How to apply
Get ready to apply
Applying for the DTC involves the person who has the impairment and a medical practitioner who can certify the effects of the impairment.
Find a medical practitioner to certify your impairment
| Medical doctor | All impairments |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner | All impairments |
| Optometrist | Vision |
| Audiologist | Hearing |
| Occupational therapist | Walking, feeding, dressing |
| Physiotherapist | Walking |
| Psychologist | Mental functions |
| Speech-language pathologist | Speaking |
Possible medical practitioner fees
If your medical practitioner charges a fee for completing the DTC application, you are responsible to pay it. However, you may be able to claim it as a medical expense on your tax return.
When to apply
You may apply for the DTC at any time during the year.
However, if you submit your application at the same time that you file your tax return, there may be a delay in your tax assessment. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will review your DTC application before your tax return is assessed.
To avoid a possible delay, submit your DTC application before you file your tax return.
Decide who is claiming the credit
If you intend to split or transfer the credit, it will save you time to include the supporting family member information in Part A question 2 of the DTC application.
For more details see, Transferring the credit.
Fill out the application
You may apply for the DTC using the digital form or the printed paper form. Choose your application method and follow the instructions below.
Choose only one method to apply. Both Part A and Part B must be submitted using the same method. We are unable to process your application if the entire application is not submitted in the same format.
How to apply with the digital form
- Applicant fills out Part A
The person with the impairment or their legal representative must fill out Part A of the digital application form.
You may fill out Part A online in your CRA account or by phone.
How to fill out Part A online
- Sign in to your CRA account
- Select your Individual account
- Select Benefits and credits
- Select the Apply for DTC button to open the digital form
How to fill out Part A by phone
You may phone the CRA and have Part A of the digital form filled out for you.
- You have the option to talk to a call centre agent (1-800-959-8281) or use the automated voice service (1-800-463-4421)
- You must be able to confirm your identity before you begin
For more information, contact us by phone.
You must answer a few questions about the person with the impairment and those who may be eligible to claim the credit on their behalf.
Information you need to provide
- Basic information about the person with the impairment
- Basic information about the supporting family member who may claim the disability amount (if transferring the credit)
- Consent for the CRA to:
- contact the medical practitioner of the person with the impairment (if necessary)
- automatically adjust the tax returns for previous years (if applicable)
After Part A is submitted, a confirmation page will appear which includes your reference number.
- Applicant gives the reference number to a medical practitioner
Give the reference number to a medical practitioner. They will use it to complete and submit Part B of the digital form online. The reference number is required to submit the application electronically to the CRA. The reference number, last name, and date of birth must also match what was submitted in Part A.
The reference number is valid for up to 12 months and can be used only once by a medical practitioner to submit Part B digitally within that time.
You may print the reference number as a PDF. You may also view the reference number in your CRA Account.
Part B must only be completed by a medical practitioner. Applicants cannot complete Part B themselves. If an applicant completes Part B themselves, it will not be processed.
After Part B is completed by the appropriate medical practitioner, the digital form is automatically submitted to the CRA. You will be able to see the status of your application in your CRA Account once your complete application has been received.
- Medical practitioner completes Part B
Part B can only be completed by a medical practitioner.
To complete Part B, you must open the DTC Digital application for medical practitioners.
You will need to enter the reference number provided by your patient.
If you don't have a reference number
You may still fill out Part B of the digital form online if you don't have a reference number, but the process is a bit different.
- Fill out part B of the form using the Digital application for medical practitioners
- Print out the form and sign it
- Give the form to your patient
Your patient must then fill out and sign Part A and mail the completed form T2201 to the CRA.
You must answer a few questions about your patient and the impairment(s).
Information you need to provide
- Basic information about the medical practitioner
- Patient name and date of birth
- Information about the effects of the impairment(s)
How medical practitioners assess patients
As a medical practitioner, use your best professional judgment when filling out Part B.
You may base your assessment on:
- the symptoms reported by your patient
- your knowledge of your patient's medical history
- your direct observation of your patient's limitations
- your knowledge of the effects of the impairment(s) as they relate to your patient's medical condition
The CRA bases its decision about eligibility on the information that medical practitioners provide in Part B.
After Part B is completed, the digital form is automatically submitted to the CRA. As a medical practitioner, you have the option to save a copy of Part B for your records.
We may contact your office to verify the source of the application.
