F1-C2, Disability Tax Credit for transfers to a supporting family member
• Disability Tax Credit Promoters Restrictions Act

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