As the cost of living continues to weigh on all Canadians, we are expanding our Financial Help & Resources Series to support those affected by bladder cancer. To date, we have created a comprehensive list of Financial Assistance Programs, A Guide to the Medical Expense Tax Credit, and now we are thrilled to launch our Disability Tax Credit Resources for patients who have undergone a radical cystectomy and are now living with a urinary diversion.
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a non-refundable tax credit that helps people with disabilities, or their supporting family member, reduce the amount of income tax they may have to pay to offset some of the costs related to their condition. To read more about the DTC, please visit canada.ca (Taxes → Tax credits and benefits for individuals).
The DTC application form is divided into an individual’s section and a medical professional’s section. We have created resources to help patients and medical professionals alike in completing the DTC application form successfully.
Individual’s Section
As an individual requesting the tax credit, first you are responsible for filling out “Part A: Individual’s section” of the T2201 Disability Tax Credit (DTC) Certificate. Next, you will need your medical practitioner (medical doctor or nurse practitioner) to complete “Part B: Medical practitioner’s section”. Finally, you will need to submit your form, either online on the Canada Revenue Agency website or by mail to the tax center closest to you, which can be found on Page 16 of the DTC form. Sometimes your medical practitioner will offer to submit the form on your behalf. If they do, ensure you get a copy of the application.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when applying for the DTC:
- You must complete your section (Part A) prior to having a medical professional fill out Part B.
- If you are making this claim for yourself, respond with your personal information. If you are filling out this claim on someone’s behalf, insert their personal information.
- Regarding question 3, “Previous tax return adjustments,” if this is your first time filling out the DTC claim, check “Yes, adjust my previous tax returns for all applicable years.”
- The CRA will automatically adjust the tax credit amount according to the number of years you have been living with this condition.
- If this form is not signed by the person with the disability or their legal representative (or if the person is under 18, their legal guardian), the CRA will not process this form.
- Ensure the accurate date when the disability started is listed on the application, as this can significantly impact the amount of money you receive.
- Do not mention the cost of supplies, as this is addressed at the provincial level.
- Remember – functions of “daily living” are the foundation of the DTC.
- “Daily Living” is unrelated to your ability to work. If “work/employment” is mentioned anywhere on the DTC application, it will be rejected.
- The key is being affected by the disability at least 90% of the time.
- Detail is important on the application, therefore:
- Include evidence of the inordinate amount of time required and how your daily activities are different than others with a bladder, providing specific examples and time commitments.
- Ask a medical professional who fully understands how your life is affected to complete the application.
- Keep a detailed journal with procedure dates, side effects, recovery details, management of eliminating functions, complications, daily management time, and other relevant notes. This could help the application and help your medical professional get a clearer picture of your daily challenges to accurately convey your situation to the CRA.
- The first people who see the form are clerks. Make the information clear and relatable for them by including phrases that a non-medical person can understand, such as “my bladder was removed.” This should be in addition to the medical terminology.
In addition to this guide, we have also drafted cover letter templates, which can be sent along with the DTC application to help increase your chances of approval. It is important to note that these templates are guides and should not be used verbatim; please always make sure to adjust the wording to describe your own unique situation.
View the cover letters templates for an ileal conduit, neobladder & Indiana Pouch here.
Medical Professional’s Section
Our new guide, Disability Tax Credit (DTC) for Medical Professionals, provides guidance on how to complete “Part B: Medical Practitioner’s Section” of the DTC Certificate. This step-by-step guide for medical professionals provides key terms and phrases to accurately express how living with a urinary diversion – ileal conduit, neobladder, and Indiana Pouch – impacts daily life, making patients eligible for the Disability Tax Credit. This detailed content was conceived with the help of our wonderful volunteers, who have successfully applied for the DTC themselves.
Patients – we recommend you bring a copy of this to the medical professional you ask to complete your application.
Medical Professionals – We hope this guide will help you with the language needed to successfully apply for the DTC on behalf of your patients.
Once you have successfully applied for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC), remember that you may be eligible for additional tax credits/assistance:
- Caregiver Credit
- Medical Expense Tax Credit
- Home Buyers’ Amount
- Home Accessibility Tax Credit
- Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit
- Disability Supports Deduction
- Child Care Expenses
- Child Disability Benefit
- Refundable Medical Expense Supplement
- Canada Workers Benefit Disability Supplement
- Disability-Related Employment Benefits
- Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)
- Students with Disabilities Grant
- Excise Gasoline Tax Refund
- GST/HST Refunds for Certain Exempt and Zero-Rated Medical Supplies
- Other Eligible medical expenses you can claim on your tax return
Get your taxes done for free!
If you have a modest income, you may be able to get your taxes done by a volunteer for free. To learn more, visit canada.ca/taxes-help. If you live in Quebec, visit: revenuquebec.ca/volunteers.
Watch our webinar “DTC for Bladder Cancer Patients” for additional guidance on successfully completing the application.
We hope these resources assist both patients and medical professionals in increasing the likelihood of a successful DTC application.
Special Thanks To:
Karen O’Brien, Cheryl Carley, Tim Cheung, Angela Pelletier, Robert Jakes, Debra Burke, Rosemary Hill & Valérie Chaplain for their assistance in the creation of this content.
