If you or someone you care for is living with a lasting disability, Form T2201 is often the first step toward meaningful financial support. It is the application the Canadian government uses to decide whether you can claim the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).
This article explains what Form T2201 is, who is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, how to fill out and submit the form, what happens after you apply, and what the credit can do for you once you are approved.
To qualify for the DTC, you must show the government that you have a severe and prolonged impairment. This is done through Form T2201, which is completed by you or your legal representative together with your medical practitioner, and then approved by the government.
What is Form T2201?
Form T2201, the Disability Tax Credit Certificate, is the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) application used to certify that you have a severe and prolonged impairment. Once it is approved, the form confirms you meet the eligibility criteria for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and opens the door to related federal, provincial, and territorial programs.
You and your health professional complete the form together: you provide your personal details, and your medical practitioner certifies how your impairment affects your daily life.
Who is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit?
You may be eligible if you have an impairment in physical or mental functions in one of the following categories. The effects of the impairment must meet specific criteria for each category.
vision
speaking
hearing
walking
eliminating (bowel and bladder functions)
feeding
dressing
mental functions necessary for everyday life
cumulative effect of significant limitations
life-sustaining therapy
Simply having an impairment will not make you eligible. What matters is whether the effects are severe and prolonged, resulting in a marked restriction.
In general, to qualify you must be “markedly” restricted in at least one of the basic activities of daily living, the impairment must last for at least 1 year continuously, and it must be present at least 90% of the time. According to the CRA, to be eligible for the DTC an individual must have "a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions."
If an impairment doesn’t meet these criteria on its own, it may still qualify under the cumulative effect of significant limitations. If you have two or more impairments that together meet the criteria, it may qualify.
How to fill out Form T2201
You fill out any applicable lines in Part A, and a relevant medical practitioner fills out Part B.
Part A – Section 1: this is where you enter the first and last name, mailing address, and social insurance number (SIN) of the person being assessed.
Part A – Section 2: if the person with the disability is also the person claiming the credit, you can skip this section. You complete it only if someone else — such as a parent, guardian, or caregiver — will claim the transferred credit.
To claim the DTC transfer, you provide your name, SIN, and relationship, along with the type of support and the number of years you’ve provided it.
Part A – Section 3: if you didn’t claim the DTC in prior years because you didn’t have an approved T2201 on file with the CRA, the CRA can go back and reassess those returns and include the DTC claim. This often results in an increased refund for any tax credit owed to you.
Part A – Section 4: this is where you or your legal representative confirm the information is correct and give your medical practitioner permission to share medical information with the CRA so it can determine your eligibility.
Part B: your medical practitioner completes this part. They fill out the sections specific to your impairment, note how long you’ve been their patient and whether they have records for those years, state their profession, and sign the form.
Depending on your disability, a medical practitioner can include:
Health professional | What they can certify |
|---|---|
| Medical doctor | All sections |
| Nurse practitioner | All sections |
| Optometrist | Vision |
| Audiologist | Hearing |
| Occupational therapist | Walking, feeding, dressing, and the cumulative effect for these activities |
| Physiotherapist | Walking |
| Psychologist | Performing the mental functions necessary for everyday life |
| Speech language pathologist | Speaking |
How to submit Form T2201
You can submit Form T2201 using the CRA’s digital Disability Tax Credit application or by mailing in the paper form. According to the CRA, as of July 14, 2026, you can no longer submit the form through the “Submit documents” feature in your CRA account — the entire application must be sent through the digital form or by mail. As of September 8, 2026, the CRA also stops accepting older versions of Form T2201 (issued before 2023), so download the current version from canada.ca rather than reusing a saved copy.
If you apply digitally, you complete Part A online and receive a reference number that your medical practitioner uses to complete Part B, which is then submitted to the CRA automatically. If you use the paper form, mail the completed form to your designated tax centre and keep a copy for your records in case the CRA loses your application.
You can send the form at any time of the year, but it’s wise to send it well before you file your yearly tax return, because approval can take a while. If you claim the credit without an approved T2201 on file, the CRA will most likely reject the claim.
What happens after you send in Form T2201?
The CRA will assess your application and may ask for some follow-up information. Once it is satisfied, the CRA will send you either an approval or a denial letter.
If you’re approved, it may be indefinite or it may have an expiry date. Either way, you can now claim the DTC on your tax return, claim any other credits you qualify for, and take part in programs such as the RDSP and other disability programs the government offers.
If your situation improves to the point where you no longer meet the criteria you were approved under, let the CRA know.
If your application is denied and you disagree, you can call the CRA to discuss the decision. You can also write to the CRA to request a review with new or updated information and file an objection. For individuals, the deadline to file is whichever is later: one year after your tax filing due date, or 90 days after the CRA sends its decision.
What happens once your T2201 is approved?
Claim the Disability Tax Credit and other eligible tax credits
Once your T2201 is approved, you can start receiving support from the government. The first step is to apply for the Disability Tax Credit, a non-refundable federal tax credit. Non-refundable tax credits reduce your tax payable — the amount of tax you owe based on your net income.
For example, say you earned $40,000 and would pay 14% federal tax on that income, for a total of $5,600. According to Finance Canada, the 2026 federal disability amount is $10,341, providing a federal tax reduction of up to $1,448. If you qualify for the DTC, you can claim 14% of $10,341, or about $1,448. The tax you owe is then reduced to $4,152.26 ($5,600 minus $1,447.74).
You can also claim a supplemental DTC amount for your children until they turn 18, worth about $6,032 for 2026, though this amount is reduced if certain child-care or attendant-care expenses are also claimed for the child.
You may also be able to claim backdated Disability Tax Credit amounts on prior-year returns, depending on how long your T2201 indicates you’ve been living with the disability. If you asked the CRA to adjust previous returns, this is done automatically.
If not, you can submit an updated return using ReFILE (if it’s still available for the year you’re changing), the CRA’s “Change my return” service in your online account, or a paper T1ADJ form. You can request an amendment on returns for the 10 previous tax years.
You may also be able to claim various other credits, based on your particular situation. The list is extensive.
Open an RDSP
The next step is to open a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), a tax shelter that helps people with disabilities save for the future. It’s worth doing even if you can’t contribute anything yourself.
According to Employment and Social Development Canada, under the Canada disability savings bond, Ottawa will deposit up to $1,000 per year (to a lifetime maximum of $20,000) for low-income families with no contribution required. According to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), under the Canada disability savings grant, it will match contributions up to $3,500 a year, to a lifetime maximum of $70,000. This can meaningfully support your financial security over time.
Bottom line: having your T2201 approved is valuable for a person with a disability. It’s the gateway to a range of measures meant to give people with disabilities greater financial security.
