HOME > THE DISABILITY TAX CREDIT > APPLYING FOR THE DISABILITY TAX CREDIT
Applying for the Disability Tax Credit
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) Certificate (Form T2201), can be accessed here or by contacting the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
The DTC application has two parts.
Part A must be filled out by the person with a disability or their legal representative.
Part B must be completed by a medical practitioner to certify your impairment.
You can apply online, by phone, or by mailing in a hard copy. You may also request an alternative format from the CRA. A legal representative can also apply on behalf of someone.
Make sure to save a copy of your application for your records.
If applying online:
Part A will be submitted through your CRA account.
After completing Part A, you will receive a reference number for your medical practitioner to use for Part B.
If applying by phone:
You have the option to call a call centre agent (1-800-959-8281) or use the automated voice service (1-800-463-4421).
When applying by phone, the person you speak to will submit Part A for you.
After completing Part A, you will receive a reference number for your medical practitioner to use for Part B.
If you are filling out a hard copy of the form:
Complete Part A on your own. You can also fill it out on your computer and then print it and mail it in, or print it out and scan it and send it in online.
Make sure to sign the authorization section of the form, or the CRA will not process your request.
Once your medical practitioner has completed Part B of the form, you can submit the application online through your MyCRA account or by mail. The last page of the form has the mailing addresses for the three tax centers in Canada that it can be sent to.
For your medical practitioner when submitting Part B:
Your medical practitioner can fill out Part B online with a reference number. Once the online version of Part B is completed, the application will automatically be submitted to the CRA.
Your medical practitioner can fill out a hard copy without needing the reference number. If your medical practitioner submits the application on your behalf, they must mail the hard copy to the CRA.
They cannot fill out Part B by phone.
For more information on the DTC application, visit the CRA website.
Finding a medical practitioner to fill out Part B
Part B can be filled out by specific medical practitioners depending on what area(s) of daily living you experience restrictions in:
Medical doctor, including psychiatrists (all categories)
Nurse practitioner (all categories)
Optometrist (vision)
Audiologist (hearing)
Occupational therapist (walking, feeding, or dressing)
Physiotherapist (walking)
Psychologist (mental function)
Speech-language pathologist (speaking)
If you do not currently have a medical practitioner, consider:
Signing up for an official registry: Most provinces and territories have a centralized registry to help connect residents to a primary care provider. While you wait to be matched, we suggest actively searching in the meantime.
Checking with your network: Ask your family and friends if their primary care providers are accepting new patients. Some medical practitioners may accept you into their practice if your direct family member is already an existing patient.
Consulting your pharmacist: Local pharmacies may have information on which practitioners in the area are accepting new patients.
Contacting clinics directly: Follow up on leads from your network by reaching out to walk-in clinics and other medical offices in your area. Local clinics do not always notify centralized registries when they have openings, so contacting them directly can be an effective way to find a provider.
If local options are unavailable, contact clinics in nearby towns or cities to see if they accept out-of-town patients. There are also virtual care clinics for people in remote regions who do not have a primary care provider. For example, Northern Health’s Virtual Clinic serves patients in northern BC.
If you are still unable to find a clinic, you may be able to find a doctor through a virtual clinic such as the Telus Health MyCare app, although they may charge a fee.
Use specialized navigators: If you require gender-affirming care, health navigators from organizations such as Trans Care BC or Queer Yukon can help connect you to inclusive practitioners.
Cost for a medical practitioner to fill out Part B
Medical practitioners may charge a fee for completing your form, usually ranging between $100 and $250. The fee a practitioner charges to complete Form T2201 (the DTC Certificate), is an eligible medical expense you can claim on your next income tax return.
The federal government has allocated funding to partially cover the cost of the medical forms required for your DTC application. The government has indicated that it will issue a one-time payment of $150 for every DTC application that results in a successful CDB application, and that these payments will begin sometime in 2026 or 2027. We will update this page when more information is available.
Before seeing a medical practitioner
Before your appointment with your medical practitioner, it is helpful to prepare. We have lots of resources to guide you in preparing for your appointment.
It is a good idea to review every section of the form and your restrictions in full before your appointment. This will help you communicate the severity of your restrictions with your medical practitioner and make sure they have enough information to fill out the form.
If you are visiting a new medical practitioner
Your medical history can be helpful for your new medical practitioner to understand your restrictions. It would be a good idea to request a copy of your medical history from your previous practitioner, then share the information with your new practitioner before they fill out Part B.
This documentation can help the new practitioner account for the restrictions you started experiencing before you were their patient. Since DTC applications are approved either indefinitely or for a certain number of years, it is very important for your medical practitioner to understand your full medical history and describe your restrictions effectively in Part B.
Ask yourself questions that will help your medical practitioner fill out Part B of the form. Consider:
What activities of daily living can you not do at all, or need a significant amount of help to do?
What activities of daily living take you 2-3 times longer to do than somebody your same age without restrictions?
What symptoms do you experience, and how do those symptoms impact daily living activities?
How often do your symptoms occur?
What medications do you take? How effective are they at managing your restrictions?
What accessibility devices do you use? How much do those help with your restrictions?
If you’re completing the application form for a child, ask whether they are expected to meet the milestones of their same-aged peers.
You might also find it helpful to use Disability Alliance BC (DABC)’s My DTC Tool to collect information that will help your medical practitioner to complete Part B of the form. You can also contact our Disability Planning Helpline for help completing the form and preparing for the appointment with your medical practitioner. Please note that if you are a resident of BC and want help completing your DTC application, we may refer you to our partner organization, DABC.
On the application, your medical practitioner will need to be as detailed as possible, so that the CRA has the information they need to make a correct assessment. The CRA is not concerned about an applicant’s ability to work, go to school, manage money, do housework, drive, or participate in recreational activities. Avoid discussing those topics as it can lead to more questions and may result in a denial. Any symptoms that are unpredictable, like sudden pain flare-ups or reactions to medication or treatments, are relevant to the application.