Read the privacy statement
Personal information (including the SIN) is collected and used to administer or enforce the Income Tax Act and related programs and activities including administering tax, benefits, audit, compliance, and collection. The information collected may be disclosed to other federal, provincial, territorial, aboriginal, or foreign government institutions to the extent authorized by law. Failure to provide this information may result in paying interest or penalties, or in other actions. Under the Privacy Act, individuals have a right of protection, access to and correction of their personal information, and to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding the handling of their personal information. Refer to Personal Information Bank CRA PPU 218 on Info Source at canada.ca/cra-info-source.
How to apply with the paper form
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Get the form
You must use the most recent version of the application form (version 23e or 23f):
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Applicant fills out Part A
The person with the impairment or their legal representative fills out Part A of the Form T2201. Legal representatives should ensure that legal documents have been provided to CRA prior to signing Form T2201. If legal documents have not previously been sent to CRA, they may be included when mailing Form T2201 to avoid delays in processing the application.
Information you need to provide
- Basic information about the person with the disability. All fields must be completed or your application may not be reviewed and may be returned to you
- Name
- Mailing address
- Date of Birth
- Social insurance number
- Basic information about the supporting family member who may claim the disability amount (if transferring the credit)
- Consent to the CRA to:
- automatically adjust the tax returns for previous years (if applicable)
- contact the medical practitioner of the person with the impairment (if necessary)
After filling out Part A, print the form. The person with the disability (or their legal guardian if under the age of adulthood in their province) or their legal representative must sign the authorization section of the form (Part A, Section 4) or we will not process the request.
Give the form to a medical practitioner to complete Part B.
- Basic information about the person with the disability. All fields must be completed or your application may not be reviewed and may be returned to you
- Medical practitioner completes Part B
Part B can only be completed by a medical practitioner. As a medical practitioner, you will answer a few questions about yourself and complete only the impairment section(s) that apply to your patient.
Types of questions
- Basic information about the medical practitioner
- Patient name and date of birth
- Information about the effects of the impairment(s)
How medical practitioners assess patients
As a medical practitioner, use your best professional judgement when filling out Part B.
You may base your assessment on:
- the symptoms reported by your patient
- your knowledge of your patient's medical history
- your direct observation of your patient's limitations
- your knowledge of the effects of the impairment(s) as they relate to your patient's medical condition
The CRA bases its decision about eligibility on the information that medical practitioners provide in Part B.
After completing Part B, you must complete and sign the "Certification" section on the last page as the medical practitioner who is certifying the application. The CRA is unable to process the application form if Part B is not signed or if the signature is not handwritten.
- Ensure the form is complete and readable
All fields of Form T2201 must be complete and we must be able to read them, or your application may be returned to you.
Reasons your application may be returned to you:
- The signature of the applicant (or legal representative) is missing in Part A
- Applicants who are the age of majority in their province must sign their own application unless a legal representative has been appointed
- A legal representative has signed the application but we have not previously received documents indicating that they are authorized on the account
- The signature of the medical practitioner is missing in Part B
- The signatures on one or both parts of the form are not handwritten (cannot be cursive typeface)
- Part A and Part B received separately are not considered a complete application
- Mandatory information (SIN, name, address, and date of birth) is missing
- Mail in the form
Either the medical practitioner or the applicant must mail the fully completed (Part A and Part B together) application to the CRA.
Submit the application
Submit documents no longer supported for DTC
As of July 14, you must send your DTC application to the CRA using the digital DTC application form or by mail. You may not send DTC forms through the “submit documents” section of your CRA account. Learn more by visiting Help speed up your disability tax credit application.
If your application was completed digitally and your medical practitioner used the reference number you provided, it is automatically submitted to the CRA. If you are signed up for digital notifications from the CRA, you will receive an email informing you that your application has been successfully submitted.
If you have a PDF or scanned version of the paper form do not submit it using your CRA account. You must print and mail the paper form to the CRA.
- Send paper forms by mail
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If you have the paper form, send it to one of the tax centres below. It is recommended that you keep a copy for your records.
Jonquière Tax Centre
Jonquière Tax Centre
2251 René-Lévesque Blvd
Jonquière QC G7S 5J2Jonquière Tax Centre - 2251 René-Lévesque Blvd - Jonquière QC G7S 5J2
Sudbury Tax Centre
Sudbury Tax Centre
Post Office Box 20000, Station A
Sudbury ON P3A 5C1Sudbury Tax Centre - Post Office Box 20000, Station A - Sudbury ON P3A 5C1
Winnipeg Tax Centre
Winnipeg Tax Centre
Post Office Box 14000, Station Main
Winnipeg MB R3C 3M2Winnipeg Tax Centre - Post Office Box 14000, Station Main - Winnipeg MB R3C 3M2
Check processing times
Select the “Show targeted processing times” button to find the current processing time for DTC applications.
Go to: Check CRA processing times